[TriageRN_34]

I just thought I would throw this out here, and thought it may get a few head shakes and giggles!

So here I was at work the other day as an agency nurse at a local hospital. I had my tubex with me which I carry around for injections when a very nice nurse kindly told me that because of infection control, those tubex are one use only (they are cleaned, not thrown away).

I thanked her very much for the info, and then grabbed the CBG machine..then thought??? Ummmmm if a tubex is to be used once per room...then why do we use the same CBG machine for all rooms (hello direct blood on those)...or the VS machine? I giggled a bit. Guess it all comes down to cost, washing tubex is easier than washing CBG machines..LOL! (I clean my CBG machine with etoh wipes after each use by habit anyway....but still...LOL!).

I mean...good rule..but kinda made me giggle a bit

What other interesting rules do your facilites have that make you go hmmmmmm???

[TheCommuter]

Originally Posted by TriageRN_34

I mean...good rule..but kinda made me giggle a bit

LMFAO!

[DutchgirlRN]

We have to clean our CBG's with etol each and everytime we use them and in between patients. Know what I think is one of the worst offenders? The physicians stethoscope. I wipe mine off between assessments, I've never seen a doc clean his. Think about it.

[TheCommuter]

Originally Posted by DutchgirlRN

We have to clean our CBG's with etol each and everytime we use them and in between patients. Know what I think is one of the worst offenders? The physicians stethoscope. I wipe mine off between assessments, I've never seen a doc clean his. Think about it.

To add to this, I have seen many docs removing sutures without wearing gloves. During the suture removal they come into direct contact with the patient's dried blood and interstitial fluids.

[Marie_LPN, RN]

In the O.R. prescription pads and doctors orders are locked up on the OR floor, yet any of the med-surg floors, they are all out in the open. Heck if i know why.

[unknown99]

We are not allowed to have our own bottles of hand lotion!! The infection control nurse says it can cause a breadown in the durability of our gloves!!
How absurd!! We do not reuse the gloves!!!

[Marie_LPN, RN]

Originally Posted by sagarcia210

We are not allowed to have our own bottles of hand lotion!! The infection control nurse says it can cause a breadown in the durability of our gloves!!
How absurd!! We do not reuse the gloves!!!

Does this person have proof that cracked and bleeding hands are better?

[jesssko]

I've heard of the lotion breaking down the durability of gloves, I did clinicals at two different facilities and one said that the gloves the other used would break down with lotion and theirs wouldn't. Who knows???

At my facility we have these huge med carts with computers on them they are called COWS (computer on wheels). Theoretically, we are supposed to take it with us into each pts room so we can do real time charting while we assess, and pass out our meds at the same time since they are right there. Now I've never seen anyone do it that way, but ick, just think about what would get all over that cart! Who has time to chart each assessment anyway, it would take hours to assess all of the pts if we charted in between.

Jessica

[jeepgirl]

Originally Posted by sagarcia210

We are not allowed to have our own bottles of hand lotion!! The infection control nurse says it can cause a breadown in the durability of our gloves!!
How absurd!! We do not reuse the gloves!!!

Hello,
as a person with a latex allergy, I can tell you part of the reason (I did a lot of reading about it after I was diagnosed). A lot of our commercial lotions we buy off the shelf at the store contain petroleum, (sp?) and other chemicals that can quickly breakdown the latex in your gloves. Makes you more vulnerable to not only allergy, and your gloves less effective and prone to breakage! Not to sound gross, but it is the same reason why we tell people to use water based lubricants with condoms to protect themselves.

[ClaireMacl]

Hi Jeepgirl,

Interesting twist on this one! I was going to comment that the latex free gloves that I currently use are almost 3 times as thick as the non latex so wouldn't be at risk... but you got me thinking about alcohol rub, handcreams etc that I used prior to being declared allergic to latex, sooo many! There is a growing trend in our ED to people becoming latex allergic, noone has looked into why yet, despite the extra cost of us allergic people!

I must do more reading on the subject, if you have any links, that would be lovely

Originally Posted by jeepgirl

Hello,
as a person with a latex allergy, I can tell you part of the reason (I did a lot of reading about it after I was diagnosed). A lot of our commercial lotions we buy off the shelf at the store contain petroleum, (sp?) and other chemicals that can quickly breakdown the latex in your gloves. Makes you more vulnerable to not only allergy, and your gloves less effective and prone to breakage! Not to sound gross, but it is the same reason why we tell people to use water based lubricants with condoms to protect themselves.