Originally Posted by
Cammer
Well... why WOULD a male patient prefer a female nurse to insert a catheter? Are you thinking that a male patient would "get off" on having a female nurse insert a tube into his bladder? I don't think so. If he did then he's got some issues way beyond anything we can help him with. I'm sure that some prefer a female nurse because of homophobic issues, but I have been told by several male patients that they prefer another man to do this particular procedure because they have had bad experiences with women performing it. Various reasons come to mind for this, cultural, etc, but from the remarks I have heard made by the patients, and female nurses, I have come to the conclusion that some female nurses are more forceful and rough when doing this.
Just for the record, sexual harassment goes both ways. Over the years I've had quite a few female patients make remarks to me that involved sexual innuendo such as "how often do I get to have you give me a bed bath?" or "I really need some help getting out of these clothes" (said by a patient who is young and very capable of undressing herself). I have even been propositioned for sex a few times. It appears that many female patients have fantasies about being intimately cared for by a nurse of the opposite gender. Based on my experience I would even go so far as to say that it's a common occurrence. I'm sure that the women who are prone to this type of behavior feel that it is more allowable because this issue is ignored by society.
If I were to mention these occurrences in casual conversation I would be accused of being egotistical and making it all up to make myself look like a "stud" or something. I know this because it has happened to me. So I just keep my mouth shut, forget about it, and go on about my duties. Twice it has been so bad that I have requested, and received, an assignment change for these reasons.
My main point here is that there are sexual issues from both the male and female perspective. Contrary to popular belief, not all men have sex on the mind 24/7, especially when on the job. I personally believe that men are singled out and vilified in our culture, when in actuality both genders have an equal likelihood of performing sexual harassment.