Is it true?!?! Say it aint so...

nursemaa · Feb 23, 2006

We had to do breast exams but not pelvic exams. The teacher stood by and watched- it was disgusting. We wrote to the dean to complain about that and several other things- the teacher was removed from teaching that class.

Trauma Columnist · Feb 23, 2006

I agree yuck! I'm doing an advanced practice nurse in adult health and I do pelvic exams but on patients. I always introduce myself as an APN Student and let the pt know the doctor might want to be present and may repeat parts of the exam. I explain everything I'm going to do and in what order and I have had no problems. Good luck.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2006

nursing students practice their paps/breast exams/ect on eachother??!!
i was just reading the blog of a student midwife and she was talking about this...omgosh i had no idea...for all of you current students out there (especially midwives and women's health - who do the more intimate type things like checking cervix), shed some light on this...
omgosh. i can't even imagine...
lp

well there's a difference between regular nursing students and nurse midwifery students. regular nursing students don't need to know how to do pap smears. they might see some during school on patients, but it's not generally a nursing role. some schools are having students do breast exams on each other, and i personally think that is ridiculous. they can show the technique on themselves or on a mannequin just as well. but pelvic exams, no way in regular nursing school. midwives would definitely do pelvic exams as students, but i really think it's a violation of a student's rights if they make them do pelvics on each other!!!

at my school we did regular exams on each other and pretended to do bed baths, but that was it. we did not do breast or testicular exams on each other, and we also didn't have to strip down to bathing suits for the bed bath. some schools are really strange, let me tell you!

christvs, DNP, RN, NP · Feb 23, 2006

When I was in nursing school we did fake bed baths on each other sophomore year. We would take turns getting on a bed and going through the motions of giving a bath, but not do it-we would just speak the words out loud how we would wash our partner. We never ever touched each other except for doing vital signs.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Feb 23, 2006

I think if in a midwifery school and only when all students are consenting. If so and so does not want some one practicing on her than she has to use a dummy. Not only is this good hands on experience, but it can teach empathy too, I have a few Obs do a pap that hurt...all I can think is "what you never had a pap before?? Give one like you would wan to receive one!"

TMPaul · Feb 23, 2006

As an NP student we had to do both breast and gyn exams on one another as well as Pap's. :)

Tina

Nurse Practitioner

beckinben, CNM · Feb 23, 2006

In my program (midwifery), we had women who were trained, paid GYN teaching assistants who came in to our advanced assessment class and allowed us to examine them. The advantage to this is that they knew what we were supposed to be doing and could give us feedback as we did the exams on them. It was a great learning experience. We didn't do any personal exams (breast, pelvic, etc) exams on each other. Although as I was pregnant when I took the course, I did let the other students practice Leopold's on me.

Becki

Chaya, ASN, RN · Feb 23, 2006

We had a supplementary, voluntary session for pelvics for those wanting to learn to do the exam and willing to act as examinee in turn.

lovingpecola · Feb 23, 2006

Thanks for all of the replies because they really do vary!!! I will be asking some students from the program i will be entering how theirs are working! But I honestly can not imagine doing this to a classmate or friend...

Gompers, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2006

Thanks for all of the replies because they really do vary!!! I will be asking some students from the program i will be entering how theirs are working! But I honestly can not imagine doing this to a classmate or friend...

Just remember that some of the responses that mentioned doing pelvics were from midwifery or advanced practice nursing programs - NOT basic nursing programs. If you are going on to become a midwife or nurse practitioner, then doing pelvics is going to be a part of your responsibility. As an RN, it is not - you usually will just assist with them. Therefore you do not have to practice them - much less on each other - when you are in nursing school to get your RN or LPN.

lovingpecola · Feb 23, 2006

thanks for the reminder gompers! i am both...i am doing direct entry for cnm! therefore, the first 11 months is a "basic nursing" program and the next two years of it is midwifery! so i will have both experiences! but yes, everyone be aware that this is posted in the "graduate student nurse forum"

keep sharing your experiences!

:rolleyes: lp