Keep the Gown On

I have to believe that nurses see more people naked than most legal professions. I see a lot of naked people. When I was a student I found this embarrassing. Now, I have come to expect it. There really isn’t a chance that if I am your nurse I am not going to see some skin. It is my job to perform an assessment of you when you become my patient. The assessment includes looking at your skin. I will be discreet but I do need to see a good portion of you. Now, if you have wounds, I am going to have to look even more thoroughly. After the initial assessment you might be able to keep your gown intact the rest of the evening unless you spring a new leak or have any complications.

That being said, I can’t get some of my patients to keep their gown on no matter how hard I try. Just because you are in the hospital, you don’t have to be naked. I know those hospital gowns don’t provide good coverage but you shouldn’t take that as a license for indecency. I had a patient recently who was going through alcohol withdrawals and having a bit of a break from reality. Every time I came into his room – which was about every 20 minutes because he kept trying to leap out of bed – he had disrobed. The whole situation was a bit unnerving but the nakedness made it even more so. I would get him back to bed and reattach his gown…each time…even though I knew my efforts were probably pointless considering we would repeat the entire scenario shortly. Don’t misunderstand me, I really think most people in the hospital are half naked without even realizing it. They are out of their environment and their routine. They are put in a strange place and given a nightgown with a big gaping hole in the back. Many are in pain and have much more pressing issues than whether or not they are clothed. We don’t hand out tickets or fine you if we come into your room and you are naked. But, we also don’t charge you extra for the gown. Go ahead and use it.

All this skin has become part of the job. It doesn’t rattle me much anymore and if you find yourself in this situation, you shouldn’t feel too embarrassed about it. Know we have seen A LOT of people before you. For what it’s worth, let me offer you some advice for the next time you are in the hospital. If, on a daily basis you wear clothes at home and work, do the same in the hospital. We have hospital pants. If nobody offers you them, ask for them. Ask for an extra nightgown and tie it on backwards. That way your backside is no longer hanging out for the world to see when you walk in the hallway. Bring your pajamas from home and we may let you wear them as long as we can still access the iv sites and hook up the heart monitor if necessary. If you feel less inhibited and freer half clothed, go for it. You will be in good company.

In spite of my own advice, I imagine if I ever find myself as a patient in the hospital one day I will probably be the delirious one disrobed at the end of the hall. If you see me, please give me a gown...wait, make that two.