Descriptive study with a quanti-qualitative approach that aimed at analyzing the involving situations during the exhibition of the client's body in his assistance in the ICU, the involved people's behaviors and the consequences for the own ones. The data were collected together with 15 female nurses, being used the Critical Incident Technique. It was identified situation, behavior and consequence categories. It was chosen, in this study, to discuss the category physical evaluation due to its relevance for intensive treatment. It was evidenced that the patient privacy protection and respect assure the quality of care. The gender of the person who care emerged as a complicating factor for the maintenance of privacy. Both professional insecurity and inability in solving conflicts related to the exhibition of the client's body are perceptible, even predominating attitudes addressed to the protection of the client's intimacy.
Physical examination; Patient care; Privacy; Gender identity; Intensive care units
