It is shocking to look at a person's bare chest or body when you are first learning how to be a medical professional. That is normal. We all feel it. But as you realize that what you are doing is necessary and important for someone's health, you learn to put your discomfort aside and actually care for your patient. As a nurse, I often have to physically mover a woman's breast out of the way to listen to her lung sounds.
Simple let her know what you are about to do and ask her permission to touch, and then put on your game face because the ECG is important for her appropriate care. Cover as much of her as possible with blankets and her clothing ... say, "I apologize but I will need to touch your left breast area to put the electrodes where they belong, is that okay?"... have your electrodes ready and simply cup the breast with one hand, hold it out of the way, and put on the 6 electrodes that need to be around that left breast (you can hold the electrode sheet using the fingers on the hand holding the breast. If you do it right, you touch her once...holding it firmly until you are done and you don't have to touch over and over again. When you are done, give her permission to take the electrodes off herself (many people don't know they can take them off and wear them forever). Eventually, it will become common place and you won't need to put on your game face anymore because it won't feel so shocking.
