Nursing students and nudity

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Hi everyone!

I have what I feel to be a stupid and maybe obvious question for nursing students. When it comes to hands on training - how much are we exposed (physically as in nudity) to our classmates? Example: learning to preform 12 lead EKGs. Are we going to actually disrobe in front of the class? Sponge baths, etc. I know we have to learn on each other, just wondered if we go all the way in terms of being seen nude by one another?

Weird question...I know. Sorry, very new to all of this!:imbar:eek:

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Specializes in Mother-Baby, Rehab, Hospice, Memory Care.

You should not have to disrobe at all! That's what the mannequins are for... The most I ever had to expose was my abdomen when I had another female student assess my bowel tones. Other than that, we learned most procedures that were actually invasive such as catheter insertion or NG tube placement on special mannequins. We also learned bed baths on mannequins. I could never imagine a school having students do that to each other, LOL! EKGs were not part of my schools curriculum so I'm not sure.

However once you start clinicals you will be learning those things on real patients. So if you have issues with seeing nudity, start getting over it now!

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When we did bed baths/occupied bed changes, each of us brought in our own set of sheets, towels, soap, lotion, etc. and wore shorts and a t-shirt. The 'bed bath' was basically getting our arms and legs washed. Peri care was done on a mannequin in a separate lab session.

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Thanks for the info! It's not that I have an issue with other peoples nudity - no problem at all. It's more the thought of my nudity in front of all the people I will be going through this program with for the next year - male and female. I am a little modest I will admit, just wondered about things like EKG's where a female patient will be wearing an open gown with their bra off - will WE be doing that in class? I am a female by the way :p

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We wore our swimsuits for bathing. No breast or genital bathing but everything else was fair game. And then our classmates had to change the sheets with us in the bed until they got it right.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

We didn't have nudity issues, but I can understand your fear. Most times, mannequins are used...sometimes very graphic mannequins where you will also be inserting catheters (male and female).

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.

In my class when we did physical assessment we had to do a real breast exam. It was awkward.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Thanks for the info! It's not that I have an issue with other peoples nudity - no problem at all. It's more the thought of my nudity in front of all the people I will be going through this program with for the next year - male and female. I am a little modest I will admit, just wondered about things like EKG's where a female patient will be wearing an open gown with their bra off - will WE be doing that in class? I am a female by the way :p

Lol, I'm with you! Others people's nudity doesn't bother me but I'm not dropping trou in front of my entire class. I know years ago they did more hands on between students but I was very thankful that the closest I had to come to feeling up a fellow student was checking her apical pulse.

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i totally understand your fear some of my classmates had the same fear but we actually did the ekg's on each other but I had a chance to do mine on a patient once I had seen my classmates perfom the procedure those few times once you do the 1st time you will not be worrying any more. good luck

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