Yesterday during my clinical, I was interviewing a HIV positive patient. Half way through, the primary nurse asked me to talk with her in the hall, and when we spoke she told me to wear gloves whenever I was with the patient or touching things in his environment.
The patient didnt have any open open cuts or bodily fluids out, and I didn't have any cuts and was just talking with the patient. There weren't any signs saying to use any special precautions either...
I personally don't think that situation neccesitated the need for gloves, but I was hoping to get someone else's opinion on this. :)
Also I'm a student, and the nurse was really adamant on the gloves so I didn't really ask questions.
I had an STNA angry because no one told her a resident was HIV+. My question is: what would she do differently if she knew? She said "Well he has a rash on his balls." I'm glad she is not working in our facility anymore because apparently she doesn't routinely wear gloves when touching scrotums and who knows what else.
State tested nursing assistant, I believe. CNA with a different term. Kinda like LVN vs LPN. I believe there's also LNAs in some states.
Apparently they need to add a True/False item to the exams: "when touching a pt's genitals you don't have to wear gloves." (Always have more falses than trues.)
I worked on an AIDS unit in the late 1980's. Even then, we didn't wear gloves for random patient chats or even things like chair transfers, etc. We did wear them for injections, IV's, etc. Still here!
I don't wear gloves for injections, either. Applying counter-pressure to the injection site with the alcohol swab before removing the needle seals it up fairly well. I think gloves are over-used and often used as substitutes for handwashing, which they shouldn't be.
Tricia,
One IS USUALLY exposed to bodily secretions when performing a SQ or IM injections, and gloves should be worn. In addition, alcohol promotes bleeding and it burns, so I wouldn't use it to "seal" the site s/p injection.
"Do you wear gloves when simply walking in a room and touching objects, or even shaking hands, with EVERY patient"
One does have to be prepared for the unexpected, as in a blood draw gone wrong, way wrong with exploding vial of HIV+ blood splattered all over,...hmmm just saying ,best be prepared.
You really think I posted that to be dramatic? What a remark. For those actually reading my post let me inform you that the situation described actually happened.True nursing has never been just "dramatic".
juliezehrn
11 Posts
Yay for the Hep C cure! Happy to hear you are well.