Published
The name of the game is Body Substance Isolation, aka Universal Precautions. This boils down to one thing: if it's wet and it's not yours, you need gloves. If it's wet, and the pt. is projecting it (use your imagination), everything that might come in contact w/it should be covered w/an impervious surface.
See if you can have a Nurse Epidemiologist come and guest lecture your class. Than you can ask all the "but what if?" questions you need to and get answers that are evidence based, not "tradition", or "just in case". It's always better to know EXACTLY why you're doing what you're doing in practice.
---former Infection Control Nurse
I don't understand why you were outraged, when an order is made to obtain a specimen for C&S it is understood the patient potentially has an infection of some sort. The only way to know what the infection is, is to wait for the results.
By the way, some patients with bowel disorders such as Crohns or colitis are more prone then the general population to c.diff. and this does not pose any greater threat to their children contracting c.diff. as long as proper hygeine is maintained.
adrienurse, LPN
1,275 Posts
Practice basic universal precautions all the time, and you should be okay. Next time you are asked to collect a sample, find out why first, then there will be no surpizes. Always ask why you are doing something before you do it -- this is a good policy to have.
P.S. I like to sing the oscar meyer weiner song when I wash my hands.