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EXPERIENCES OF NURSES AND MIDWIVES

Submit your experience of sex and gender, and how it has impacted your practice.

We know from speaking to many nurses and midwives, that there is a hostile environment surrounding discussion on sex and gender. We would like to give a voice to those who feel unable to air their views on this complex issue. Please consider sharing your testimony, which will be handled anonymously.

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Your Stories: Testimonial Form

YOUR STORIES

Nurses in my mental health trust are required to affirm gender identity – consequently male bodied patients on female psychiatric wards, staff/patients unable to have frank conversation about risk, women being told no men on the ward is a further psychological harm to (often) traumatised women.

“I remember wanting to know more about this complex subject, and feeling unsafe on who to ask, or where to look to learn more. This is not a safe environment to practice in, at all.”

Transgender lady had cardiac arrest and does because she was placed in a side room instead of a women’s open bay. Staff did not witness her deterioration because of her being placed in a side room. When staff did notice the signs of ore cardiac arrest, it was later stages and it was difficult to get the cardiac arrest trolley into the side room. Lesson learnt was that she should first and foremost HAVE BEEN PLACED IN AN OPEN WOMENS BAY where her deterioration would have been recognised and earlier interventions could have saved her life. She posed absolutely no threat to anyone, she presented and identified as a woman but staff put her in side room simply because they knew she was transgender and didn’t know what else to do. She died because of ignorance and thoughtlessness.

Middle aged trans woman placed in open female bay, no side room available. Wearing tiny silky slip for bedclothes, not willing to change into hospital gown, otherwise male presenting. Male genitals on full display and visible to other patients due to sitting posture and unsuitable clothing. Patient refusing polite & repeated requests to place bedsheets over lap for privacy, pulling curtains back when drawn around bed. In bay with elderly ladies, some quite ill, some confused. All requiring commodes and assistance to maintain privacy and dignity. Staff and patients felt highly uncomfortable with the situation. No-one felt able to raise it further with patient or leadership for fear of concerns being misinterpreted. Recent trust equality and diversity training gave very strong emphasis to discrimination of trans patients and zero tolerance policy for staff. The dignity and privacy of the other patients in vulnerable states was highly compromised.

A few years ago, I worked as an RN on a residential eating disorder unit that treated adults. There were MTF transgender patients (fully transitioned) on the unit who used the women’s restroom and there were no issues with it. Then, a male patient was admitted who identified as “transfeminine.” This patient presented fully as male—wore male-typical clothing, had a mustache and a beard, and a male name. This person decided to use the women’s restroom. This created a dust up because nearly every female on the unit had experienced past trauma at the hands of males. This is, literally, the sad truth of this patient population. Many of the women expressed their distress at seeing a fully-male-presenting person in the women’s restroom (they also showered in there). 


The director of the site eased the tension briefly by asking the transfeminine person to use the single stall bathroom and they complied. But, the director was in a pretty terrible position with competing problems—who to accommodate? Accommodate the females and provide them with a “safe space” or accommodate the transfeminine person who wanted their feminine identity affirmed? How did it turn out? The transfeminine person was affirmed and given open access to the women’s facilities. I wondered how much the director’s decision making process hinged on concerns about being sued or accused of transphobia/getting fired for not affirming this person.

My first placement of my nursing degree I was in a pre operative assessment unit. 18 year old transgender male patients would be coming in pre hysterectomy or mastectomy, with past medical history of extensive mental health issues and autism diagnoses. As someone in their twenties who was previously a support worker for people with autism, I know how much you change as a young adult, and how uncomfortable lots of autistic women are with their bodies and how they fit into society. It was disconcerting seeing just how easy it was for these young females to have life changing operations that will irreversibly change their futures.

I am a feminist & a woman. I am a wife, a mother & a midwife. In 2019 I was hounded off Twitter for discussing the use of the term ‘pregnant people’. I said that I believed only women can give birth. I was called a transphobe, a danger to my patients, a bigot, a TERF & a disgrace to my profession. I was threatened with being reported to the NMC. I left Twitter immediately & have spent 2 years educating myself, attending meetings & conferences. I know I am not alone. I know many midwives feel the way that I do.

Your Stories: Testimonials
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