Smear test etiquette - nurse didn’t leave me to get undressed

[Darrae]

In any medical or beauty setting I’ve been in where I’ve had to be undressed from the waist down, the person has always said they’ll ’pop out’ and come back when I’m suitably naked with a bit of paper towel over me to cover my modesty. This just seems to be the done thing. Even when pregnant and needing internal scans, I had to get changed behind a screen.

I went for my smear last week. Got a very chatty nurse who just sort of hung around. She pulled the curtain round the bed area in her room but had came to my side of the curtain and just continued to stand there chatting. I didn’t want to start stripping off if she was about to say she’d come back in a second but after delaying a bit I realised she had no intention of doing that whole routine and she wasn’t going anywhere 🙈 I had to just awkwardly take my clothes off and get up on the bed half naked infront of her 🤦🏻‍♀️ Is this what people do? Have I lived a sheltered life up til now with people being so dignified about it? 🤣

Side note before anyone comments: it was by no means the end of the world, please go for them - I’ve had a dodgy one in the past and needed treatment.

Exactly, both behaved as I would expect health care professionals to do. She also has my medical history wrong and I had to keep correcting her so didn’t inspire confidence. And I am someone who doesn’t complain about medical students observing the most awkward examinations. Had assumed she would watch and learn rather than heading off to tap on her ‘phone.

Yeah it's best practice to allow patients privacy to dress and undress (exceptions may include mobility/ falls issues). Some people are very open about their bodies in a healthcare setting, some find it much harder and really value being able to compose themselves and only expose as much as necessary. You don't know how each person feels so best to revert to etiquette, waiting behind the curtain, unless told otherwise.