3 replies to this topic

[NurseChat]

I would like to hear your opinions regarding this situation from a letter taken from Dear Abbey. Do you agree with Abbey? Or should the nurse have done something differently?

DEAR ABBY: While sitting with my husband in the hospital following his surgery, a nurse entered his room. We all chatted while she took his pulse, etc., when -- without warning -- she removed his covers to check the surgery site and totally exposed his genitals.I was shocked and embarrassed, and have trouble ridding myself of the image of my naked husband lying there in front of another woman. I wish the nurse had given me the chance to leave the room.Is there something wrong with me for having so much trouble with this? What can I do to avoid this in the future? -- RED-FACED IN EUGENE, ORE.


DEAR RED-FACED: On a scale of 10, I'd say you are probably an 8 on the "uptight" scale. You seem to have forgotten that the woman in the room with you was not a lap dancer, but a health-care professional performing her duties. Your husband was her patient, and in her eyes, was probably as sexless as a CPR dummy. To avoid embarrassment in the future, leave the room when the nurse enters.

[NB: This was NawlinsGirl's poll, but I had to re-enter it, as I had problems editing the original]

[3boyzmom]

I tend to agree with Abby. On the one hand, the nurse maybe could have been a little more sensitive and asked the wife if she wanted to step out--- but really--- she probably assumed that most wives have seen their husbands' genitals before. And would be shocked to think that the wife thought of her as "another woman" looking at her husband. Now if there were visitors other than the wife present, sure the nurse should ask them to step out. But if the wife's the only one there, she probably needed to pretty much get over it.

[Jenna_e]

the nurse is not supposed to expose the patient to that extent, and shouls warn and ask permission from the patient.

[mattsmom]

Hmm. Mixed feeling. I always try to protect the privacy of my patient, and if I were that nurse I would have checked discretely...if not posible, i would ask family members to give me a moment alone to asess my patient. I have had to learn to be assertive under these conditions. Abby has a point however, as usual.