Male Foley...Wife Watching!!

Sonjailana · Mar 31, 2009

Sometimes I have the wife stay and hold his hand. I find that they can talk to their s.o. and often keep them calm. Hold your head high, you can do it.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Mar 31, 2009

Doesnt bother me either way I prefer the wife to stay as above they sometimes make the pt feel more comfortable

GilaRRT · Mar 31, 2009

No worries at all if both parties are comfortable. My wife was in the room the entire time I was having a urological procedure some years back. Did not bug either of us.

Sillynicunurse · Mar 31, 2009

As long as the patient is ok with her staying it doesn't bother me in the least.

leslie :-D · Mar 31, 2009

whether it's a foley or a dsg change, i always ask pt if s/he would prefer presence of spouse/so.

leslie

cruisin_woodward · Mar 31, 2009

however, if YOU were uncomfortable, I think I'd is acceptable to ask family to step out. Just make sure you do it professionally!

Batman24 · Mar 31, 2009

As long as the patient is okay with it it's all good. Sometimes the patients want someone there for something intimate and sometimes they don't. Most of the time they hold their hand and it makes them more relaxed and less scared.

lpnjoe60 · Mar 31, 2009

I fell it's inappropiate for anyone to observe a private nursing procedure except with the expressed consent of the patient. That said not all patient's will speak up for their rights, and the nurse should advocate for those patients.

Batman24 · Mar 31, 2009

however, if YOU were uncomfortable, I think I'd is acceptable to ask family to step out. Just make sure you do it professionally!

I disagree. This is about patient comfort not that of the nurse. As long as the spouse wasn't being disruptive they should be allowed to stay if the patient wishes they do so.

dnp2004 · Mar 31, 2009

Don't let the age of the patient influence/prejudice you. If the patient and spouse are in their 80's or 30's treat them the same.

Did you get the impression that the husband was uncomfortable having the wife present but was afraid to speak up?

sicushells, RN · Mar 31, 2009

I disagree. This is about patient comfort not that of the nurse. As long as the spouse wasn't being disruptive they should be allowed to stay if the patient wishes they do so.

I have a different point of view for the OP.

If you felt the wife staying was hampering your ability to give the patient the best care possible it's absolutely okay to ask her (politely and professionally, or course!) to wait in the waiting room until you were finished. If it just made you feel a little uncomfortable and nervous that's one thing, but if you were so uncomfortable you couldn't concentrate on the patient, then the wife's presense would be decreasing the quality of care you're giving the patient. My response would depend too on the vibe I was getting from the husband and wife. Sometimes everyone's normal and well adjusted and the wife just wants to help her husband, sometimes there's a weird power-play thing going on.

Bottom-line: I think it's completely acceptable to ask the family members to step out, even a spouse, during a procedure, especially one where there's nudity invloved. Just check to see what you're feeling and try to figure out where that awkward/uncomfortable feeling is coming from. Are you nervous you'll screw up and the family member will get angry? Are you just feeling really grouchy and untherapeutic? Or is the family member a weirdo with a savior complex who doesn't trust the healthcare system and is sure everything you're doing is wrong wrong wrong and is looking for ways to screw you up to make you look bad and make themselves feel better?