So I am new here. Didn't see where to post an introduction so if I am out of line please direct me. I work in a large city hospital within the epilepsy unit. We monitor our patients on this floor with cameras and EEGs. I am sure many of you are quite familiar with this but I needed the background for the story.
There are a diverse group of nurses...male and female on this floor and obviously sometimes my male colleagues get female patients ans vice versa.
Tonight a patient's husband phoned the head nurse from home. He's home. She's here. He got my male coworker by mistake first and then me. I heard the accusations about my male colleague and they seem a bit over the top.
Then our head nurse came onto the floor to talk to the patient who was heard sobbing.
So here is what happened according to her
She complained about leg pain in her thigh area. My colleague told me it was ambiguous description.
So he went in and checked on her thighs for hot spots or lumps. Nothing so that was 1 day ago.
Today her husband called.
I had noticed her not eating and acting unusual today but I guessed she was just going through the motions of a week long hospitalization.
Her story was told to me first by mistake by her husband and it was like this
The male colleague of mine
Responded to her pain by turning her in room camera to the wall, removing her bottoms and then according to her she made two attempts to cover her privates with her gown but he kept forcefully uncovering them stating it was necessary for a check of the legs.
He was not assisted by a female nurse. But also according to her he did not do anything to her privates. He just touched her legs and then faced the camera back on her after allowing her to dress up.
He is well respected here. Hes married and used to seeing female genitalia and male. We are nurses for crying out loud. She has had children so obviously she has been exposed on a number of occasions and now he feels uncomfortable and embarrassed.
I think she overreacted considering her child birthing days are not too far in the past. Did she overreact?
Really unsure with how her having children effects this...at all.
He should not have moved the camera. That's just sketchy.
I told her she should have had on underwear and that she should be used to having it all hang out since she's had a few kids here. But we provided underwear since she left her extras at home.
She was uncomfortable, there's no denying that. She well within her right to complain. Saying she overreacting is appalling.
He shouldn't of turned the camera off. He had no reason to expose her private area. And if there was a actual reason there should of been another female nurse there with him.
That fact that she's had kids makes no difference. Giving birth is a legitimate reason to be exposed, doesn't mean that now she can be expose whenever with no reason.
Specializes in Care Coordination, MDS, med-surg, Peds.
The only concern i had wasshe said he would not allow her to cover her lady parts and intimate areas when she wanted to with her gown. But then he denies that outright.
Her claim is that he forced her gown off of her lady parts twice. Doesn't seem like him. He has a clean record here. No complaints.
Ok. This does sound odd. Of course as a nurse you surely know that she wasn't covering her lady parts( internal) but her labia and pubic mound.
It's a pet peeve of mine to hear professions calling the outer girlie bits by inner girlie bits name.
I told her she should have had on underwear and that she should be used to having it all hang out since she's had a few kids here. But we provided underwear since she left her extras at home.
You need to stop.
I've had a baby. I'm not use to it all hanging out.
Also stop blaming her for not wearing underwear. If she's uncomfortable stop making it seem like it was her fault.
There is no way to prove either side at this point because the camera was turned away. She said he kept removing the gown from her pubic mound then. But I can't prove either side. He is married and has never had a complaint of this nature although I can't for 100 per cent claim he is spotless.
I dont think that the patient was over reacting, some people are more private than others. I am a little confused by this whole situation, why was the husband talking to you if he wanted to speak to the head nurse. I understand that it can sometimes be an inconvenience to bring an escort but you seem more bothered about this than usual. Are you a nurse, is this your regular unit. I guess that, yes, your Male colleague better be more careful in the future. Although none of us really knows what went on in there, he (and everyone) still needs to be careful against allegations, and maybe more sensitive to patients feelings regarding personal space/privacy.
There is no way to prove either side at this point because the camera was turned away. She said he kept removing the gown from her pubic mound then. But I can't prove either side. He is married and has never had a complaint of this nature although I can't for 100 per cent claim he is spotless.
It's not your job to prove anything.
For now give her support, only use female staff if at all possible or provide female witness if males are necessary.
I dont think that the patient was over reacting, some people are more private than others. I am a little confused by this whole situation, why was the husband talking to you if he wanted to speak to the head nurse. I understand that it can sometimes be an inconvenience to bring an escort but you seem more bothered about this than usual. Are you a nurse, is this your regular unit. I guess that, yes, your Male colleague better be more careful in the future. Although none of us really knows what went on in there, he (and everyone) still needs to be careful against allegations, and maybe more sensitive to patients feelings regarding personal space/privacy.
I would fully expect the camera to be turned away from the patient when exposing them in that manner. I would be furious if someone had a camera on my private parts! Females do not accompany our male nurses or male nursing assistants when they examine a female patient. The only time a female is required to be present is when a doctor does an invasive lady partsl or rectal exam.
Your repeated statements about how the fact that this woman has had children means she is overreacting are ludicrous and offensive. I can't imagine how any professional could write or believe such a thing.
No one here knows whether the patient was overreacting or was assaulted or whether there was poor communication and general misunderstanding. There is nothing more to this discussion.
I suggest you educate yourself on ideas such as bodily privacy and integrity and the like.
She was uncomfortable, there's no denying that. She well within her right to complain. Saying she overreacting is appalling.
He shouldn't of turned the camera off. He had no reason to expose her private area. And if there was a actual reason there should of been another female nurse there with him.
That fact that she's had kids makes no difference. Giving birth is a legitimate reason to be exposed, doesn't mean that now she can be expose whenever with no reason.
Our male nurses place urinary catheters, clean patients, etc., without a female present, as do our male nursing assistants. If a female patient requests a female nurse, we try to accomodate, but this is a hospital, we do what we can with what we have. Sometimes all of our staff is male.
Apatientnow
11 Posts
I told her she should have had on underwear and that she should be used to having it all hang out since she's had a few kids here. But we provided underwear since she left her extras at home.