A nurse's questions to a patient at her hysterectomy pre-operative appointment have sparked fury across the internet.

The patient and original poster (OP), Reddit user Goddess_Skadi, recounted the incident on r/AITAH, explaining that she suffers from debilitating pain and excessive bleeding and so had elected to undergo a hysterectomy.

At her pre-operative appointment, however, she was stunned when the nurse questioned her choice to undergo the procedure -- despite her having decided after year-long discussions with her doctor.

The OP recalled, "She asked me what I would do if me and my husband divorced and my partner wanted a kid. I just said, 'Well, I have three, they can pick one,' and she corrected me and said, 'One of their own.' I just shrugged and said it sucked to be them then.

"She then asked why I didn't try birth control pills to slow the bleeding down and when I said it [would be] just a bandaid to the problem, she said I should just try an endometrial ablation first before a hysterectomy.

"I'm like, 'But ablation makes it so I can't have kids either so what's the difference? Just get rid of the problem instead of doing another bandaid thing where my tissue can eventually grow back anyway, since I am only 32 and probably have like 15 to 20 years of this bulls*** still.'

"She rolled her eyes at me and escorted me to the little room and I waited for the doctor, but when I got home, I looked at my notes like I always do and the nurse's notes said that I was rude and 'combative'.

Reddit users quickly rallied around the OP, with one writing, "She overstepped and stressed you out right before surgery -- a highly stressful procedure. You are at peace with your decision, and this conversation was highly inappropriate."

Another added, "The nurse was completely out of line. Medical professionals need to respect patient autonomy."

"She was out of line," one Redditor noted. "The whole time. Her little scenario is her using her values to push them onto a patient. It's unethical and you should file a complaint."

The OP's experience echoes broader concerns about medical professionals disregarding patients' choices, particularly when it comes to reproductive health.

According to the North Carolina Board of Nursing, patients have the right to report inappropriate or unprofessional behavior by healthcare staff. While the OP's experience may or may not have taken place in North Carolina, similar incidents have led to formal complaints and disciplinary actions against medical professionals in other states.

Experts advise patients who experience disrespect or mistreatment in medical settings to document interactions and report concerns. The guide, titled "How to Deal With Rude Hospital Staff", offers practical advice, including remaining calm, requesting to speak with a supervisor, and filing a formal complaint if necessary.

Newsweek has contacted Goddess_Skadi comment via Reddit.

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