Sex at work: Bad idea or good time management?

29 May, 2010 | By Victoria Thompson

Are you having sex on your breaks? Beyond the Bedpan prefers a coffee and a crossword, but we think we’re alone.

This week Beyond the Bedpan was shocked to read the allegations made by a former director of nursing, who accused bosses at Milton Keynes Hospital of covering up scandals like bodies being left on the morgue floor, surgical errors and staff posting inappropriate photos onto Facebook. Again.

But never mind that, the bit that caught Beyond the Bedpan’s eye was the complaint that staff had been caught having sex in the pharmacy. Having sex. In the pharmacy.

Now we’re as open minded as the next open minded nursing column, we’ve seen Grey’s Anatomy. We know what goes on. But this was during working hours. Have these people no sense of decency? Or is it just good time management? If you’re a busy nurse working all hours of the day and night does it make sense to sneak a quickie into your fag break? Or should staff be focusing more on the job in hand?

We thought Nurse Jackie was a comedy drama, but it seems not. Either it’s actually a drama documentary or the MK staff are seeing it as some kind of training programme. We hope they aren’t following Jackie’s lead in using the pharmacist as an illegitimate source of prescription medication. That would be wronger than wrong.

One reader innocently asked “Were the employees caught having sex on their breaks? If so no one suffered…it happens regularly in hospitals.” Oh really? So now we all know what you get up to when you offer to “put the kettle on”. Are they right? Are doctors and nurses up to no good up and down the country?

And, forgive our wandering gutter mind, then we began to wonder is a pharmacy really the best place to get down and dirty with a like-minded colleague? Or was it just the easy access to oral contraceptives that proved too much of a lure? We’re sure there are better places. A nice warm linen closet? An x ray machine? Underneath the desk at the nurse’s station?

Maybe we’re just being naive. If anyone wants us we’ll be in the stationery cupboard.

Readers' comments (39)

brasseye | 28-May-2010 4:09 pm
Is that why there's a shortage of beds?
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 28-May-2010 10:41 pm
It’s rather hypocritical of Nursing Times having an article like this. Recently they were complaining about the “sexy nurse” image, making light of this story is counterproductive and only encourages such stereotypes. I would have expected bodies being left on the morgue floor rather more important than staff having sex on the job. Staff should not be having sex on the job its unprofessional we are trying to encourage a professional image and this does not help.
Unsuitable or offensive?
Richard White | 29-May-2010 11:19 am
Do you want to be taken seriously as a professional organisation? This sort of trivial tittle-tattle does nursing no credit. I'm not averse to a bit of fun, but not on your flagship website.

Richard White
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 29-May-2010 11:20 am
To the anonymous above lordy lord why are there sooooooooooooo many nurses with no sense of humour. And professional image is just that, an image, cos we're as human as our patients.
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 29-May-2010 11:22 am
Just to add to my comment above, am I the only one who doesnt find anyone they work with remotely shaggable?In work or out of?
Unsuitable or offensive?
Tom Mallinson | 29-May-2010 11:53 am
I have to say after reading this article, I must agree with Prof. White's comments above.

I find this article even more counterproductive when published alongside Mr Whitehead's excellent article about the sexism and social discrimination nurses face when seen as "part of an oppressed class and, as semi professionals, a subordinate profession".
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 29-May-2010 11:56 am
And I suppose you're a stunner yourself? Hope I don't work with you. as a male nurse I find some of my female colleagues very attractive,but of course that's my little secret!
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 29-May-2010 11:59 am
Well this is hardly news is it, I qualified in 1984 and I remember what went on then and has ever since.

I seem to remember that we are human, and surely sex and the politics that go with it are all part of being human.

We as a group are no different to any other profession - there will always be those who chose to act impulsively and at time inappropriately.

Unsuitable or offensive?
Gwynfor Williams | 29-May-2010 12:33 pm
"...Or should staff be focusing more on the job in hand?"

So masturbation is ok in work time then? (chortle)
Unsuitable or offensive?
mandy chapman | 29-May-2010 12:46 pm
So some people really do get a break. Im more astounded at that than the fact they have time do any thing other than have a quick cuppa
Unsuitable or offensive?
Wayne Hood | 29-May-2010 1:39 pm
As already said, we are human and with that comes all the nitty gritty of human behaviour. It's a bit rich of docs to critique the nursing profession about sexual behaviour in the work place - or rather being open about it in a devil's advocate column - when it's not unheard of for medics to do the same; but hey, they're human too, eh?
Unsuitable or offensive?
Ronald Luton-Brown | 29-May-2010 2:50 pm
Right sex in my break??? mmmmmmm WHAT BREAK! and lighten up everyone! this is taking the pee out of a disgruntled manager he probably wants sex in his break in the pharmacy! and being up ones rectum is more unprofessional than being human in a CARING VOCATION! i will be professional in my duties But it is a vocation i have to go with Flo on this one!
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 29-May-2010 3:04 pm
I remember the days we nurses got a break long enough to have the time to indulge in a bit of hanky panky, if you lived in residence it wasn`t unheard of to go back to your room on your break and indulge, but in this day and age breaks a few and far between and sex is even further off your mind because we are to busy doing our PROFESSIONAL and caring duty to our patients.
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 29-May-2010 4:37 pm
im about to start my nurse training in sept.So what i would like to know is will this be expected of me on placement and if so will i have to do a reflective essay on it ? lol :-)
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 29-May-2010 5:32 pm
I wish I'd learnt earlier that the pharmacy was the place to 'blow off steam' (so to speak). I'll certainly volunteer to collect TTA's more frequently now!!!
Unsuitable or offensive?
Trish Bayley | 29-May-2010 8:51 pm
Clearly I'm missing something - What's a break?
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 29-May-2010 9:54 pm
Just a small point[?!] - but in our hospital its just pharmacists and pharmacy assistants that work in pharmacy, so why are nurses getting so steamed up [oops] should it not be the pharmceutical profession being called to account for 'under the counter' antics? As a very old nurse the very idea makes me shudder, I just hope they contained the perineal fall out.....
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 30-May-2010 1:08 am
Its this sort of article that brings the nurses reputation down to gutter level its certainly not funny that the goings on of staff at that awful hospital should be treated with such humour
what about the general public how will they view us we have already had the buses advertising the carry on nurse how can we be taken seriously ????
i was always proud of being a nurse its getting to the stage when people ask me what i do i think twice what to answer we have had so many scandals
this is a hospital local to me and it is the pitts i would not take my dog there for treatment
about time new management was brought in to clean up all and i mean all disciplines of staff
David Cameron is promising transparency honesty, change , well milton keynes perhaps you can follow suit
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 30-May-2010 9:02 am
It would be nice to GET a break......and a nice cup of tea! let alone have sex,what ever next?
Unsuitable or offensive?
Richard White | 30-May-2010 12:53 pm
It seems as if my comments have provoked a considerable response, just what was intended. Yes, medics do get up to the same things as everyone else but you don't see it on the BMJ website. If you want to be treated as healthcare professionals then the appropriately circumspect behaviour is required. Also, please do not assume that I am a medic! I work in a scholl of nursing and midwifery and hold these professions in the highest esteem.
Unsuitable or offensive?