Eye protection during delivery?

[RNBelle]

Just curious if where people work, if the hospital requires nurses to wear eye protection during deliveries? And if they don't require it, does anyone wear their own?

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

Not required - but a LOT of people wear their own, or use the masks w/ eyeshields.

[Jolie, BSN]

I can't imagine attending a delivery without eye protection.

I know of nurses who have been splashed in the eye with amniotic fluid, and won't take that chance.

[jenny456]

The L&D I worked at previously tried to require nurses to wear eye protection and did provide eye shields, but almost no one liked them and so the hospital gave up on trying to enforce the issue. I believe that if nurses don't want to wear protection, they should be required to sign a waver form from the hospital and assume all potential risks. For me, I have never had any fluid go in my eyes. I have had fluid go down my leg, which no available protection would have prevented. The greater risk to us are needle sticks--which has happened to me when the inconsiderate doctors have left needles on the field after stitching a perineum. If you want protection, you should buy the "goggles" at the uniform store or nursing supply. You can at least see better through those.

[RNBelle]

One hospital where I was they required it, the last hospital I was at didnt provide any protective equipment and I am about to start L&D at a new hospital. Just curious what everyone else's experiences are. I am all about eye protection and have gotten sprayed with blood in the face when the cord was cut and I did have eye protection on thank goodness!