male nurse in OB

Posts: 5 · Joined: 21 Mar 2006 Posts: 5

I am a nursing student finishing my last semester. Our last section in this semister focusses on OB and was wondering if any of you had advice or thoughts that would be usefull for a male nurse practicing in OB.
thanks

Posts: 223 · Joined: 26 Feb 2005 Posts: 223

Mainly, that men can be excellent OB nurses. However, you will always run into the perception from female patients that "women do it better". I used to get tired of hearing "Female Doctors are so much better", because some of the unkindest and cruelest OB docs I worked with were females. In today's world, any male who chooses to do OB (nurse or doctor) has to like it, and like their patients, so they often are some of the best doctors and nurses in the field.

Posts: 5 · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5

The skills and attitudes a nurse carries does not cross gender lines. You can be a good nurse or a bad nurse no matter what sex you are! However, keep an open mind that not all OB patients were raised in an "equal" world and stereotypes are a hard habit to break. Also, never perform any invasive task alone. Always have a second nurse as a witness to protect yourself from any folks looking for a reason to sue you. They are out there!

Posts: 16 · Joined: 25 Feb 2006 Posts: 16

I worked on OB for few years. We were staffed short and usually had one RN and if lucky one LPN and tech's for a 23 bed OB unit. I can say that a male nurse could do just as good a job but it is not very likely that he would have enough staff to expect a female nurse to be with him with every patient he had to check or do any procedures on. That is the rule for a doctor to have female with him, but I am afraid it would be asking too much from the other staff to have to care for their patients and escort him while he is caring for his patients as well. I know it is a double standard that female nurses can care for male patients without another male nurse in the room with them. I don't think we have come far enough to expect that all female patients would be that open minded about having a male nurse check them after they have given birth. Some would be ok with it but I would guess 90% would find it offensive and embarrasing. Sorry guys. I am on your side but the average person is not trained to see and do the things we have to do on regular basics.