Crazy OB question!

[NurseDianne, ADN]

I'm an OB nurse and have been for years. The other night at work, another nurse, who has been a nurse for 20 odd years, was talking about one doc who required "rectal" exams instead of "lady partsl" exams to check for dil. of the cervix. Ok, now am I just crazy or what? I had never ever heard of this, and I'm not sure it's possible. Maybe I' just missed that day in class. Is this just totally off the wall or what? Besides, I really don't think my OB patients would enjoy that at all!

[Hardknox]

I hate to admit how old I am but when my first child was born in 1962 the resident did all the exams rectally. There was a fear of contamination when doing lady partsl exams. Not being a nurse and being VERY young, I was appalled when he examined me this way, probing though the wall. I thought the rectum was a one way street and I had never heard of an enema. It was very painful. I got my first enema on admission. What a night.....I swore I'd never get pregnant again. However......

[OBNURSEHEATHER]

Ewwwww....

Heather

[delirium]

Originally posted by OBNURSEHEATHER

Ewwwww....

Heather

I second that.

Remind me of this thread when I start talking about wanting to be pregnant again, Heather.

And the bone separation one.

[Swiftee]

Wow!

I have never heard about that before! I guess ya learn something new every day.

[mother/babyRN, RN]

Me neither, but in my ever ongoing quest to find the damn spines, that seems to me to be a way to do it! Will ask our OB chief what he thinks about this rectal exam business. I KNOW he is old enough to have heard of it, but until now, I never had...YUCK and OUCH!

[mark_LD_RN]

it is true it used to be done that way, thank god they changed that :)

[shay]

Yep. They used to do it that way. Freaked me out when I heard it too.

[NurseDianne, ADN]

:roll OMG, I'm not crazy afterall, and she wasn't pulling my chain!!!! and OUCH does not possibly describe it! I honestly think I would have to refuse to examine the patient that way.

[anitame]

Not to sound stupid or anything, but how complete could that exam REALLY be? You could probably feel station without too much difficulty but could you get ANY concept of dilitation? And Yickes, OUCH!