I was standing on one side of the operating table as I was watching my circulating nurse struggle getting the ted hose on a patients leg. The patient had thicker legs and we all know how it can be hard to put on ted hose, anyway. A comment was made by another scrub to the extent that I replied "don't make fun of girls with extra meat on their bones." At that moment the scrub standing at the foot of the bed cocked his left hand back as hard as he could and spanked me on the ass as hard as he could. I was stunned, and embarrassed. I didn't have any words to say at the moment in time. I could feel the heat in my face and I just looked down at my circulator who also just looked down.
I began helping with the ted hose, and I could feel my hands trembling because I was angry, embarrassed and the slap hurt enough that I didn't' know if it really just happened.
The next case I am alone and the same circulating nurse comes and I ask him, "did that really happen?" he just smiled. I told him that I was so shocked I didn't know what to do. "What a freak." I kept saying. "I can't believe he just did that."
I remember when I first started working their, a co-worker had mentioned to me that the same exact scrub had done something to that extent to her. I sought her out and asked her if this was a reoccurring thing. Should I be worried? What advice could she give me? She kept telling me to report him, and that it is not okay to be sexual harassed at work. WHOA.. did she just say the 'S' word? She said the one thing she has ever regretted was not reporting him when he did it to her when she first started working there. Does she have it out for him? Does she just want him to get into trouble? Is it really sexual harrasment? Should I be worried. I can't report him. Hes a fellow scrub. We are all fellow team players, and I would get backlash, for reporting him, I'm sure of it.
Back in the next surgical case, the same nurse circulator apologized for not saying anything. "I didn't know it offended you so much." He said. How would he know how I felt? I am thinking the scrub that I sought out for advice has already approached him. I told him not to worry about it, that its not a big deal. By this time I don't want to be the talk under everyone's surgical mask, because I am already feeling embarrassed as it is, and I don't think I even did anything wrong. While we are having this conversation, the other two techs in the room are asking me us what happened, and we are just like, nothing.
In the locker room at the end of a long, strange work day. Those same two scrubs that we said nothing too approached me. I said I would tell them only looking for advice. I told them what happened. They said its not okay, and that I should approach the tech who did this and tell him how it made me feel. But the thing is, I cant just walk up to him and say, "hey TECH, you know when you cocked your hand back and spanked me at work so hard that it hurt? Well, that made me feel uncomfortable and I would appreciate if you don't do that again." First off, that is embarrassing for me to talk to him about it. Second of all I am already feeling awkward about this whole situation. He should be seeking me out, and apologizing to me.
What I would really like to say to him is this... "You ever touch me again, I will karate chop your adams apple so hard you wont be able to breath. And if you ever think that it is okay to sexually harass me or anyone else at work again, I will tie your balls in a knot. Got it fucker?"
In the mean time, I will not be reporting him. I will not be talking to him about the matter. I will let this go. I am guessing this how most people at work feel when they are felt this way. Is this how it goes on for so long at work without anyone ever saying anything? I am sweeping it under the rug and I will not speak of it again.
On a good note, I primary scrubbed my first TKA. What a weird day filled with mixed emotions.
I began helping with the ted hose, and I could feel my hands trembling because I was angry, embarrassed and the slap hurt enough that I didn't' know if it really just happened.
The next case I am alone and the same circulating nurse comes and I ask him, "did that really happen?" he just smiled. I told him that I was so shocked I didn't know what to do. "What a freak." I kept saying. "I can't believe he just did that."
I remember when I first started working their, a co-worker had mentioned to me that the same exact scrub had done something to that extent to her. I sought her out and asked her if this was a reoccurring thing. Should I be worried? What advice could she give me? She kept telling me to report him, and that it is not okay to be sexual harassed at work. WHOA.. did she just say the 'S' word? She said the one thing she has ever regretted was not reporting him when he did it to her when she first started working there. Does she have it out for him? Does she just want him to get into trouble? Is it really sexual harrasment? Should I be worried. I can't report him. Hes a fellow scrub. We are all fellow team players, and I would get backlash, for reporting him, I'm sure of it.
Back in the next surgical case, the same nurse circulator apologized for not saying anything. "I didn't know it offended you so much." He said. How would he know how I felt? I am thinking the scrub that I sought out for advice has already approached him. I told him not to worry about it, that its not a big deal. By this time I don't want to be the talk under everyone's surgical mask, because I am already feeling embarrassed as it is, and I don't think I even did anything wrong. While we are having this conversation, the other two techs in the room are asking me us what happened, and we are just like, nothing.
In the locker room at the end of a long, strange work day. Those same two scrubs that we said nothing too approached me. I said I would tell them only looking for advice. I told them what happened. They said its not okay, and that I should approach the tech who did this and tell him how it made me feel. But the thing is, I cant just walk up to him and say, "hey TECH, you know when you cocked your hand back and spanked me at work so hard that it hurt? Well, that made me feel uncomfortable and I would appreciate if you don't do that again." First off, that is embarrassing for me to talk to him about it. Second of all I am already feeling awkward about this whole situation. He should be seeking me out, and apologizing to me.
What I would really like to say to him is this... "You ever touch me again, I will karate chop your adams apple so hard you wont be able to breath. And if you ever think that it is okay to sexually harass me or anyone else at work again, I will tie your balls in a knot. Got it fucker?"
In the mean time, I will not be reporting him. I will not be talking to him about the matter. I will let this go. I am guessing this how most people at work feel when they are felt this way. Is this how it goes on for so long at work without anyone ever saying anything? I am sweeping it under the rug and I will not speak of it again.
On a good note, I primary scrubbed my first TKA. What a weird day filled with mixed emotions.