Lack of male patient privacy

[AmandaWIRN]

To each his own, but coming on a NURSING board and personally insulting NURSES isn't going to accomplish much. If you have a problem with a particular hospital, then file a complaint with that hospital. This is not the proper arena for your complaint. No you should not HAVE to ask for privacy, BUT, like others have said, nurses are busy, busy people. If your nurse forgot to close your curtain, you could have just asked her to, instead of fuming about it for 7 days and then coming on a nursing board and insulting other nurses who had nothing to do with your care at a particular hospital.....

As an ER nurse, I have about a dozen things running through my mind at any given time. I try to provide the BEST care for all of my patients, and that includes respecting their privacy, but I can tell you that closing the curtain of the 19 year old kidney stone patient is going to be pretty close to the bottom of the list. I also don't have time to think of ways to intentionally disrespect the privacy of all of my male patients.... So what I'm saying is that the nurse forgetting to close the curtain was most likely not intentional or premeditated, and that she probably had a million more important things on her mind, so if she forgot to close the curtain, you could have just asked her to!

[SoldierNurse]

Aaron

You need to make the distinction between double standard and patient
privacy rights. They are two very distinct entities. A double standard being perhaps issues you encounter as a male nurse. Patient privacy is a Federally mandated patient bill of rights. The incident in the er was the least egregious failure of my privacy. As I mentioned, it got worse after I was admitted.
Ethic of reciprocity, the golden rule. Treat others as you would like to
be treated. Was it too much of me to expect. A little privacy and dignity. Why
would I have to ask for that. I am a paying patient but then would it really matter. I had a kidney stone. Payment I get for working out too much perhaps and not drinking enough water. I own a business and employ 72 people. I provide health care benefits to all my employees. Through the health benefits of my employees my company contributes roughly about a million annual dollarsto that hospital and its associated clinics.
I spoke with my HR rep and I said you know. Our policy is just about up next month. Perhaps you draft a letter to the CEO of the hospital and say that due to the lack of respect I recieved at your facility we've chosen another carrier that makes our employees ineligible for care at your facility.
Would you say that that is the way I should go about this Aaron. How do you think I should go about this? I pay health insurance and make my co-pays. Those monies is what comprises the salaries of employees at the hospital. That's how they pay for their homes, their food and clothing. Should I copy this thread along with my bad experience and send it to every nursing association in the country and say. Here is part of the problem in healthcare.
Why Aaron, would I have to ask for a little privacy? Isn't that inherent in patient care. Tell me Aaron, how do I effect change? You seem to think I'm going about this all wrong! Awareness, Aaron is the first way you effect change. You first point problems out and try to change perceptions. I meant everything I said and don't take anything back. People want to call themselves professionals fine I dont care, but act like it.

Muscleman,

BTW, that is a cool username. I'd like to think of myself has a musclehead, too. In fact, when I went on R&R last month my wife told me I've gotten cut up while I was in the Sandbox pumping iron. Yet, I digress from the present topic.

I really think you have misunderstood Aaron's replies. He probably did not mean to discredit your original complaint regards to lack of privacy as a male patient. Sometimes communication on these message boards can be easily misread. His immediate defense for one of our moderators was D/T your rude transference towards Amanda. I'm sure she practices patient privacy to the upmost. Maybe those that replied did not read your post completely. I, on the otherhand, did pick up you were dissatisfied with both your nursing care in the ED, as well as during seven day hospital stay regards to privacy. Sometimes the ED can be hectic but the patient's modesty should always come first. Maybe you could have mentioned to one of the ED nurses your concerns but then who are way to say your state of mind at the time D/T pain issues, etc.

Now, during your seven day hospital stay did you ever voice your concerns regards to privacy? Sometimes a patient/nurse professional relationship just does not click and best the charge nurse to make an assignment switch. However, if you did not voice your concerns [realize in a perfect world conflict does not exist... yet, we don't have the luxury of a perfect world] how could a wrong be corrected?

Finally, we, the health care professionals on this site, are not your enemy, nor do we think little of your expectation of privacy while a hospital patient. I realize you had a bad experience as a patient. I certainly hope the next time you are a hospital patient the scenario is much different. Yet, I'd like to think there is still time for you to have a good experience with us here but could you please ... relax and not vent at us?

[Muscleman]

Hmmm

I'm not 19 years old. I wish I were 19 again. At any rate, my visit
to the er was at 5 in the morning. People were standing around and I think
people had plenty of time to think about appropriate patient care. My
opinions haven't changed. I did write a formal complaint to the state
nursing board. I wrote an imprompto complaint to the CEO. If I have to
ask for privacy then people just DON'T get it. Remember, it's your lively
hood. Patient privacy is a serious issue. Maybe Amanda you should consider
another line of work!

[cougarnurse]

Do we even know what the staff had gone through less then an hour ago?

I hear your complaint(s), and we DO understand the legitimacy of what you are saying.

I doubt you'd want any nurse to find a different line of work, as then there'd eventually be no-one left for you or your employees when needed.

[SoldierNurse]

Hmmm

I'm not 19 years old. I wish I were 19 again. At any rate, my visit
to the er was at 5 in the morning. People were standing around and I think
people had plenty of time to think about appropriate patient care. My
opinions haven't changed. I did write a formal complaint to the state
nursing board. I wrote an imprompto complaint to the CEO. If I have to
ask for privacy then people just DON'T get it. Remember, it's your lively
hood. Patient privacy is a serious issue. Maybe Amanda you should consider
another line of work!

Wow, I tried to give you my sympathetic ears. In fact, you have ignored my replies on this thread, which does irritate me a little bit. Yet, your continued a personal one-on-one battle with Amanda and it is unwarranted. She was not your nurse. She has took the time and effort to reply to your rants from the perspective of an ER RN. She was not saying you are right, or wrong. She was just saying her perspective as an ER RN. Thought it was worth repeating. However, your personal attacks against Amanda need to cease, ASAP. Otherwise, this thread will be closed in a heartbeat. And, if you do copy this thread I certainly hope you copy every single word. Sir, you should consider previewing your post before posting. Surely, you are not normally this... insensitive?

[AmandaWIRN]

Hmmm

I'm not 19 years old. I wish I were 19 again. At any rate, my visit
to the er was at 5 in the morning. People were standing around and I think
people had plenty of time to think about appropriate patient care. My
opinions haven't changed. I did write a formal complaint to the state
nursing board. I wrote an imprompto complaint to the CEO. If I have to
ask for privacy then people just DON'T get it. Remember, it's your lively
hood. Patient privacy is a serious issue. Maybe Amanda you should consider
another line of work!

Your profile says you are 19 years old..... If that is not your age, then you have provided false information on your profile.

Why should I consider another line of work??? I am a good nurse. If you were dying or critically ill- I would be one of the nurses you would want at your bedside. I treat my patients with respect, and I try to honor their privacy. All I said was that maybe your nurse had a lot more important things on her mind, and that perhaps her not closing the curtain was an honest mistake. Remember, you are on a NURSING board for NURSES- I was just letting you know what might have been going on from a nurse's perspective. I suggest that if you are going to come on a nursing board meant for nurses, that you STOP insulting our profession and flinging personal insults.

[SoldierNurse]

Your profile says you are 19 years old..... If that is not your age, then you have provided false information on your profile.

Why should I consider another line of work??? I am a good nurse. If you were dying or critically ill- I would be one of the nurses you would want at your bedside. I treat my patients with respect, and I try to honor their privacy. All I said was that maybe your nurse had a lot more important things on her mind, and that perhaps her not closing the curtain was an honest mistake. Remember, you are on a NURSING board for NURSES- I was just letting you know what might have been going on from a nurse's perspective. I suggest that if you are going to come on a nursing board meant for nurses, that you STOP insulting our profession and flinging personal insults.

I agree!

[Aaron C.]

First of all, I agreed with you on the issue, saying there WAS a double standard.

As Magred pointed out, a female can insert a catheter in a male patient with no problems but a male cannot do the same to a female without a female in the room to observe.

Of course, there is some justified protection there until women start coming out of the woodwork and raping and molesting men and children.

You ask my why you should have to ask for privacy. As I said, you shouldn't HAVE TO ASK, but if it's not given to you and then you DON'T ASK, how mad can you really be? If you didn't even want it bad enough to ask for it, then how can you be upset enough to complain about it?

Just because they forgot to pull the curtain for you does not mean there is a widespread problem. It means there as an isolated incident.

I'm not taking up for the industry and saying there isn't a problem. I'm just saying that one incident does not mean there is a problem.

I am sorry that you had to endure whatever embarrassment and harassment you felt like you did, but it's certainly not reason to sign up on a message forum and breathe fire at people.

-------

I called in an order to Old Chicago last week and my wife picked it up on her way home. I ordered Stromboli and was given a Calzone. I told repeated it to the girl THREE TIMES, but she still go it wrong.

I logged onto their website and filled out a complaint form letting them know I was unhappy with my order being wrong but understood that it was just a mistake and mistakes happen and that I won't let it keep me from eating there again. I can't count how many times I've eaten somewhere that some careless young waiter or waitress or counter person didn't give two craps about what I ordered or how my experience was. But again, I realize the restaurant is doing the best they can with the resources they have. If it happens several times at the same place and the owners don't care, then that's different.

It's the same thing.

You can't make broadened, generalized statements about an entire healthcare industry, roughly 4 million RN's and LPN's, based on what two nurses did one time in the E.R. department.

Contact the hospital and in a professional and mature way, let them know about your experience and how it made you feel. Tell them you won't go back to that hospital again if that is what you choose.

Other than that, I'd say it's time to just let it go.

Every time I get in the car with my wife she tells me driving alone is going to take 10 years off my life because I get so frustrated with other drivers.

PEOPLE, "in general" these days, are just inconsiderate, rude, and obtuse. I'm learning to live with it.

[SoldierNurse]

Hmmm

I'm not 19 years old. I wish I were 19 again. At any rate, my visit
to the er was at 5 in the morning. People were standing around and I think
people had plenty of time to think about appropriate patient care. My
opinions haven't changed. I did write a formal complaint to the state
nursing board. I wrote an imprompto complaint to the CEO. If I have to
ask for privacy then people just DON'T get it. Remember, it's your lively
hood. Patient privacy is a serious issue. Maybe Amanda you should consider
another line of work!

Muscleman,

Here is a copy & paste from your profile;

Date of Birth:
June 9, 1988
Age:
19
.....

:6:

[Aaron C.]

Ethic of reciprocity, the golden rule. Treat others as you would like to
be treated. Was it too much of me to expect. A little privacy and dignity. Why
would I have to ask for that.

They hypocrisy of this statement is resounding.

This is a free message board.

We are nurses, here to HELP.

Is it too much for us to ask YOU to treat US as you wish to be treated?
Is it too much for us to ask YOU to reciprocate a little ethics OUR WAY?

I understand that you aren't happy with the way you are treated, but THIS PLACE has nothing to do with that, nor do any of the people here.

With your ATTITUDE...if you came in like that, no wonder people might be staring.

I can hear it now, "who's the jerk in room one screaming at the nurses?"

You aren't going to get ANYWHERE with us with the attitude you have displayed to this point.

If you want to continue having an attitude, then I'll just ban your buttocks and you can take your anger and hate somewhere else.

If you want to CALMLY and intelligently discuss what happened to you and whether there might be a legitimate issue at hand, and what you might do about it, then we can continue, but we all have real jobs, and none of us have time to put up with this crap!