Hole In My Glove!

[Joe V]

Nurses try very hard to practice safe and effective infection control measures. You've just finished with your patient, start to take off the disposable gloves, and there it is, a hole. It's as if you can hear it taunt you as it says, "sometimes meconium just happens". How many times has this happened to you?

Visit Nursing Toons for more cartoons!

[Davey Do]

My first job as a fresh LPN at an LTC facility in early 1984, when providing hygienic measures for the residents, we didn't wear gloves. Just used good ole handwashing techniques.

Later that same year while working at a hospital, I saw a couple of paramedics area passing through the ER waiting room area wearing gloves and asked them why.  

One of the paramedics informed me of a virus passed through the blood called AIDS. The disease was not listed in my 1982 edition of Taber's that I had purchased for the LPN program the year before.

[Davey Do]

2 hours ago, Joe V said:

"sometimes meconium just happens".

Or being stuck by dirty needles and lancets or getting blood in your mouth and eyes.

My Nurse Guardian Angel was quite busy during my career and did an excellent job.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

With the pandemic comes a loss of quality control in the manufacture of gloves.  It is rare these days not to get a hole in your glove multiple times a shift.  Often, a glove tears completely when I'm putting it on.  The thing it reminds me of is back in the mid 1980s -- probably 1985 -- when glove manufacturers were ramping up their production of gloves because heath care personnel were suddenly USING them for all patient contact, we would often open a  box of "gloves" and find condoms.  Once we had a whole case of gloves, and each box was full of condoms.

[Davey Do]

55 minutes ago, Ruby Vee said:

Once we had a whole case of gloves, and each box was full of condoms.

Excuse me, Ruby Vee, but that is a mistaken perception.

Obviously, those "condoms" were intended for Area 54's singled-fingered aliens.

[NurseScribe]

My first job as a fresh LPN at an LTC facility in early 1984, when providing hygienic measures for the residents, we didn't wear gloves. Just used good ole handwashing techniques.

  Like you, Davey Do, I worked in LTC in the early 80's. As a CNA. We changed patients and beds and cleaned up everything without gloves and then washed and dried our hands at the room door. Every room had a sink next to the door and the head nurse would check to see if the trashcan was full of used paper towels-that meant we were washing our hands. 

  We were probably exposed to all manner of bacteria and body fluids but back then it was part of the job. You learned to turn people and roll up soiled sheets without touching anything. The only time we were given a pair of gloves is if we had to check someone for an impaction. (CNAs were allowed to do that then). 

  I don't miss the good old days-but I'm not gonna die if there's a hole in my glove. As long as we have soap, water and sanitizer we'll be fine. 

[Wuzzie]

When I went to nursing school and for some years after the rule was “gloves are for the doctors”. Washcloth “mitts” were a thing. ?

[Davey Do]

On 11/8/2021 at 12:24 PM, Joe V said:

 You've just finished with your patient, start to take off the disposable gloves, and there it is, a hole.

How many times has this happened to you?

Whenever it did happen to me, I would burst into song:

[Davey Do]

Because of this thread, I recalled a great song I use to sing as a kid:

 

[spotangel, DNP, RN, NP]

Davey do?????

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

On 11/8/2021 at 5:09 PM, Davey Do said:

Excuse me, Ruby Vee, but that is a mistaken perception.

Obviously, those "condoms" were intended for Area 54's singled-fingered aliens.

Don't be silly, Davey.  Everyone knows aliens have three fingers.

[Zeek, LPN]

When I started in dialysis in 1985 we wore street clothes and did not use gloves.  We held bleeding needle sites with just gauze and frequently had blood on our hands.  Even when using a face shield, I have been splashed up under it by a wayward fistula needle - Hep C patient to boot.  Never thought a thing about it.  Now gloves rip many times putting them on and sometimes have obvious holes or even fingers missing.  We've had some fun with that!!