Hand lotion

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Our infection control nurse has told us that we are not allowed to bring in our own hand lotion for our PERSONAL use at work. We are suppose to use the stuff supplied by the facility. She says it is because of infection control issues. The facility supplied stuff tears up my hands. It is anti-bacterial and eats my hands. I had to see a dermatologist a couple of years ago and he said all this anti-bacterial stuff is not good for my eczema. He says he knows I can't avoid the anti-bacterial soap at work but to try and stay away from it at home as much as possible. Our infection control nurse said she will actually confiscate any lotion brought from the outside. Does anyone else have a policy such as this? If so do employees abide by it? I would think it would be very hard to enforce and especially if the lotion is in your purse. I would like to see our IC nurse go through my purse. :( Heads would roll and it would not be mine. :devil: Any suggestions?

At our hospital, they tell us not to wear heavy perfumes, but the lotion they provide us not only doesn't work, but smells like a bunch of flowers...much more heavy than any perfume I've smelled on anyone! Sounds like the IC nurse hasn't worked too much in the clinical setting.

Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

frannie writes: "My new fave is Neutrogena Norwegian Formula, goes a long way to repairing the damage 100 handwashes a day can do."

It's the best. I learned about it when I was a seaman.

I say hide the stuff in your socks orrrrrrrrrrr paint it pink, add some ribbons, shove it up in our adorable nurse-do's! Heck, she'll be complimenting, right before you're lubricating!

Heather

During our hospital orientation last summer, Infection Control said the same thing to us. I raised the question because I, too, have eczema and use what my dermatologist suggests I use. Her answer was that most other lotions have a compound in them that detriorates the integrity of the gloves. She said that if I got a not from my dr. and the name of the product he recommends, they would "look into it" for me. In the meantime, I've noticed a lot of RN's carry pocket size lotions in their pocket. One nurse even brought in a pump bottle and hid it in the med room. I never did follow-up on it with IC because I didn't want to draw attention to myself and have the "lotion police" spy on me.

I don't understand. The lotion is supposed to decrease the integrity of the gloves. How long do you wear gloves when you put them on? Usually no longer than 5 to 10 minutes. Your gloves will not hold up any longer than that. What about those staff members that cannot wear gloves with powder in them? Do they supply gloves that they can wear. Bring in a doctors prescription that you cannot use that lotion, but only one that he prescribes. What could they do then?

Well, not that I totally believe the answer we were given but IC said that the integrity starts to break down in the glove immediately. I don't wear gloves for 10-25 minutes but they claim the damage is microscopic and can occur with one minute of having the glove in contact with the lotion. If that IS true, I could see it being a problem if you are working to clean up an incontinent patient or if there is some situation where there are body fluids on your gloves for a minute or a few minutes, even though that may not occur very often at all for most of us.

It amazes me though how they worry so much about that but can't come up with alternatives for those of us that do have sensitivities and/or ezcema. Guess they would rather have us walk around with the cracks and open areas on our hands.

Boy. This is a hot potato, huh? The hospital I worked at in Alaska(cold, dry,cracking, chapped skin) developed this policy and everyone said "okay" and they had numerous trials of wall pumped funky lotions and foams and everyone tried em then did what they wanted anyway. No deaths have been reported yet and the integrity of the caregivers hands are still in tact. I would have to pimp slap some IC nurse who thought to "TAKE" my lotion from me. Can I see a show of hands?

Originally posted by liberalrn

LOL re: the lip gloss! Frankly, you try to come between me and my vaseline or lipstick and someone will get hurt!

I think this glove degradation is an urban myth--you wear the gloves for like 10 minutes, tops. I re and reglove due to soiling or sweating in the latex (hate that feeling). Maybe in OR--but don't they also reglove? And besides, it's well nigh impossible to put gloves on with hands moist from fresh lotion....you wait for it to dry! I will need more substantial evidence before I change my practice.:p

Actually, most that I've seen at the OR table DOUBLE glove.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the possibility of using LATEX-FREE GLOVES.:rolleyes: ....OMG, they do exist!

Wouldn't that eliminate the 'degredation' debate with your IC?

Anne:D

We are actually provided with neutrogena or the sorbelene pain stuff in a pump pack at all the sinks in the facility.

Our Policy is wash with the anti bac soap have your patient interaction then wash again and put on the lotion, untill your next wash.

My hands have improved no end since we started this. It is and IC issue if you have cracked hands and a W/C issue as well !

New question - what about the effect of the unguents and ointments and lotions we have to put on our patients? IC never seem to mention those topicals degrading gloves, and they're packed with more potent active ingredients than a nurse's hand cream would ever be.

Sjoe, my boyfriend bought the Neutrogena stuff for me the first time, called it 'Fisherman's Formula'. :chuckle

My hospital does not provide any lotion, so we don't have that issue here. I carry my own, either Ludriderm or Neutrogena. I can't understand an infection control nurse thinking dry, cracked hands were some kind of improvment.

OK, so we have some people double gloving. I still stand by may original question: you don't glove up with hands wet from lotion--how does a product that is already absorbed (essentially) degrade gloves? OR is a different world...but for basic on the floor pt care? The non-latex gloves are a good answer, but hosp. where I work is tres cheap and only supplies that for latex allergy--I'm not kidding, the RN's who suffer from this malady walk around with boxes of nonlatex gloves with their names on them........

Also, great point re: lotions, ugents, oitments, etc. put on pt's skin....no-one's got their knickers ina twist about that and frankly, I'm much more concerned about MY gloves degrading whilst applying X creme to some unknown YZ skin disease than "cross contamination" from my travel size Eucerin creme!

:eek:

Neutragena Norwegian stuff is great--very expensive.....

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