Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Gowns

We all know that the Hill I Shall Die Upon when it comes to nursing is the sad and confusing story of why people all across the nation can't seem to understand that the order of operations for ER dress code is CLOTHING OFF, GOWN ON. Why, for the love of all that is holy, is this so fucking difficult?! WHY?!

Anyway, I have another boulder to lay in the foundation of this hatred.

Last night a woman comes in for vaginal bleeding. The ER doc very thoroughly explains that she's going to do a pelvic exam and why it's needed, and then steps out. I stay a minute longer to set up the bed/pads/speculum and to explain that she needs to take EVERYTHING off from the waist down and that I would be chaperoning said pelvic exam. I handed her a gown and put a few blankets on the bed.

After vacating the room for a couple of minutes, the doc and I walk back into the room. The woman is sitting there, gown on, under the covers. She says she's ready for the exam. I lay the bed back and pull up the blanket, and for fuck's sake she still has her pants and shoes on.

The patient then says "wait, I have to take everything off?" Can't I keep my pants on?"

FFS, people.

4 comments:

Lisa said...

People would be ever so more willing to comply if you gave them 2 gowns, one for the front and one to cover the back. No one likes to think of their ass flapping in the wind

knittynurse said...

Bahahahaha!!!! I hear ya, sister. The gown struggle is real!

Pinata of Pathology said...

I sell slivers of my soul to avoid the ER for bleeding like that. It's the worst. :( But why go if you're not gonna follow directions and take of your pants? People are weird.

Oldfoolrn said...

Surgical patients in the OR were stripped of EVERYTHING including their gown. We usually waited for anesthesia, but sometimes overeager prep people jumped the gun.