A friend Charlie is upset at what he considers a lack of patient respect and dignity at a large local hospital. In for a urological procedure lying on the exam table, a male technician abruptly pushed his gown - nothing on underneath- right up to his shoulders in preparation, the tech said, for the doctor arriving.
There were several female staff in the room- the hospital insists on no gender discrimination- and Charlie had been chatting to some of them earlier. He was mortified that they were all now seeing him bare from the shoulders down. To increase the upset, the doctor did not show on time and Chas lay there with his gown up for some time as everyone stood around waiting .
One of the women he had chatted to came up and started to talk to him again. Charlie told her how embarrassed he was that she was seeing him with his private parts exposed, and so were her colleagues. Oh, she said, don't mind, we see that all the time. !
The doctor did arrive and the procedure went well but Charlie thinks he should complain about the staff attitudes. I agree they ignored completely his modesty needs. I wonder though if he is being over-sensitive. He did know that the procedure must involve some exposure and presumably that there would be some women on the staff. And why didn't he ask to be covered up.
If he does complain, it should be about the male tech who prepped him far too soon, and left him undraped.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
..And why didn't he ask to be covered up.
I wonder that too, but it doesn't excuse the lack of sensitivity there.
If he does complain, it should be about the male tech who prepped him far too soon, and left him undraped.
Charlie should describe the situation in it's entirety and let the appropriate people get to the bottom of it in accordance with the hospital's standards of conduct.
nursel56
7,122 Posts
I wonder that too, but it doesn't excuse the lack of sensitivity there.
Charlie should describe the situation in it's entirety and let the appropriate people get to the bottom of it in accordance with the hospital's standards of conduct.