So I had my first clinical day for OB and my instructor told us not to wear gloves when doing vitals for the post-partum mom. I was totally in shock. I told her that I normally wear gloves every time I'm doing vitals or a Head to toe assessment just in case an unexpected situation came up. Or what if I had to help change a pad or something I wouldn't want to say " hold on for a minute or two let me grab some gloves" Anyway she said that they are not needed when doing VS. I find this very contradicting in that we as nurses and student must always use standard precaution, we must always treat everyone as if they are infected. Now, If I'm providing comforting measures or holding someones hand, I may not use gloves all the time, but they are still close by.
So my question is do you or do you not wear gloves when taking vitals. I'm just curious here...
Maybe I've been wrong for wearing gloves all this time ?
Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
Issue with gloved hands I see is that practitioner does not change gloves between each patient therefore carying germs on evertything they touch. They THINK they are protecting themselves but potentially transmitting much more by their actions. Taking off a pair of gloves, then handwashing is whats needed for each patient encouter is what is needed with this method: Talk about waste to facility. I've corrected aides for double gloving during vitals too.
When was the last time you cleaned or saw cleaned a BP cuff, dynamap machine or electonic thermometer box or cleaned your own stethescope?
Practicing 30+ years never used gloves for vitals unless Respiratory patient & active spitter, TB, severely immunocompromised ---then left equipment in room. Cleaned stethescope head with acohol wipe between patients and end of day entire scope wiped. Staff wiped fabric BP cuff with alcohol wipe too ---cover went to laundry if visably soiled. We had low infection rate on our unit.
this is a study of glove use during surgeries using sterile gloves. in my experience, those sterile gloves are far superior than the nitrile gloves we use. we are running a much higher hole rate in our gloves (and we are talking small holes)[color=white]s
man, i should get back to studying. i take little "allnurses vacations" when i get tired of my online studies. back to my regularly scheduled paper writing.
however, if i have another break i'll lok up the one study that shows how dirty goves really are. i mean, we all reach in there and grab them out of the box, i've seen people drop them on the floor and stuff them back in, and quite frankly, lots of hands have touched them already.
Specializes in Psych, ER, Resp/Med, LTC, Education.
THANK YOU cardiacRN2006........I couldn't have said it better myself. Glad to see I am in the majority here!! And I do agree it shows a lack of education. It's like the person who says oh god I have a patient with HIV, I am gonna gown, glove and mask up just to go in and say hi and hand him some pills!! LOL Lord that shows stupidity!!! LOLOL Thanks again.
I think that is really cold to wear gloves to do VS-- maybe if the patient has open wounds on the arm or something--or on precautions-- as a patient I would be offended. Sounds like a bit of a germ-a -phob. Lord maybe nursing is not for you! LOL lots of germs. and like the last poster said nothing wrong with stopping to grab gloves if something comes up that you would actually need them for. Do the VS and if you need to then--as you should--wash or use the waterless stuff after you leave the room. You don't want to make a patient feel like they are a leper! And in post partum?? These are the healthiest patients in the hospital pretty much! LOL
I feel as though your comment was offensive, I was only saying what I've been taught by a previous teacher. Ofcourse I would not go into nursing if I was a germ phobe. Wearing gloves not only protect healthcare workers but also patients. After reading the posts I realize that its a personal decision. As for me in the clinical setting I would do as my instructor directs, which means I will not wear gloves when doing vitals. Me, personally I'll feel more comfortable wearing gloves. Once again it doesn't mean I'm a germ phobe. I've held patients hands with my bare hands to provide comfort. I'll NEVER wear gloves when trying to comfort a patient using touch, they are humans and are real people and I want them to feel as so. I appreciate all the posts. I feel as though as long as gloves are close by for un expected circumstances the patient and I will be protected. Thanks everyone.
Like OP I'd be pretty shocked to be told not to wear gloves. That's not a make or break issue. Plenty of food prep workers also think gloves are optional - but that's not the way I see it.
As a patient I absolutely would not be offended if my nurse wore gloves as a matter of fact that would make me more comfortable. How do I know where the nurse's hands have been??
BTW - clean gloves are be the gold standard. If someone has been charting or servicing other patients or went to the rest room in them obviously that doesn't count.
As for the germaphobe issue - a l'il bit of germaphobia is a good thing in a hospital, not a bad thing.
Thank you ! Well said. One of my classmates said that she had a nurse as a patient once. And the nurse/patient told the student to wear gloves even for vitals.
THANK YOU cardiacRN2006........I couldn't have said it better myself. Glad to see I am in the majority here!! And I do agree it shows a lack of education. It's like the person who says oh god I have a patient with HIV, I am gonna gown, glove and mask up just to go in and say hi and hand him some pills!! LOL Lord that shows stupidity!!! LOLOL Thanks again.
I'm a student, how does it show stupidy on my part ? I was simply telling my instructor what I was taught by another nursing instructor, and as a student it made sense. Students are in school to learn, I was just sharing part of my learning experience. If you read my post correctly you would of noticed that I said "possibly I've had the wrong idea all these times"
You example was also a poor example, there is no comparison.:angryfire I would never act like that if I had an HIV patient. If I had a patient with HIV I would use standard precaution as I would with any other patient.
Washing your hands is also a standard precaution...before and after touching a patient.
Unless there is blood or body fluid, and the patient's skin is intact (as well as yours), you'll find yourself keeping 50 gloves in your pocket if you have to don gloves every time you touch a patient.
Gloves to change a pad has to be clean..not sterile. I always wear a freshly laundered scrub top to work and have one pocket that I only keep gloves in.
You can also check a pad without visibly soiling your hands on an OB patient. When you lift the gown, if you see no blood that has soaked through, you can pull it back to take a looks as the patient should have been thoroughly washed post-partum...blood shouldn't be 'everywhere'.
If it needs to be changed...then get your pad, extra towel, etc (most places keep them in the same room for post-partum), then put on your gloves, change them patient, dispose along with the gloves.
Trust me...I'm squeamish, and I have no issue with this whatsoever.
Getting sprayed in my face with cord blood kinda cured me of that.
Yeah...nobody told me that I needed to look away when it was getting cut. I just chalked it up to initiation :)
Specializes in Psych, ER, Resp/Med, LTC, Education.
Sorry don't mean to offend you....but don't be surprised if you do have a patient asking why you are wearing gloves to do the VS. .......I happen to be with CardiacRN2006 on this one........its a waste and takes away the human touch.
How sanitary can gloves be if they are carried around in your pockets?
I do not wear gloves when I do vitals. I guess I dont see the rationale you guys who do are using.
If I saw someone coming in to my room wearing gloves and then wanting to touch me, I would definitely ask them to change the gloves and wash their hands, just like I have told the guy at Taco Bell to change his gloves after he took my money then went to go help make food.
To the OP: the risk of contaminating yourself checking vitals on a healthy, stable patient with intact skin is about the same as contaminating yourself by shaking hands with your minister after church or conducting a transaction at the post office. If you wouldn't wear gloves for those encounters, you don't need to wear them to check vitals on PP.
Our instructors have told us on numerous occasions that we are a "glove happy" generation. I'm currently a nursing student but have been in the medical field for almost 10 years and only wear gloves when, like another poster stated
"Gloves should be worn:
for touching blood and body fluids requiring universal precautions, mucous membranes, or nonintact skin of all patients, and
for handling items or surfaces soiled with blood or body fluids to which universal precautions apply."
Obviously you do what the instructor you are with tells you to do. If I were a patient and not at risk of contaminating anyone and they came at me with gloves on for VS I would be extremely offended!
Another consideration, besides the wasteful cost of wearing gloves unnecessarily, is the damage to the caregiver's hands of wearing gloves excessively. There is some research that indicates an increased risk of latex allergy in health care workers who wear gloves, especially powdered ones.
Nothing we do is harmless, to ourselves or our patients.
NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN
10 Articles; 19,178 Posts
Issue with gloved hands I see is that practitioner does not change gloves between each patient therefore carying germs on evertything they touch. They THINK they are protecting themselves but potentially transmitting much more by their actions. Taking off a pair of gloves, then handwashing is whats needed for each patient encouter is what is needed with this method: Talk about waste to facility. I've corrected aides for double gloving during vitals too.
When was the last time you cleaned or saw cleaned a BP cuff, dynamap machine or electonic thermometer box or cleaned your own stethescope?
Practicing 30+ years never used gloves for vitals unless Respiratory patient & active spitter, TB, severely immunocompromised ---then left equipment in room. Cleaned stethescope head with acohol wipe between patients and end of day entire scope wiped. Staff wiped fabric BP cuff with alcohol wipe too ---cover went to laundry if visably soiled. We had low infection rate on our unit.