Is it acceptable for a cis male nurse to work in labor and delivery? I had an amazing time in my recent L&D rotation and was wondering if it is worth pursuing. I’d love to hear what everyone thinks, so all opinions and advice are more than welcome!
Hi, I am a labor and delivery nurse as well. I think if this is your passion then you should absolutely pursue it! There are plenty of male OB doctors And I don’t see any difference in care. It’s all in the person. I have not seen a male labor and delivery nurse, but I have a question why more haven’t come forward.
It is possible that you may get in an Apprehensive patient due to ur gender. But just gently remind her that you were absolutely qualified and you were there to assure a safe and healthy delivery for their family😊
Good luck I hope all goes well for you!👍🏻
Hey! I'm also a male nurse and have recently decided to pursue Labor and Delivery. I have two interviews coming up and I'm excited! If it's what you want to do and people recognize that, someone will present and opportunity eventually
Forgive my stupidity but even after Google "cis", I have NO idea what it means. Not originally from here, btw. I am hoping that by being asked to answer these questions, however; that my opinion has some validity. L&D is a specialty unit. I worked it in Missouri in an Amish community when I was out of L&D for some years. I had to play "catch the baby" several times - alone. On that note, you can do it if I could. I gave birth to several of my own 12 children on the floor at home, unattended and did it all while the siblings hid in the next room until all was "clear" of mom biting on a cloth diaper to not make a noise. The one time that they called EMS in a snow storm on New Year's Eve, I was bleeding out. The paramedic called helivac bc she had never seen a birth before and I had given birth and she literally ripped the umbilical cord in half not waiting for me to deliver the placenta. I ended up on the helicopter with a HGB of 3.4 by the time we landed. I wish she were a male that had at least seen a live birth. (I lived, and I made her Godmother bc she almost got fired for making that mistake in front of her driver who told her to stop pulling on the cord.) I envy your enthusiasm to make this a career choice. I will give you one travel example of acceptance vs non-acceptance though. Some where in the past 30 years in a land far far away (lol), I befriended a girl PCT or CNA. Well, she was not a girl. I did not know it, but some patients could tell and fired her from the room, uncomfortable. I will tell you one thing without naming the State (USA), that person had the greatest respect of every nurse and employee all the way up to the Board of Directors in "her" right to choose her gender, cross dress, and use a female nickname which, by the way, we all respected. There will always be a female pt that refuses to let a male assist them to the bathroom but loves the exceptional care they otherwise receive. L&D is a little tougher, bc it is, well, all personal. I feel that most my ICU pt's thought the male RN was an MD and liked them more that us females. I believe that with the right candor and attitude, your choices are endless. If L&D is your choice of field specialty, pick it. Find a hospital you are comfortable bringing up your questions to and that will stand fully behind you for that 1 in a million 48 year old birthing mothers that says, "no, I want a girl nurse."
Stop.
As far as your skills and knowledge go, no reason not to work in L&D. The issue is the patients. For some strange reason, many women (and often their male partners) who do not think twice about having a male obstetrician may actually balk at having a male nurse in attendance at birth. I don't understand that at all, but it's a common problem which is why many L&D departments only hire female nurses. When I had my kids (50+ years ago), I would have easily welcomed an informed, careful, caring colleague of any gender to care for me.
It seems easier for women to accept physicians of either sex than nurses who are men when it come to who is with them in L&D. Don't get me started! A good nurse is a good nurse and if you have a keen interest in this specialty, why should you not do well in it?!
There are some hospitals that have experimented with having male nurses in the delivery room, but they are few. Ask at your local hospital or medical center what their policy is. If you love this specialty, pursue it! Women in ERs and ICUs can be just as exposed and vulnerable during baths and treatments of various kinds, and no one thinks it unusual for a nurse of either gender to care for patients there. Maybe point this out (diplomatically) in your interviews.
