Tips For Hospitals

As for patient modesty, the number one priority should be the patient and the number two priority should be the patient's family. Always make every effort to accommodate their wishes for modesty.

1.) We encourage hospitals to hire a good number of male nurses for all shifts so there can be enough male nurses do intimate procedures on male patients. Hire enough male scrubs for male patients who have surgeries. Try to work on a schedule where male nurses and scrubs would be often assigned to male patients. Many men are uncomfortable with having female nurses or scrubs see their private parts. Modesty is important to many men. Check out the male modesty page.

2.) You should do whatever you can to protect patients' modesty and dignity. Many patients value modesty. Listen to patients' concerns about modesty carefully and work hard to meet their wishes. Many people don't feel comfortable having certain parts of their body exposed to the opposite sex except for spouse. They are not crazy. Many people would not be comfortable using public restrooms with people of the opposite sex.

3.) Strive to be a hospital where patient modesty is taken very seriously. If patients have good experience with patient modesty at your hospital, they are very likely to return and recommend your hospital to others. Some patients who have had bad experiences with patient modesty at certain hospitals will never return there. For example, one man had bad experience at a hospital where female nurses made fun of him because he only want a male nurse to do intimate procedures on him has decided that he will not return to that certain hospital.

4.) Make a policy at your hospital to prohibit non-consensual genital and pelvic exams from being done on patients under anesthesia without their consent.

5.) For unconscious patients who are transported to the hospital, please don't take their clothes off if it is unnecessary. For those that must be stripped, please try to accommodate an all same gender team for this patient if possible and do whatever to protect their modesty. Don't throw modesty out for unconscious patients because you think they may never find out or don't care.

6.) Be sensitive to patients who come to the Emergency Room and don't wish to have certain examinations. For example, if a woman suspects she may be having appendicitis and she doesn't wish to have a pelvic exam or rectal exam, don't give her a hard time and just do a CT scan. If appendicitis is ruled out, then a rectal exam or pelvic exam can be considered, but only with the lady's permission.
We strongly recommend that all hospitals having enough female ob/gyns, nurses, etc. to be present for the birth of a child for women and their husbands who wish for an all female ob/gyn team only. It would be great if your hospital could have at least one female ob/gyn on call all of the time so a female patient could be guaranteed a female ob/gyn for emergency or childbirth if she desired.

7.) If your hospital cannot accommodate an all same gender team for intimate procedures or surgeries, we recommend that you be willing to refer the patient to another hospital that can accommodate their wishes.

8.) Your hospital should make a policy that other workers such as maintenance workers or housekeepers don't go in operating rooms while a patient's private parts may be exposed. They should knock first before entering to make sure the patient is properly covered.