Question on skin to skin touching

[germsjackson]

I noticed that the nurses I worked with while in school would routinely touch the patient with their bare hands, while I felt much more comfortable wearing my gloves.

What are your thoughts on this, while doing an ed assessment, gloves? It just seems much safer and cleaner to me.

[canned_bread]

I touch the patient with my bare hands. I washed them prior to touching them, I wash them afterwards. I would not touch a wound or something like that, obviously, but if palpating the abdomen or something I touch the patient.

I think touch is very important for healing, especially if the hospital admission is quite stressful for the patient. Even holding a hand whilst talking to a patient, or a pat as you say good night... touch is important I think. Now that I think about it, some of the most spiritual times I have had with patients have been when holding their hand and having a close discussion with them.

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

My fundamentals instructor started out as a CNA back in the day. She told me they used to do peri-care with their bare hands back then.

She's alive and kicking still.

I'm a pretty big germophobe, but even I have no problem doing minimal-exposure stuff bare-handed. I wash before and after, and my skin serves as my protection in the meantime.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

My serious question to the OP is ... do you shake hands with people? Hand them an object which might involve some brief touching of hands? Hug others? Kiss? Kiss cheeks? Pick up children?

If not, that's your preference. But if you do ... why change tactics just because someone is at the moment sitting or reclining in a hospital bed?

[itsnowornever, BSN, RN]

I wear gloves if I am doing ANYTHING with needle, emptying a urinal, or anything that will come in contact with bodily fluids. I have seen the faces of patients who deal with my less than life experienced fellow students who wear gloves to check a radial pulse. Not only are you wasting resources you are being rude IMO. If the body part I am touching is not soiled, and I wash my hands before and after, then we are fine. Perfect example: 90yo female patient with AFib and mild dementia comes in and we do the initial work up on her...each and every time I checked on her she wanted to hold my hand, imagine her confusion and horror if I was wearing gloves! What a horrible experience. Listening to heart and lung sounds? As long as they dont have crap all over them, why wear gloves?

[Nurseadam]

Some pts that come to the ER do actually stink and are just dirty. I wear gloves handling those pts or if they're bleeding. Anything else, bare hands. Sometimes u won't even have time to put gloves on

[rn/writer, RN]

Acquired immunity, baby!

Yes, this.

Research has shown that many children who have been raised in petless homes with a heavy emphasis on germ-free and antibacterial everything have puny, underdeveloped immune systems because they were "protected" from the normal flora and fauna of everyday life.

This immunological innocence leaves them unprepared when they leave their semi-sterile environments and are exposed for the first time to life in the real world.

That isn't to say that we shouldn't teach kids to wash their hands and observe basic cleanliness. Only to suggest that people who worry excessively may be making themselves and their kids more vulnerable, not less.

As nurses, of course, we need to make certain that we practice conscientious hygiene. But we don't have to glove up to take a radial pulse or hold a hand or wash a face unless there are bodily fluids involved.

It's better for you AND your patients if your gloving decisions are based on common sense, evidence and science rather than hysteria, hype and paranoia.