Hi, I guess im after opinions and experience here, anything to help guide my decision making.
Im still at uni studying to become a RN (in Australia), but I'm working with a home care organisation while I study. The home care organisation is wanting us to double glove when dealing with bodily fluids, but then they simply remove the top glove and leave the bottom one there. When I worked in aged care facilities we sometimes double gloved when dealing with extreem amounts of extretions, but then we always threw out both gloves at the same time. From uni, I've got the impression that if you want to double up then you can, but they need to come off at the same time and you need to wash your hands before putting new ones on.
Which ever way you do it, getting blood on your hands really does complicate the process of showering/dressing someone who say, has their period. In one instance, its a two person job and so we deligate to have 2 clean hands and 2 dirty hands.. but we only really do that because im hesitant to do the double gloving thing.
I just dont want to develop bad habits now that I'll have to change when I get into more advanced nursing.
So, what do you do? what are your hospital policies?
i frequently double glove, especially like the PP's said with sterile procedures.
and definately it makes life easier when cleaning poo or dealing with alot of drainage, etc, to double glove and not worry too much about having a glove rip or trying to put a new pair on when your hands are sweaty.
[How often would you say this happens out of curiosity?]
It happens every now and then. It's very easy to get your gloves caught when your putting instruments together, when you lock the ratchett on an instrument it can catch your glove, if theres a lot of bone shards around they can tear as your gloves as well.
Specializes in Wound & Ostomy care, Hyperbarics, Neuro.
No, No.. i agree. good to be clean. those gloves break.. and no one wants poo on their hands. i think i certain degree of ocd is necessary for nursing.. maybe its more like occupational compulsive disorder for us though. :)
ill have to remember that.... "occupational" compulsive disorder, lol.
it is more pronounced after being in nursing for so long.:chuckle i say they should make our gloves just a little bit longer too...like 2 inches up the wrist:up:
aboood25
9 Posts
thank you for this interesting topic