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Male aged care student

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Author Male aged care student

JeanWoolfe

(offline)

  • Joined: Jan 2011
  • Location: Perth
  • Posts: 4

Thu Jan 20, 2011 6:01 pm

Hi my name is Jean,

I've recentley enrolled in certifcate 3 in aged care by external study at TAFE. I'm sure that there a lot of male aged care/nurses out there, but the general of them on this site and of those I've meet seems to be woman.

What I'm wondering is if anyone knows any male aged care/nurses and how are they treated compares to woman? ... are they shunned? laughed at? or treated the same.

I don't really mind that my male friends joke about me wanting to be a nurse, it all seems reasonable to me.

But a thing I'm worried about is bathing woman/older woman. I of course see it as a professional thing and I'm a super respectful person and know that they would be more embarassed then me in these situations and that of course it's nothing sexual. But I'm kind of worried that a lot of woman will be like " IM NOT HAVING A GUY BATHE ME OR ATTEND TO MY NEEDS" or think I'm trying to do something innapropriate or just make them more uncomfortable in general.

Is there anyone out there who can offer some adivice?

gizjiz

(offline)

  • Joined: Aug 2009
  • Location:
  • Posts: 122

Jan 21, 2011, 08:40 pm

Hi Jean.
Welcome and congrats for doing your cert 3.. Well in my 12 month experience of working with men certainly a shortage of male cares.In my facility at present we have two full time who also work in kitchen two that are also studying EEN one going on to RN then on to being a DR.. Hats off to one of these guys he left school at 16 went on to do cert 3 working part time paying for tafe een .. then the plan to be a RN and from there a Dr... No matter you will have women residents that will feel uncomfortable about a man showering them especially if you are in a low care facility. As a rule when working in high care you work in pairs. If I shower a female resident my co worker does the other stuff making beds tidying up pick up pads.. They usually don't mind if being helped to dry or given a sponge .. I think its when they have to sit in the shower chair they feel vulnerable.. I know personally I hate a male Dr giving me a pap smear.. I do realise this topic is rather delicate , as more and women and men under 50 are placed in age care facilities

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