Male nurses supervising female patients/female nurses supervising male patients

Realistically, women are at greater risk of sexual abuse than men are, regardless of context.

This doesn't change when you translate it to a mental health care setting. Female clients are more at risk of abuse from male staff and other male patients than are male clients from female staff or other female patients.

As a student nurse over 20 years ago, another student and + reported a senior staff nurse in the mixed acute psychiatric ward where we were placed. His behaviour was (putting it mildly) inappropriate towards very vulnerable female patients and junior staff. Gave evidence against him twice and he oonly didn't get chucked from the regisster on a technicality.

What bugged me at the time is that no other staff seemed to see anything wrong in him kissing dlusional women patients on the lips or asking them for a cuddle. They didn't raise an eyebrow at him teasing female students about sexually disinhibeted male patients harassing them or that he tried to cop a feel himself when he could. Found out later successive sets of students 'knew' he was one to avoid, but no one anywhere did anything.

Side note, but it was while on this placement I first recognised the link between porn and sexual violence. Learned lots there and not from the syllabus either!

mrsnesbit - if one of the reasons is privacy and dignity, why is it OK for a male patient to be supervised by two female nurses but not vice versa?

nyac - why is it not discrimination? I can understand that it wouldn't be if all patients had to be supervised either by nurses of the same sex or by a male/female combination but that is not the case.

I'd heard sexual abuse of female patients was quite common in mental health facilities. It's the sort of facility that would attract predators in the first place, and of course nobody will believe the victims because they'll just be accused of making it up for being unwell.

It is 50/50 protection for both client and male staff.
If the female client becomes sexually disinhibited because of a particular illness esp the female is vulnerable.

On a single sex ward ie all male clients it is impossible to get all male workers as ratio of male v female nurses is far lower.

I have never heard of one case in 20 yrs years of a male mental health nurse actually sexually abuse a female client, but many very ill female clients accuse male nurses when they are unwell. So if your husband OP feels he can work alone with a femaile client will be then leaving himself wide open. He also needs to contact NMC if he needs further clarification on this.

A male client needs two females at least because the female nurse could be at risk re man stronger the woman (usually).

Thats does sound pretty off , although in the docs if examinations happen and I have a male doctor the chaperone is always female, I'm not sure if its related.

I can empathise with a man who has studied worked as hard as his females colleagues to essentially be treat as a potential predator. simply due to his gender.

No it's not discrimination. What a shame he thinks it is.

Privacy & dignity, additionally protection for all parties concerned.

I dont think it is discriminatory at all, its the stark reality of society today.

Its like same sex wards, very important imho (not alwasy practical) but essential.

And I'm of course not saying that all male nurses are abusers, but you never know who are one. So it' s sensible.

Sensible. Female people with mental health issues are vulnerable to predators, because those bastards love to abuse "easy targets."
So if a female patient is never alone with a male staff member, it means:

1. Lesser chance of her being triggered, re-traumatized
2. Lesser chance of her being sexually assaulted by the staff member This happens since abusers like to work with vulnerable people, it's a real problem :(