I am a nurse in an ambulatory care hospital associated specialty clinic. I'm very new to this position and a fairly new nurse. We do in office invasive procedures regularly. I am in a quandary as to where I stand/did I do the right thing/what's going to happen on Monday.
Situation: pt sent to us by PCP for an issue that was rather urgent, a possibly cancerous mass. In office my provider choose to send pt for diagnostic imaging. Pt returned, MD waiting, needed an invasive procedure for dx purposes post imaging (pt may need surgery, the procedure will tell us). Prepped pt for invasive procedure. For this procedure pt is draped from the waist down. Doctor was over time for the day, due for a holiday party with spouse. Provider was happy to stay/concerned for pt.
Pt begins procedure with provider, as per protocol, I wait outside the door in case I'm needed, but give privacy for the procedure. The receptionist comes back with the providers spouse, who's trying to retrieve a holiday card for the party from the providers office. Spouse can't find it. I'm asked to pop into the procedure and ask where the card is. I refuse. The procedure is in process, the pt is in a vulnerable position and I feel it's inappropriate.
The providers spouse keeps clock watching/asking how long the procedure will take, spouse is going to be late ect ect. Receptionist says she will just crack the door and ask. I say no, please wait until the procedure is done. She does it anyway.
I wait until the pt is gone, and go to the receptionist and ask her how she would have felt if that had been her, naked on a table, in pain, and scared about having cancer, and someone popped in a room. She said that it was not a big deal and that's how things are done in that office. I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. I don't understand their clinic ect ect. Continually argued the point until I simply walked away in sheer frustration.
I'm not familiar with ambulatory care. I'm not used to what goes on. I felt it was wrong. I felt doing that violated the privacy and dignity of my pt. I felt an obligation to protect my pt, and correct the receptionist to protect future pts. I'm not rude or mean, and I wasn't in this situation but the receptionist was very confrontational with me about the issue. I felt in the moment very right, but now, I'm unsure. Really unsure.
So, was I wrong, and am I getting fired/in trouble/chewed out for telling the receptionist not to do that? What should I have done or what could I have done better?
