Head to toe assessments on classmates?

[Clovery]

I just started my second semester of nursing classes, and this term we have an assessment lab. The instructor told us that we'd be practicing and performing head to toe assessments for the practicum on each other. I felt stupid asking this question in class, so I didn't...

Um, just how "intimate" will this be? Should I be sure to shave before lab class? Make sure my underwear match? Surely we won't be doing breast exams and such on each other, right?!? I think that would give me more anxiety than the practicum itself.

[BacktotheBeach, ADN, BSN, RN]

Believe me, I'm in my forties and I was dreading this...but I really think part of what they are teaching you is to put yourself in the patient's shoes and how vulnerable they must feel having to go through this.

It's really not that bad--everyone is in the same boat, no one likes it, everyone has body issues and you just get through it. Find a lab partner you are comfortable with and it makes everything easier!

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

Our professor also said that when she was in school to become a nurse practitioner, they had to perform rectal exams and do pap smears on each other, and because there was only one guy in their class, all the women had to do a scrotal exam on him.

Dear Penthouse...

But seriously, we did bed baths and assessments on each other. For the bed baths, we wore sports bras or bathing suit tops and bathing suit bottoms or some sort of short shorts. For the assessments, we wore whatever and didn't get too intimate. (Lifting of the shirt for abdominal assessment, for example).

The worst thing we had to do was EKGs on each other because my friend messed up the lead placement and the TA (no pun intended!) had to place them herself which involved a good amount of touching of my chest. Nothing sexual, of course, but I have, well, plenty of stuff in that area and, dagnabbit, it gets in the way!

[JenforRN]

No breast exams! LOL We had models set up on a table.

When we were tested on the apical pulse, my partner (randomly chosen) was allowed to place and hold the stethoscope while I listened. You might have to lift up your shirt so your partner can hear lung sounds, do an abdominal assessment, etc. When my class was learning these things, we just did it out in the open, but you could definitely pull the curtains around a bed for privacy (that's what they're there for!). =)

[tag2007]

I guess I am lucky because at my school we do all of our serious practicing on mannequins. They are high tech mannequins that talk, have heart rates, breath sounds, have medical conditions and can act out different scenarios...simulation learning experience is what I believe it is called. So, we get to practice on them instead of eachother. The first day we did practice the head to toe assessment on eachother but it was very informal...just a mini practice and we didn't have to wear bathing suits, shorts or anything like that. It was more informal. I didn't realize other schools had to formally practice or be evaluated when performing the skills on eachother.

[JennyNurse2B]

While I absolutely do not look forward to that aspect of school, I believe that it is a good way to learn what the patient goes through. I have had medical problems since I was born, so I already have a really good idea of what that's all about, but for people who have not had to go through many head to toe exams, it seems like it would be helpful.

Just MHO.

[bols27]

We already did our physical assessment check off as well, it wasn't bad at all. We didn't do anything "intimate" on each other or anything that required the removal of clothes. I am a young man and my partner is a young woman whom I know well enough to joke with so I did ask our instructor if we would be doing breast exams and if not could I complete one with my partner for extra credit. It was a good laugh that helped to break the tension that everyone was feeling.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Yeah we did those head to toe. Sports bra and gym shorts. I was the only guy so I had to be partnered with one of the girls from my class. We were best friends so the whole awkward part didnt exist.

[Staragate, ADN, ASN, RN]

For my heart sounds skills, I was partnered with a male. (I'm female.) I'm there to learn and do it right and so is he. He was really nervous when it was his turn to listen to my heart and was hesitant. I looked at him in the eye and gave him my permission. He relaxed and did fine.

If we are going to be nurses, we have to 'get over it.' Put on the nurse filter, get the job done and move on to the next thing. It helps if you get into the job mindset.

[my4helpers]

We have our head to toe assessment skill check off in a couple weeks and I believe we are to wear our white clinical uniform just as we are for any of our skills check off. We are just listening through our clothes and as long as we state this is done without clothes, we are fine. From the looks of this thread, it depends on how your program is set up!

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

Our health assessment class was this past summer, so we did it right off 1st semester. It was not so bad. Even though we had to learn to assess all the systems, we only did abdomen, cardiovascular, and thorax/lung assessments for the final performance exam. The examinee wore t-shirt and shorts under a hospital gown while your partner wears uniform scrubs, then you switch places. For each of us it took about 30 minutes each. We both did very well! Take your time, no rush!

BTW, we never did genital/breast exams in lab in case you were wondering! I guess we will be winging that in the real world!

[my4helpers]

Our health assessment class was this past summer, so we did it right off 1st semester. It was not so bad. Even though we had to learn to assess all the systems, we only did abdomen, cardiovascular, and thorax/lung assessments for the final performance exam. The examinee wore t-shirt and shorts under a hospital gown while your partner wears uniform scrubs, then you switch places. For each of us it took about 30 minutes each. We both did very well! Take your time, no rush!

BTW, we never did genital/breast exams in lab in case you were wondering! I guess we will be winging that in the real world!

In my program, we only get 20 minutes for the whole entire assessment. If it is not completed in that time frame then it will count as a fail. You might want to ask how much time your program offers you. As far as the genitalia goes, we just have to ask (depending male for female student) if they know how to do self breast/testicular exams. I am assuming all the students will say yes!

[HeiseC]

I maybe a first semister student, but my 2 cents go towards it being more awkward for the male students. When we learned how to find the apical pulse, a male student turned his head away from me and was trying really hard to not make it feel any more weird than it already was. We ended up talking to our instuctor (who was walking around the room) and he explained that he felt intrusive and uncomfortable because of the breast. For me, I'm fine either way, because its practice. I've grown to know my classmates like family, so i think of it that way.