Wearing Gloves When Taking Vital Signs?

Well, I washed (and still wash) my hands with soap and water religiously before and after each patient - known for being rather OCD about it - and yes, I wash for the full amount of time (and I hate the sanitizer crap in the hospital- makes my skin itch, so I actually scrub while I'm talking to people)... and I still contracted scabies from this patient, as did other practitioners in our clinic. I also hung his jacket for him at one point (clinic, remember, different quarters), so possibly from that? Ugh.
In any case, it sucked. And I still wash my hands religiously, and I still wear gloves with patients.

I've come across cuts, random bleeds, ugly pressure ulcers, etc, and I feel better about wearing gloves when I do an assessment. I can't tell you how many times I've stuck my hand into something wet and have been happy that there's at least a minor barrier over my skin.
Do gloves give me a false sense of security? Nope. The microbes can still get in. I still wash, religiously.
But I do feel better about "goin' in" when I have them on.
That's all.

I usually don't wear gloves when I take vital signs but I always wash my hands before and after each patient contact (either with soap and water or hand sanitizer.) Sometimes I use gloves but its usually if I think I need to do something else while I'm in the room (such as emptying a urinal or cleaning up something.) In my new job in the ER I plan on wearing them a lot more often.

!Chris

I love how all the comments about not wearing gloves and what not are from RN STUDENTS OR NEW GRADS...

I'm detecting a bit of sarcasm when you say that. I may be a nursing student but I'm also a CNA that works in a hospital too, I'm actually speaking from experience as a CNA and not as a nursing student.

!Chris

It definitely should be up to the nurse, tech, etc. I know my patients inside and out, so do not wear gloves for any normal care that is not invasive or risk of body fluids!