New nurse here. Earned my BSN in January and have been working full time at a medical group office since April. It may be a silly question, however I'm compelled to ask it.
I'm also a trained EKG tech, although the group is on the verge of hiring a dedicated EKG Tech/Phlebotomist. Since four of our six exam rooms are equipped for EKG's, the patient will often remain in the exam room, if the doctor has directed an EKG, until the "tech" (me) arrives. I've noticed that many male patients (not all, but many) eschew the disposable powder blue paper exam gowns, and choose to remain in their underwear for full exams. As such, I will often enter the room to perform the EKG and find the male patient in his underwear. I always explain that they may put their trousers on since its only an EKG, and offer to wait outside until they're done, in the interest of patient modesty. Surprisingly, they often cite a desire to "get it over with" and since they're already in prone position, they choose to remain in their underwear.
One 33 year old male patient, two weeks ago, carried on a 10 minute conversation with me about his sister's desire to pursue a nursing career and the benefits of a bachelors over a two-year degree, while wearing only Hanes briefs and socks. He talked casually as if we were neighbors who just met in the frozen food isle at the local Piggly Wiggly. I just find the casual behavior of men in underpants, surrounded by a primarily female staff, to be a bit surprising.
I've been around naked male patients and their "embarrassment" or "awkwardness" is palpable -- and that's an understandable human reaction. However, underpants seem to be another issue, all together. I find myself surprisingly slightly embarrassed by the "casualness" of their behavior, but i'll get used to it.
Again, at the end of the day, it's all a non-issue, but i must pose the question: Are my perceptions accurate or do male patients simply not care about modesty unless it involves nudity?
