Question About Nurse/Patient Gender Policy

When I had my surgery back in December of this year, my doctor instructed me to arrive very early at the hospital in order to be among the first group of patients being operated on that day. The group consisted of four people - two men and two women. After changing into a gown, and getting onto the gurney in pre-op, I was very surprised to have a male nurse come into the curtained-off area I was in and say, "My name is David. I will be your nurse for the duration of your surgery and in the recovery room."

I was perfectly OK with it since he struck me as being very professional and competent. Besides, I knew he wouldn't be the only male in the surgical theater, including my surgeon. So my attitude was that one more man being present wouldn't make any difference. Still, I remain surprised that he, the one male nurse present in the pre-op room, would have been assigned to me and not one of the two male patients instead - even more so since the surgery I was about to undergo was a gynecological procedure.

Now I'm wondering if it is a more recent development in some hospitals to institute a kind of "gender equal" nursing policy when it comes to some types of patient care. After all, there has been a very long tradition of having female nurses attend to male patients. So what I'd like to know is if any other women here have ever had a similar experience. Also, I'd like to hear from any members with professional experience in a medical setting. How typical or not is it that a male nurse would be assigned to a female patient?

I don't think that it would matter much to the staff who was assigned to whom, at least during the surgery and the short time before and after. Most of the time that you were under the care of this nurse, you were unconscious. I think that unless the patient had a problem with it, the hospital wouldn't really care where they put their staff as long as they were all competent and polite no matter what the issue was. If the doctor specifically said that a female patient was very nervous, maybe they would take more care to assign a female nurse, but I don't think it matters much in general. Does that make sense?

Yes, that makes quite a bit of sense. The fact that I would be unconscious for a huge majority of the time he'd be attending me would make the gender difference rather a non-issue. I suppose there might be some patients who would voice an objection to being cared for by a nurse of the opposite gender, regardless of the fact that they know they'd be "put out" for the duration.

By the way, the anesthetist I was assigned was female. And for the pre-surgery pubic shave, a female nurse came into the cubicle and performed it although my male attending nurse was present as she did it.

Addie first off I'm glad you were not offended but i can tell you from experience of working in cardiac recovery and pulling sheaths for about 5 years that allot of biases still happen especially with young patients i have been asked to be "removed" from the care of several patients just because i was a male. They wouldn't even come up with another excuse just that a guy shouldn't be working there. I'm not kidding i have heard that complaint several times.

I see you somewhere around your 50's so if i was assigned to you i most likely wouldn't have given it a second thought thinking that the patient will understand that this my job. if you were in your twenties i would've just seen if i could have switched with a woman simply from the fear of her asking that i be replaced.

I don't mean to go on any type of a rant here sorry but the medical field is definitely not equal opportunity. at least if you are a male that does a nursing role like bathing ekg making comfy anything like that.

Please don't get me wrong I've also had some younger woman tell me they were fine with it but for the most part they asked i be removed. I was even threatened by a mother once for taking her 19 year old daughters vitals!

sorry for the rant it just kind of came out that way.

Dave

😄. I dont think i would mind a male doc or nurse looking after my needs i might like it even more if he was cute lol;-)

When I had a colonoscopy, I was assigned a male nurse and quite disappointed. I had anticipated that a female nurse would be one of the few bright spots in that experience.

I have honestly never had the pleasure of being cared for by a male nurse. i believe (no offense to the ladies here) that i would have responded much better to a male, since i am (personally) absolutely disgusted by the presence of another woman while i am sick or in the hospital or even just an exam... That is just me, though, i have a deep distrust of all women which tends to make me hostile in an prodominantly female situation (like having all female nurses) and it makes me very nervous to be attended by a female. It's like i am just waiting for that stab in the back, or i worry about how they will laugh at me after i leave or am medicated. i don't hold it against any woman who is a nurse! Don't get me wrong, i don't hate women, i just don't like to put myself in situations where i have to depend on them for anything. Therefore, i just don't go to the Dr anymore. When i do go, it's for something relatively serious, or a flat out emergency. By not going to the Dr, i prevent myself from having to tolerate women nurses.

i think to have a male nurse would be very comforting to me, since i don't fear men near as much as i do women. Women, especially ones with a little bit of authority, absolutely terrify me.

soumise

Soumise,

Can you find a small practice where it is just a male Doctor and no nurse?

We use to see a family Doctor where it was just him and a female receptionist. She only did clerical work and never even came in the exam room while the patient was there.

He was the best, like an old time, small town, family doctor. He did not take insurance and so he was always "out of network." Because of that, it cost us more to see him, but he was worth it in our mind.

Unfortunately he eventually decided to convert his practice to a "concierge practice," where you pay an annual fee (like $1,200 for the family) for unlimited service. We decided we could no longer justify the expense, since we had insurance and could see someone else for a $10 copay per visit.

@ user264,

Thank you for the idea. i'm not sure if there are any of those types of Dr's around here though. So many are worried about lawsuits, that they take extra care to have women present around women. It's something i will look into though.

Thanks again!

soumise

Great thought about the small practice and the male Doctor with the secretary, no nurse, user264. My GP in the Pacific Northwest is exactly that. He operates a very small practice, just himself. He even does his own lab prep and work. I can always see him within the same day and he returns my calls promptly. He does accept my insurance and so far, he has not turned into a private concierge practice.

Lady Teddy