pelvic exam accusation......?

Question

I need some advise. I am an emergency room physician and have just been temporarily suspended because a patient made some complaint about me during her pelvic exam. I have no idea what the complaint is, or who the patient is. i do know this--I always take a female nurse into the exam room when I perform the exam. I am always very appropriate with my exams, very respectful, etc. Anyone have any advise on what I can do other than get the testimony of the nurse? I have to meet with hospital administration soon. I am thinking that even if the nurse states that I was appropriate, the hospital will just go with what the patient has to say--she may have felt violated because she is excessively insecure about herself or mentally unstable and I will just get screwed over when I did nothing wrong.

Answer 1

I do not see how they can do anything to you since you followed procedure and had a female nurse in the room with you. If this is the only complaint you've ever had I would not get too worried about it.

Answer 2

The testimony of the nurse is your defense, that is why she's there. I'm not sure why or what you could have done, pelvic exams are uncomfortable so I can't ever see anyone feeling that you were trying something. I don't know why you had to give her the pelvic or what the results were but the medical records are a way to justify why you had to and what you needed to know. I'm just a biologist and a woman (with two kids and another on the way, I've had quite a few pelvics) so I don't know much about your legal standpoint or her issue but be careful not to vilify her or you will look defensive. Help the hospital find a way out of this and you are less likely to get screwed. Maybe some women get pleasure accidently during a exam in the ER because of the adrenaline and tension. Maybe she was attracted to you and felt really embarassed that she was turned on. Maybe she is a wacko, but I wouldn't use the "she is a wacko" defense. If yo had trouble feeling what you needed to and had to push upward maybe to stimulated her G-spot unintentionally or there was a medical explanation for her feeling stimulated (which I assume is the only thing that would cause her to feel violated, either that or she felt it unnecessary). Hope I have helped somewhat.

Answer 3

If you made a woman uncomfortable during a pelvic exam, it may not have been because you did anything unusual or particularly inappropriate, but that doesn't change how she felt. It could've been something you said, it could've been that you brushed against her vulva in a way in that you didn't even recognize but she felt was invasive. If this was her first pelvic examination, or the first after some change in her life (weight change, childbirth, loss of virginity) she may have felt that the vaginal portion of the exam was not conducted appropriately because it felt different to her than exams have in the past.

And you *may* have done something wrong inasmuch as you failed to notice non-verbal cues to indicate that the patient was uncomfortable or frightened. You should be aware, if you are called upon to perform pelvic examinations with any regularity (rather than calling on someone from the ob/gyn department) that women are often too intimidated during the process to speak up about discomfort (or believe that the process should be uncomfortable when it should not be) and that it's important to pay attention to their demeanor during the examination.

Consequently, presuming that there's something wrong with this woman mentally or that she's out to get you isn't a good way to go into what may rapidly devolve into a confrontational and adversarial situation.

You need to speak with your attending physician or chief of your department to learn more about what will come. Hospital risk management should also speak with you with regard to this complaint and the procedure for follow-up, mediation and settlement in such a dispute.

You may also want to retain an attorney.

Answer 4

Ack! I am so sorry!

Have you done a pelvic exam in the last few months on a woman that protested or had seemed she had NO reason to be there. (There's a posibility that she had every intention of coming in and "framing" whatever doc even before she came in.) Also there are certain ethnic groups that don't believe a man other then her husband should be touching her, did you do an exam on someone that could have fit that? Her husband may have forced her to complain.

I'm 38w pregnant and had a bit of a traumatic experience at about 8 months pregnant that ended up with me in hospital (in the ER then moved to maternity triage) and they did a pelvic on me. I tell you I was more scared for the health of my baby then I was for the myself being examed and I'm a super shy person when it comes that area.

Anybody that would turn around and make an acusation like that after you doing whatever was necessary to support her medically is just downright rude! I really hope you don't get fired for this.

Answer 5

The hospital may just award money to have the patient go away.

Just tell the truth. And, do not talk to the nurse about the problem before the hearing.

Answer 6

I am really to sorry that this happened to you. Seems like people are just crazy these days. I would suggest making sure that the nurse can testify to your continues good patient care and I would contact your supervisor and demand that they give you a very good reaon why you were suspended. Good Luck.

Answer 7

Sounds like you need a good lawyer. I would definately go in with one. They know how to handle these things better. This could potentially damage your career that you have worked so hard for.