Pt having a "friend" over for "special nursing care"

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You know what I mean. . .a patient having someone of the opposite sex (or the same sex! that's happened too) that they are romantically involved with, spend the night (thankfully in a private room) and performing overt sex acts, to the horror of the poor CNA who has to come in and fix her tele leads, which have obviously come loose from all the activity.

I was horrified to know that not only does my hospital not have a policy against this, but the house supervisor told me I was not allowed to tell them to stop! These are sick people here! I understand people say they have "physical needs," but can we draw a line somewhere?!

Specializes in MDS/ UR.

There is nothing 'dirty' about sex other than how someone colors it.

What one person may think is okay another may not.

That's life.

I am all for anyone who is mentally competent, of age and consenting to do what they wish with who they wish as long as their partner/s are equal in those parameters and status.

However, we live within a society/culture where there are some constraints.

One doesn't have the absolute right to have sex anytime, anyplace, anyway they want in a public or business venue.

You can do it but there will be consequences.

In general, most folks on a medical transport flight or receiving in patient medical care are likely not to be needing to have sex.

Of course, their are exemptions to that statement because life is not cookie cutter.

If someone wants to be intimate in this situation, than arrangements should be made is possible.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I did not say that you become pervert once you need it. What I am saying is if you are really this moral about sex then be moral about how you respond to the situation. There is nothing that says something has been done except judging the person who did it. The patient has his/her rights too. It is a PRIVATE room.

The problem with this is that so many hospital rooms are NOT private. The roommate and, yes, the visitors of the roommate have their rights as well. Why force behavior that should be private down the throats of those other people who cannot escape?

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
The patient did not ask you to go watch them. They should have there privacy (because it is private room) in there own room. Nurses dont have the right to just go in without knocking. If you believe that you cannot have privacy outside your home then it is your belief but there people who have different beliefs because you are not the only person in the world and they are not here to PLEASE you. And you are here to judge them because of there belief of what privacy in a private room is. Is this really being therapeutic to the client? Is being a Nurse being able to judge what your patient's beliefs?

A private hospital room is not the same as a private hotel room or your private home. In a hospital room, there is no real expectation of privacy. If I hear strange noises from my patient's PRIVATE room, I'm going to go in and ensure that it's not my patient choking on some of the bags and bags of chips he's got stored in there. If he's off the monitor, I'm not knocking, I'm just going in to make sure he's still alive, and to fix those monitor leads or whatever. And if there's water flooding out from under the ICU's shower door because someone's butt cheek is clogging the drain, I'm going in to make sure that the butt cheek isn't in contact with the drain because the patient DFO's. If I happen to find his wife on top of him, I'll be embarrassed, but they certainly should be as well.

I dare say the majority of nurses are uncomfortable encountering patients in sexual situations. The patients have rights, yes, but so do the nurses. We have the right not to be uncomfortable in our work setting, and private rooms aren't as private as people obviously think. Semi-private rooms are not private at all.

It's great that people have a healthy sex life. But have it at home -- or in a hotel -- and not where me or any one of my colleagues can walk in on you at any time. Might be exciting for you, but it sucks for us. And since we are people, too, it is not OK to just bludgeon us with your "healthy sexuality" any time you feel like it.

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As always, well put, Ruby Vee.

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Specializes in Trauma, Orthopedics.
What really is the definition of the "JOB"? Preventing the patient from doing what they think they need? Yes it is a choice, but were they presented with an option not to?

Um.... yes. I think there is always the option to not have sex.

People think they need a lot of things. Needing to have sex in a hospital room where people are coming in to take care of you is not something anyone NEEDS. My need to be discharged would surely supercede my need to get it on in a filthy hospital room. my need for my healthcare team to take care of me also supercedes my sex life.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

On a completely different entirely judgmental note: There Their They're... Beliefs believes.. lol. Poor grammar diminishes the impact of an argument imo.

I've been known to completely discount some opinions because they're so poorly expressed the poster MUST be ignorant and/or uneducated. It's hard to take an opinion seriously when the grammar and spelling are completely incorrect.

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Amazed at how many people claim offense to a couple having sex in a "private" room. Let's not forget how many patient's have their dignity trampled on by having to get naked in front of strangers, pee and poop in bed pans, having catheters inserted, and their cavities inspected. I applaud the hospital for telling this thread's original poster that they could not tell the patient to stop-GOOD! Maybe nurses should start knocking before entering a private room.

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Specializes in Gerontology RN-BC and FNP MSN student.

If they're not dead.....sex IS a possibility. :yes:

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

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Fortunately, what you think a patient "needs" is not the measure for determining hospital policy. Your job is to serve the needs of your employer. As long as your employer allows it, then your personal thought are irrelevant. Just do your job, and be glad you have one.

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Happy wife, happy life :-) I agree!

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Fortunately, what you think a patient "needs" is not the measure for determining hospital policy. Your job is to serve the needs of your employer. As long as your employer allows it, then your personal thought are irrelevant. Just do your job, and be glad you have one.

Whoa.

What we think the patient needs may not be the measure for determining hospital policy, but are we not supposed to be patient advocates? If our personal thoughts are irrelevant, than why not just hire Joe Blow off the street to do nursing?

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