What should I have done?

[Hoffman3]

I apologize but I'm a patient who has been carrying this for 2 weeks and thought you might give me insight and closure. Two weeks ago i had a hip replacement in a large trauma 1 and teaching hospital about 90 minutes from my home. I thought I was in an anesthesia prep room for a spinal which went ok, them I rolled onto my back. My nurse then opened my legs without a word for an unexpected foley, but left me for 5-7 minutes when another nurse asked her to help find a file. The nurse had already removed my gown and my spinal wouldn't let me close my legs. The male anesthesiologist and surgeon were in the room and 2 male medical staff entered but I couldn't do anything to cover myself. When the nurse returned and finished the foley, I didn't know what to say. The 2 new male staff then turned me on my side and began positioning me for a lateral incision. I called to my surgeon asking where the Hana table was and werent we doing an anterior as discussed. He said anterior approach, lateral incision. I was positioned, then smelled and felt myself being cleaned with Betadine. Plastic wrap was placed on my surgical area and that's the last I remember.

I've had several orthopedic surgeries and I've never been left awake for a foley much less positioning and scrubbing. Is this protocol in some hospitals and i've Just never experienced it before? Should someone have at least said something? I didn't have Versed due to previous severe side effects that were noted on my chart. Might they have forgotten? Was I being punished for not taking Versed? My surgeon was fine was that. I've never been treated this way before but then I've never had surgery (and never will again) in a big city hospital. Thank you for any insights you can share to help me with this.

[dianah, ASN]

This may well be an isolated incident, or it may be the practice at this particular facility.

It is not some unspoken rule of nursing, to treat a patient with exposure who does not wish Versed to be given.

The answers to your questions will not come from anonymous persons on a website.

The only way to get to the bottom of this is for you to raise the questions with the facility itself, through existing channels.

First, with your surgeon and then with the head of the surgery department.

Nothing is guaranteed by this, but you will have at least raised awareness and possibly prevented another patient having to experience such exposure.

I wish you healing and hope for a good outcome.

Closing this.