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Nursing Practice > Ask Practice
Page modified February 02, 2010
Nursing Standards
Outreach Program
Discrimination against male nurses
Q
I am a male nurse on a medical surgical unit in a small community hospital. We have male and female nurses on this unit. Recently, a female client requested that only female nurses provide her care. How should I approach this request to ensure the therapeutic nurse-client relationship is maintained and the client’s care is provided by the most appropriate caregiver?
A
If a female client requests that only female nurses provide care, it is important to explore the meaning behind the client’s request. This allows you to use your professional judgment to determine if the request is relevant to the therapeutic needs of the client. There may be cultural, religious or other reasons that prompted the client to request only female nurses. By understanding her reasons, you may be able to correct misperceptions about receiving care from a male nurse, discuss possible alternatives or solutions and achieve a common understanding.
If the client refuses care only because you are a man, the behaviour becomes discriminatory. You should involve your manager, who can explain to the client the organization’s policies about this issue. Once the situation has been resolved, you should review the effectiveness of the decision process and collaborate with others on the health care team to plan strategies to manage similar situations in the future.
Last Updated Feb. 2010
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