A nurse calls out another fellow practitioner for shaming patients who forgot to remove a tampon while treating them in a now-viral TikTok.
In the video posted by TikToker Nurse Nya (@nurse_nya) on Dec. 17, she stitches a video in which another nurse pretends to smell something bad as she lifts up a bed sheet. The text overlay reads, “POV: your patient forgot her tampon inside.”
“I would rather be confronted with a tampon that has been there for a week and a half than your attitude,” Nya says in the clip. “I would help them with a smile on my face. You have no idea why someone might have a tampon in for that long. Maybe it’s self-neglect.”
She also points to the risk of toxic shock syndrome and suggests that any practitioner should try to assess “how long” the tampon has been in.
“You volunteered to work in the healthcare field. Stop doing it if you feel this way,” she continues.
@nurse_nya @_zuleyka._ Wow. yall are so comfortable giving pts legitimate reason to NEVER follow-up or seek help. #nursenya #patientadvocate #nursepractitionerstudent #blacknurses #blacknurse #blacknursesrock #empathy #misogyny ♬ original sound – TikTok’s Nurse Nya 👩🏾⚕️🩺
The video has reached over 6.6 million views as of Dec. 19, with commenters pointing to the larger trend of nurses trying to clown patients on the platform. Last week, a group of nurses went viral after they were fired for sharing their “icks” when treating laboring patients.
“Stuff like that is why I always avoid drs/hospitals. Fear of being mocked, regardless of why I’m there,” one user wrote.
“I’ve avoided care before because I was afraid of what someone would think. Those tiktoks are never a good look,” another wrote.
Others shared their own experience with seeking care for a forgotten tampon, trying to destigmatize the “embarrassing” situation for others.
“I’ve always thought this was so cruel. I had a friend who just forgot, didn’t realize until the next period. Went to er with huge shame,” one commenter shared.
“My OB was awesome. She folded it up in her glove as she pulled it out, quick n fast n never said a word. I appreciated that so much,” another said.
The Daily Dot reached out to Nurse Nya via Instagram direct message.
