Do nurses talk about their patients when the leave

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Okay, this is a very personal issue for me. I have some stretch marks on my arms that I am very self conscious about. Once I went to the dr. for a check up (i had to for employment) and I outright refused to let the nurse take my blood pressure. I have a complex about them and think people notice them and I always wear long sleeves. The nurse had to get someone to come in the room and encourage me to let them take my blood pressure, after some serious coaching I let them do it. I refused another time and the nurse had to take my blood pressure over my clothing.

Whenever I reveal my arms I just feel like the nurse is looking at the stretch marks in disgust and will go tell the other employees in the clinic about them and laugh. I am hoping that nurses are more professional than that. Are stretch marks the least offensive thing RNs/LPNs encounter on their patients?

LOL. This reminds me of when my water broke I told my significant other that I needed to shower and shave my legs THEN we could go to the hospital.

I have known a lot of women who did that - they went into labor and would not allow their husbands/boyfriends to take them to the hospital until they had showered and shaved their legs (or had him do it for them :D ) and underarms.

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Forgive me for my ignorance, since I am not a nurse, but how do you get a BP on a patient (male or female) who has had a double mastectomy? You have piqued my curiosity.

Stretch marks seem to be very common on the biceps of black men, and I see them walking around all the time in hot weather in tank tops, stretch marks and all. I didn't have kids, but I too got them on my thighs during a growth spurt around age 11 and was very embarrassed about them until I noticed how many other girls had them too. Two-piece suits were never my thing, even before I put on 40 pounds in my mid-30s. :stone

I once had a brief relationship (never sexual) with a very nice man who walked with a cane, which around age 30 is quite unusual. When I met him, I was pretty sure he had undergone a BKA, although it turned out not to be the case. He had been in a serious car accident and had a lot of hardware in that leg. My sister asked me if that would bother me, and I replied, "Why would it? I don't have a perfect body either!" She's had several major abdominal surgeries, and wears a bikini anyway (and yes, she has the body for it).

I'm starting to think that the OP might have some stage of Body Dysmorphic Syndrome, where people think various appearance flaws are more grotesque than they really are.

Not necessarly,the OP stated that some stranger made a comment about her stretchmarks.Sometimes it takes one human being to shatter the positive image you have of yourself.I received some hurtful remarks during my nursing school from an older women who I though was my friend.For example we were talking about Victoria Secret catalog and one of other female said that I could fit in those cloths,and my "friend" made an following comment "yeah these women have body just like you,with no curves,like sticks"Next my mom bought me two winter jackets that she found in kids department (extra-large) and my friends complemented me on them and asked me how much they cost and I replied that they were cheaper because my mom got them from children isle...and then again my "friend" said "yeah the reason you fit in them cause you are flat chested" So as you see people can hurt you more and it is not something that you created in your own mind...

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Specializes in LTC, Acute Care.
Forgive me for my ignorance, since I am not a nurse, but how do you get a BP on a patient (male or female) who has had a double mastectomy? You have piqued my curiosity.

Grab a thigh cuff and take a BP on the thigh. :D

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Specializes in LTC, Acute Care.
Not necessarly,the OP stated that some stranger made a comment about her stretchmarks.Sometimes it takes one human being to shatter the positive image you have of yourself.I received some hurtful remarks during my nursing school from an older women who I though was my friend.For example we were talking about Victoria Secret catalog and one of other female said that I could fit in those cloths,and my "friend" made an following comment "yeah these women have body just like you,with no curves,like sticks"Next my mom bought me two winter jackets that she found in kids department (extra-large) and my friends complemented me on them and asked me how much they cost and I replied that they were cheaper because my mom got them from children isle...and then again my "friend" said "yeah the reason you fit in them cause you are flat chested" So as you see people can hurt you more and it is not something that you created in your own mind...

You know, it really is incredible how in general people feel free to comment on thinner people but not on heavier people. (I am NOT saying people don't dis heavier people, but it is usually more covert, in my experience.) As someone who has been both, I've experienced the comments only when skinny. I have had more than 1 person who told me I needed to gain weight (I don't--I am at a healthy weight). I would say, "Why did you never tell me to lose weight when I was obese? Weren't you concerned about my health then?" That usually shuts them up, but still--it is a head scratcher.

Junior high and high school, when kids still don't have a kindness filter, was really the only time I was directly dissed for my weight and the attributes that come with being heavy.

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Specializes in School Nursing.
You know, it really is incredible how in general people feel free to comment on thinner people but not on heavier people. (I am NOT saying people don't dis heavier people, but it is usually more covert, in my experience.) As someone who has been both, I've experienced the comments only when skinny. I have had more than 1 person who told me I needed to gain weight (I don't--I am at a healthy weight). I would say, "Why did you never tell me to lose weight when I was obese? Weren't you concerned about my health then?" That usually shuts them up, but still--it is a head scratcher.

Junior high and high school, when kids still don't have a kindness filter, was really the only time I was directly dissed for my weight and the attributes that come with being heavy.

Not trying to justify any behavior but I think people are jealous of thin people. Makes them make rude comments.

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You know, it really is incredible how in general people feel free to comment on thinner people but not on heavier people. (I am NOT saying people don't dis heavier people, but it is usually more covert, in my experience.) As someone who has been both, I've experienced the comments only when skinny. I have had more than 1 person who told me I needed to gain weight (I don't--I am at a healthy weight). I would say, "Why did you never tell me to lose weight when I was obese? Weren't you concerned about my health then?" That usually shuts them up, but still--it is a head scratcher.

Junior high and high school, when kids still don't have a kindness filter, was really the only time I was directly dissed for my weight and the attributes that come with being heavy.

Because they are scared of them...see I'm sweet looking and tiny so they think I dont have big mouth,but trust me the time has finally come when to the very shock of my "friend" I told her off,specifically-to mind her own business!!I purposely skipped all the bad words I used because it is uncensored here on the boards.

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You know, it really is incredible how in general people feel free to comment on thinner people but not on heavier people. (I am NOT saying people don't dis heavier people, but it is usually more covert, in my experience.) As someone who has been both, I've experienced the comments only when skinny. I have had more than 1 person who told me I needed to gain weight (I don't--I am at a healthy weight). I would say, "Why did you never tell me to lose weight when I was obese? Weren't you concerned about my health then?" That usually shuts them up, but still--it is a head scratcher.

Junior high and high school, when kids still don't have a kindness filter, was really the only time I was directly dissed for my weight and the attributes that come with being heavy.

Well when my "friend" makes nasty comments like that I only try to look more cuter in spite of her...dont tell me about my weight and then rumble to our other friends "how you need to go on a diet,because you cant wear cute clothes and you have a backache"It just makes you look like a hipocrite-I mean my "my friend" of course...

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Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.
Whenever I reveal my arms I just feel like the nurse is looking at the stretch marks in disgust and will go tell the other employees in the clinic about them and laugh. I am hoping that nurses are more professional than that. Are stretch marks the least offensive thing RNs/LPNs encounter on their patients?

I am sorry that you feel this way. Feeling self conscious is always frustrating and can be difficult to deal with. Just remember that the vast majority of people are too worried about themselves and their looks to be worrying about others.

I've been a Nurse for many years. I currently work with Bariatric patients and I can say that I have seen my share of stretch marks on people, but to be perfectly honest with you, I have never, ever heard staff comment on anybody's stretch marks.

But I will also be honest and tell you that yes, there are some Nurses that do talk behind patients backs. Yes, it is rude, unprofessional and low-class, but thankfully, these morons are few and far between.

Heck, I just read a post in a thread "advising" patients that they shouldn't even mention to staff about certain dx because if they do, the Medical and Nursing staff will laugh at them and not take them seriously.

Nice, huh?

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

If I let every unkind, thoughtless, off-the-cuff remark made to me since I was 13 or so, I'd be a basket case or too neurotic to function today. As we age, other things become more important to us and we realize how truly minor some of what we've worried about or what's been said to us actually is. When I was about 13, we were visiting my great-great aunt who was 104 and her sister who was 102. They lived together, both having been widowed decades earlier and had included a couple of their equal vintage friends as dinner guests. One of the ladies commented to the other,"that sweet little girl looks just like Ruth (my 104 year old aunt.) I overheard and was just crushed! She had wrinkles on top of wrinkles (or so I thought...) At that age, it never occurred to me that she might have meant something else! I watched for crow's feet, wrinkles and grey hairs until my mom finally figured out what had happened and made it OK. One day in the locker room after gym class, we were undressing for our showers a small busted girl commented loudly that "no one's boobs could really be THAT big" but she was wrong! They were that big and without padding. As we age and mature, have babies etc., we become a heckuva lot less self conscious and worried about what's unimportant and more comfortable with our bodies and who we are. I had a 6'5 1/2" father and a 5'10" mother both of whom had l-o-n-g legs. I'm 5'4" with short legs. So much for Mendelian (sp.?) theory! We won't notice your stretch marks but we might look for track marks. There will always be mean girls who like to zero in on other girls' flaws or differences but some mature and grow out of that stage some grow into mean women. Just ignore them and tune out whatever they say because they aren't worth the agony. Don't let them rent free space inside your head which is what you're doing when you let them bug you. It's soooo not worth it.

Sharpeimom:paw::paw:

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Specializes in Med surg, Critical Care, LTC.
Forgive me for my ignorance, since I am not a nurse, but how do you get a BP on a patient (male or female) who has had a double mastectomy? You have piqued my curiosity.

Stretch marks seem to be very common on the biceps of black men, and I see them walking around all the time in hot weather in tank tops, stretch marks and all. I didn't have kids, but I too got them on my thighs during a growth spurt around age 11 and was very embarrassed about them until I noticed how many other girls had them too. Two-piece suits were never my thing, even before I put on 40 pounds in my mid-30s. :stone

I once had a brief relationship (never sexual) with a very nice man who walked with a cane, which around age 30 is quite unusual. When I met him, I was pretty sure he had undergone a BKA, although it turned out not to be the case. He had been in a serious car accident and had a lot of hardware in that leg. My sister asked me if that would bother me, and I replied, "Why would it? I don't have a perfect body either!" She's had several major abdominal surgeries, and wears a bikini anyway (and yes, she has the body for it).

I'm starting to think that the OP might have some stage of Body Dysmorphic Syndrome, where people think various appearance flaws are more grotesque than they really are.

You can get a blood pressure easily in the following places:

Pretty much any where there is a pulse you can get a blood pressure. On the upper arms, lower by the wrist, on the thigh and listen behind the knee, on the calf and listen on the inside of the ankle or the top of the foot.

Blessings

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Specializes in ER, Medicine.

I don't talk about them because I have them on my hips...we're all human. While I understand some discomfort I would worry about it too much. We are professional and at the worst we all realize that everyone has their imperfections.

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Everyone has imperfections. No one's perfect. I don't think stretch marks, or any other imperfection will be a concern since nurses are really busy and are there to take care of the patients. It's a professional job. However, if you won't let them take the BP on your arms, it can bring attention. There are other places to take BP also.

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