Gel then Gloves

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Critical Care.

I'm curious, how many of you out there use Gel immediately prior to putting on gloves? If so, do you allow it to dry completely before putting on the gloves?

This is a question that came up at my facility that has brought up a wide variety of answers and no clear recommendations to sort out the correct answer, maybe other places have already settled this?

Honestly, if you're using the nitrile gloves, and put them on immediately after using the gel, I found they just fall apart. (I don't know if it's the brand my hospital uses or what). I usually just let it dry before I use the gloves, it's time consuming, but it saves a lot of hassle when you're doing a messy procedure and your gloves just disintegrate.

Specializes in geriatrics, IV, Nurse management.

Using gel prior to gloves makes my glove stick to my fingers putting them on and then I end up tearing the gloves.:(

Specializes in Med/Surg.

I use the gel, let it dry completely, then put gloves on.

Specializes in LTC.

I always try to let the gel dry completely before putting on gloves. Moist/wet hands are a pain in the butt to get in gloves and increases the risk of tearing them.

Specializes in ER/ICU/STICU.

I have to let them dry first or it's the same result as trying to put gloves on a wet hand.

Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

15 secs is a long time but it is the time you need to be rubbing it into your hands and by the time you have completed it I am assured that your hands should be dry

Specializes in Critical Care.
15 secs is a long time but it is the time you need to be rubbing it into your hands and by the time you have completed it I am assured that your hands should be dry

The Gel at my facility isn't dry at 15 second and the manufacturer recommends at least 30 seconds between applying Gel and applying gloves. If most Nurses are already waiting that 30 seconds plus to put on the gloves then there shouldn't be much of a problem since that time is already accounted for, if not, the argument is that this could represent a significant addition of time to a shift (about 30 minutes per shift).

I'm curious, how many of you out there use Gel immediately prior to putting on gloves? If so, do you allow it to dry completely before putting on the gloves?

This is a question that came up at my facility that has brought up a wide variety of answers and no clear recommendations to sort out the correct answer, maybe other places have already settled this?

If you don't let it dry completely before donning gloves it is hard to put the gloves on in my experience.

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