Can your hands handle to constant washing? What to do if they can't?

[LaMereMaverique]

I'm a student very excited to start my clinicals this January BUT I've found that washing my hands all the time (as a microbio student previously, then as a mother with a toddler and an infant, etc) causes serious skin irritations (i.e. fungus/rash) on my hands especially when I use antibacterial soap.

Do any of you have this problem? and how to you deal with it?

[Anisettes, BSN, RN]

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize - religiously. And don't use antibacterial soap if another type is available, it's the length of the handwash and the rubbing friction that cleans your hands more than any antibacterial properties of the soap itself (assuming you're only doing simple handwashing and not scrubbing for surgery). Also, try using lukewarm water rather than hot.

Also, if you happen to work at a facility (like I did during a travel nurse stint in CA) that doesn't allow you to use your own moisturizer (it was in their infection control SOP as being a source of contaminants), then they need to provide it for you in a wall dispenser thing with a foot pump (which they did).

[Lacie, BSN, RN]

I also use "Glove in a Bottle" which I purchased in the local uniform shop and I love it!! Apply it before shift and again about 3-4hours later. It helps protect hands from the constant washing. Working in dialysis hand washing is darn near every few minutes and then some lol. Also I utilize a natural hand soap with no antibacterial due to my cuticle literally will bleed. I bring my own in which is a foam in a pump dispensar. My hands get very painful with the additives in most commercial based hospital soaps. Also non-latex gloves seem to help a great deal.

[nursetasher]

yes! moisturize!

i like neutrogena's norwegian formula hand cream for while i'm at work-- does the job and doesn't make my hands too slippery. at night, i love philosophy's time on your hands (but it's a splurge). eucerin products are a fav, too.

[iwanna]

I cannot handle the hospital soap, either. I would bring my own hand soap in, and it really helped my hands. Also, I used Udder Cream when they became chapped.

Also, I found a certain brand of sanitizer from Walmart with moisturizer. It is germX. I notice that others just dry my skin really bad and they end up chapped. I prefer to wash my hands, but there are times that I could not wash my hands and absolutely had to use a sanitizer. The germx with moisturizer was pretty good.

[showbizrn]

wash your hands

because you have to.

moisturize your hands

because you need to.

i already have dry skin

so i'm always washing/moisturizing

just to keep my hands

both clean and soft.

i know what

you're going through.

it ain't easy

balancing infection-free

and

chapped-free.:loveya:

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

I would make a trip to the Dermatologist to see if there is something you are allergic to.

You cannot put patients at risk by skipping handwashing...you'll wash your hands 20x more as a nurse than as a student.

Our hospital has two kinds of soap...one had something in it that just didn't irritate my skin, it BLISTERED it.

The other, was irritating, but I bought mittens to wear at night and slather on hand cream (the best I can find...nothing cheap, I can assure you).

[babe48076]

I have the same problem. I use the hospital soap because it is stronger. I also bring my own soap and lotion that I use more because it is more sensitive to my skin. I keep them moist with my lotion and that helps a lot.

[SwedishOmorfia]

Why do you wash your hands all the time? Don't you have desinfectant solutions? We are strongly advised against washing our hands all the time as it damages the skin. Also, using antibacterial soap only makes the bacteria stronger, so don't.

[LaMereMaverique]

Thank-you VERY much to all of you for the very helpful responses!

[stellina615]

Swedish -

What type of disinfectant solutions are you referring to? Our hospital has alcohol-based waterless sanitizers that are even more drying and irritating to skin. I'd be interested in hearing what brand you use and maybe bringing it up to our products committee. To the original poster, try picking up a pair of cotton gloves from your pharmacy and wear them at night after liberally applying moisturizer to your hands (Eucerin hand cream works well for me). I also ended up making a trip to my dermatologist and wound up with a script for Lidex because my hands were splitting open. I apply the Lidex and moisturizer at night and then put the gloves on. So far so good. Best of luck as you continue your clinicals!

[CASTLEGATES]

I use the 3 second rule (if I touch something less than 3 seconds or drop something on the floor less than 3 seconds it's clean)! I just wipe my hands on my backside before going to my next patient. I'm sure they're clean and free from C-Diff and MRSA, MRSE after that!

Alcohol towelettes KILL my thumbs; my finger and thumb are a mess (I had a grand canyon in my thumb and it HURT) after a couple weeks of inline meds and draws over and over and over. I started using betadine wipes after reading studies that alcohol is more psychological and in Europe some places don't bother for injections.

The betadine switch helped a ton but it takes longer cause you have to wait on betadine (just make sure it's ok with your policy).

For long procedures (cleaning an exploded patient), I'd liberally use hand cream with lanolin and don gloves sealing it in there (feels slimy though) to let it soak in during the clean up and allow my hands some moisture time.

I think most hospitals have the 3 second rule...don't they??? LOL!