Something I have noticed during clinicals re: Dr's and privacy

Published

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

Curious if this is common or has just been my limited experience.

Being that I have been a patient so much, I think I tend to bring that with me into my clinicals and my schooling as a nurse, one of the biggest things I always do is to ensure my patients privacy. There has been SO MANY times in my "patient life" that my privacy seemed irrelevant, I had Dr's and some nurses that had the whole "seen one seen them all" mentality and didn't think about my dignity or privacy, so for me, no matter what I am doing, I ensure my patients privacy.

I have noticed at my clinicals that the Dr's mainly, seem oblivious to this. Now mind you, my experience in the nurse role and hospital clinicals is very limited. Only being doing them twice a week for 3 weeks now. But besides just a few incidence with a nurse, every time I have been in the room with a Dr. he (so far it has been he's) has found no need to shut a door or pull a curtain. I was in assisting an invasive procedure where part of this woman was exposed, behind the Dr I shut the door and pulled the curtain. The dr. needed something else so he left the room, came back in, did not shut the door all the way or pull the curtain. I nonchalantly walked over and did this again. During the procedure another Doc came in to talk to him about another patient and his issues (saying how the pt was on drugs and lying blah blah blah) I would have been more then happy to eavesdrop on the incoming patient ( I won't lie), but I didn't feel this appropriate at this moment. It was in front of me, another student nurse, a nurse, and the patient. Regardless, that Dr also didn't shut the door or pull the curtain back. I had to quietly do it again, so that Doc leaves and you guess it. I am sitting here thinking, what gives, the woman getting the procedure always seemed tense and looked towards the door during all this as well.

Is this pretty common? I am simply curious. It is not a big deal to me to continue to shut the door and pull the curtain, I will continue to do it, I remember what it is like to be on the other end. Some patients could care less but I will always error in one the side of maintaining privacy even if they don't care out of respect for passer byers as well.

Anyway, so I was just wondering what others notice. If what I have seen is a small few or if this is pretty common. Hopefully I made sense, I should be in bed. lol

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry/Med-Surg.

i do see this as being pretty common and i don't know if it is because that the doctors feel that they are just soooo busy that they couldn't possibly take the time to shut a door or draw a curtain or even ...gasp.... wait to speak to the other physician when he was done performing an invasive procedure on a patient (something that should probably have his full attention). now i don't want to generalize and say that all physicians are like this because there are some that are mindful of patient privacy but there is a larger group where i work anyway that act oblivious to the concept. i have even been thinking of bringing up to management creating something for the doors to rooms that notifies if privacy is needed that was triggered by a time when i was removing a tlc from a patient and the dr. came in and leaned over my sterile field unmasked and started talking to the patient!!! before i could even tell the newbie doc that they contaminated the area and that they were rude the patient did it for me the look on the docs face was priceless. but anyway this was a good post everyone needs to at least make an effort to remember that the patients are the reason why we are there and we can't look at them as their diagnosis but as people with feelings. and always ask yourself would i want everyone in the hallway to see my butt hanging out of my gown (insert whatever situation is applicable); if the answer is no shut the door.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

rude and inconsiderate, but oh, so common

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

Some doctors are very meticulous and others just roar in and roar out leaving a trail of god-knows-what behind them and curtain duty would take up too many milli-seconds out of their busy day.

So I consider it a top tier priority, and you should continue to draw the curtain, perhaps adding the pointed glare by the third time or so :) I'm so fussy about it that if I have to step away from my home care patient who is alone in the house I will cover with a sheet. The patient thinks this is nuts, but humors me. :up:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED, CTSurg, IVTeam, Oncology.

You know, I've been complaining about this for years; but has anyone else noticed that GYN rooms are positioned so that the table end with a woman's business is always full view towards a door that can never be locked? :eek:

If I were ever placed in the position of being able to design a GYN exam room, I would make it so that even if someone were to walk in accidentally, they would never be able to see anything at all, as the exam table would be behind another inner partition. :twocents:

I would also add some final questions to the myriad of satisfaction queries that patients get post encounter; ie. "Did you feel satisfied with the way that your privacy was protected while you were here, why or why not? Did particular individuals who you encountered here raise privacy concerns? Who were they and what did they do that caused you to feel ill at ease?"

Sometimes, when patients point the finger and spell it out, it becomes harder for insensitive MD's to ignore.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I think it's great that you are noticing these things so you can advocate for your patients' privacy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

Mi Vida,

The doctors who do this do it because they they can. They know a nurse will follow after them in order to maintain privacy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Do any of you notice gender differences in regard to patient privacy? Is a woman's privacy, generally, respected more than a man's -- or is about the same? Are female doctors more aware of privacy concerns than male doctors, in general. Or, is this not a gender issue? If it's not gender related, what's driving it? Is it habit, routine, being busy, insensitivity, lack of empathy? Why does this happen so often?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Do any of you notice gender differences in regard to patient privacy? Is a woman's privacy, generally, respected more than a man's -- or is about the same? Are female doctors more aware of privacy concerns than male doctors, in general. Or, is this not a gender issue? If it's not gender related, what's driving it? Is it habit, routine, being busy, insensitivity, lack of empathy? Why does this happen so often?

I have no idea as to why, that is why I was trying to see if this was more isolated to what I was seeing or common issue all around. I haven't been in the room with any female docs yet to notice a trend there. I have noticed some female nurses not be that thoughtful regarding the pt. privacy but didn't notice if it was more female or male. I have noticed though as for my patients, the men seem to be a little more modest then my female patients. Like when getting out of bed most of my male patients were cautious to make sure they stay covered. Not sure if that is because I am a young female or not. Not all of them though, one patient got a little pee on his gown so I go to get him a new gown and I turn around and he is standing there nude smiling at me :|

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
QUOTE mi vida loca. . . . Not all of them though, one patient got a little pee on his gown so I go to get him a new gown and I turn around and he is standing there nude smiling at me :|

=====shiver=====

Cul2, I haven't noticed female doctors any more sensitive at all concerning privacy issues. The differences are primarily personalities rather than gender. And yes, most men (exception,see above) do care as much as women do about being exposed. I would never have a lower standard for men believing a myth that "guys just always love to show off their j---k", not true.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
=====shiver=====

Cul2, I haven't noticed female doctors any more sensitive at all concerning privacy issues. The differences are primarily personalities rather than gender. And yes, most men (exception,see above) do care as much as women do about being exposed. I would never have a lower standard for men believing a myth that "guys just always love to show off their j---k", not true.

It actually wasn't as creepy as it probably sounds, he was elderly and a bit out of it and smiled tons (clothed LOL), he didn't act perverted at all. Just didn't have any sense of modesty. :p

My husband isn't modest at all and I am extremely modest about most things, for example, I was pushing out a baby and the Doctor through my blanket up and I quickly put it back down to my knees mortified. I always here "When your pushing out a baby, you don't care who sees" well not me and I have had 4 kids :| But from what I have noticed so far, it's pretty even with the men being slightly more modest. Most of my patients so far have been 60+ so I am not sure if that has anything to do with it either.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wonder how these doctors would do if they were taking a clinical test like the CPNE, where one must be "perfect" in their clinical approach?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion