EKG on female patients

58flyer · Sep 16, 2008

wymnwise said:
Sad thing is if the V.A. were better at respecting patients, if she had asked and explained that she would use min. exposue techniques and wanted to teach them the same, I would never have kicked them out.

I agree with you here. I get really annoyed when some HCPs just decide to train on you without asking. I once asked a trainee to leave the room on an EKG. I complicated the matter by telling the trainee "sorry, if it was up to me I would let you stay." I had to explain that it wasn't left to me, the trainee was just thrown in without asking, which was the whole point of me telling her to leave. I hope they learned something from it. ASK next time.

When it comes to EKGs, I just wish they would shut the door. Yes, I am male, call me a prude, but when I am the only one shirtless and in plain view of the public, it makes me uncomfortable. It wouldn't bother me at the beach, when everybody else is similarly attired, but to lay there with everybody STARING through the open door in a doctors office gets old real quick. Yes, even men can be modest about their upper bodies. Thankfully, I was able to convince my present PCP to make it a rule to close the door with every EKG.

You mentioned V.A., are you a military veteran?

wymnwise · Sep 16, 2008

58flyer said:
I agree with you here. I get really annoyed when some HCPs just decide to train on you without asking. I once asked a trainee to leave the room on an EKG. I complicated the matter by telling the trainee "sorry, if it was up to me I would let you stay." I had to explain that it wasn't left to me, the trainee was just thrown in without asking, which was the whole point of me telling her to leave. I hope they learned something from it. ASK next time.
When it comes to EKGs, I just wish they would shut the door. Yes, I am male, call me a prude, but when I am the only one shirtless and in plain view of the public, it makes me uncomfortable. It wouldn't bother me at the beach, when everybody else is similarly attired, but to lay there with everybody STARING through the open door in a doctors office gets old real quick. Yes, even men can be modest about their upper bodies. Thankfully, I was able to convince my present PCP to make it a rule to close the door with every EKG.
You mentioned V.A., are you a military veteran?

Yes, and they treat us poorly. From the time you enter the military you are treated like a chunck of meat, the V.A. is no different. I feel for the women comming home now and in the future after the way they are treated; even worse than we were a few decades ago.

58flyer · Sep 17, 2008

wymnwise said:
Yes, and they treat us poorly. From the time you enter the military you are treated like a chunck of meat, the V.A. is no different. I feel for the women comming home now and in the future after the way they are treated; even worse than we were a few decades ago.

Thank You for your service. Sorry to hear they treat our veterans that way. What are your thoughts on the MEPS physical?

EmergencyMedicine · Sep 17, 2008

wymnwise said:
You all are so respectful. Thank you for that. I am not a nurse but a patient. I have seen EKGs done on other women, and have had them done on me. The best was by a young man who used the woman's gown (open to the front) to cover her breast while he did his job. It worked out well, she was never exposed. The worst, a female nurse who wanted to train a couple of N.A.s She just came in with the two guys, never introduced them or said a word, told me what she wanted to do and stood there waiting for me uncover. I just looked at the two guys. I had no idea what they were there for; she then explained they were there to watch and asked if I minded. I said, YES!!! She asked them to leave. She then proceeded with the EKG, and just took the top down and exposed the entire chest area. Which given she was same sex is ok, but I would not have liked her to do it that way had they men been in the room.

That is so understandable in a females perspective and you do have the right to voice that opinion in the health care setting.

wymnwise · Sep 17, 2008

58flyer said:
Thank You for your service. Sorry to hear they treat our veterans that way. What are your thoughts on the MEPS physical?

I think the chest xrays at 17 yrs old, may well contribute to the fact that Female vets are twice as likely to get breast cancer.

I do not know how they do it today; but decades ago the exam was humiliating and amounted to a violation of dignity and sexual harassment. But, then when you are 50+ you realize that was the least of the abuse to come.

Trauma Columnist · Sep 17, 2008

Sorry but gotta disagree with this. I'm a USN vet (female) and never had a CXR the entire time I was active duty. I was active duty from 77 to 80 and had wonderful care from several different providers. I then became a family member to another active duty member and have rec'd care in five countries and 8 states and nope, never had a bad experience. Sometimes experiences are what you make of them. It doesn't do anybody any good to only continually emphasize the negative.

As to VA care, I can't speak to that as both hubby and I make too much money and don't qualify for care.

Also - to above poster - can you please post your reference regarding female veterans being twice as likely as getting breast cancer?? Thanks.

wymnwise · Sep 18, 2008

" Sometimes experiences are what you make of them. It doesn't do anybody any good to only continually emphasize the negative."

Hmmm.

This statement says more about you than me. Just B.S. for rationalizing apathy, or a love of the status quo.

Negation of a negative is a positive. That is, changing a wrong is right does us all good, save perhaps those benefiting from the wrong. You must be a Republican.

I was answering a question about the exam; my concern with medical care is broader than an entrance physical. Just answering the question. I have always found that one who responds to one expressing an injustice, with will I have never been treated that way so it must be you, is well, like I said, your response indicated more about you than me.

Regarding CXR USAF, '75, I remember b/c it was my first and I questioned the effects. It took some talking to get me to go along. Perhaps it was one of those lab rat things. It was the first but not the last. I had several more, plus other nuclear medial care.

Not sure how you feel about sitting in a hall way in a paper gown with male recruits walking by, or having an exam while the door is open to the hall way, but I did not like it at all. But, I was not in it alone. Like I said, it was the least of the disrespect. None of us liked it.

Also - to above poster - can you please post your reference regarding female veterans being twice as likely as getting breast cancer?? Thanks.

Trauma Columnist · Sep 26, 2008

I think we might just want to move on....as this poster seems to be looking for greener pastures too - lol.

aaronrnmedic · Oct 5, 2008

I close the door. I guess as you know there is hardly time to keep finding female employees to do ECG's on female pt's. If they wish to help that is great. Otherwise I think I just use my gloved wrist or hand to hold them up. Some pt's look uncomfortable so I ask if they want to help out holding and moving. If there is a lot of people in the room I try to cover her chest with a towel or sheet as long as I can still get a clean ECG tracing.

Sehille4774 · Mar 15, 2009

well, as a female nurse I would be annoyed not that the male nurse would be asking for help when he needed it, but if he is taking the stance that since its an extra hassle and risk for a male nurse to do ekg's in females, he will just get female nurses to do ALL his female ekg's. My frustration here would be that since at least 60-70 percent of the time he would be asking for help, he could probably have done it himself no problem with patience and simple assessment of the client's comfort level. If i for instance felt uncomfortable droping NG tubes, it would NOT be tolerated for me to just say...im not going to take the risk of putting the tube in the lung so i will just get someone else to do these for me every time....

BTW Kudos to male nurses for the all extra hard work it must take (yet equal pay as females) to be successful in a career where it is acceptable at times to be biased in favor of the famales. I dont believe that its healthy or normal for an industry to be totally dominated by one sex or the other. Especially since just to be a good nurse these days you have to be damn skilled, accomplished and competent to make it, regardless of sex. :)

Babs0512 · Mar 15, 2009

I'm a woman, but I've never been uncomfortable with doing EKG's on women. I make small talk as I a working, putting on the leads. Lifting the breast on large breasted women is just part of the deal if you want an accurate EKG, I think the overwhelming majority of alert and oriented women of any age know that. If you've formed some measure of trust between you and the patient, they usually won't bat an eye at the procedure.

I work with several male nurses who've never had a problem either. I really believe that if you approach it as a "no big deal" then the patient reads your comfort level, and they become relaxed if you are.

Blessings

sandnnw, BSN, MSN, EMT-B, APRN · Mar 15, 2009

TALK, TALK, TALK and keep the areolas covered with a gown, explain what and why you are doing it. I've never had a problem. They are just thankful to have someone helping them. I usually don't remember to give them a choice for a fe/male nurse, esp when another fe/male nurse is in the room helping me. You can discover a lot of history during the ECG process, diversion is a wonderful thing!

I do work with an RN that refuses to perform ECGs on the ladies. It's more time consuming to argue/refuse/debate with peers. I think they respect me more for "jumping in there" vs the other route.