Gloves and injections

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Specializes in student; help!.

The nurse at a local Walgreens is giving flu shots with naked hands. Some of my friends are FREAKED OUT, some don't figure it's a big deal. What IS the deal? Bad medicine or no biggie?

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Their pharmacists were trained to wear gloves, and should be wearing them. RN's shouldn't assume a different standard.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I have been giving injections since 2001 and I have ALWAYS wore gloves. The idea behind wearing gloves protects the injector not the injectee...so it is the person no wearing the gloves that is at risk.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I remember reading the packet from Mollen (which shocked me, actually) that stated it was not required to wear gloves, but they decided to make it part of their policy for their nurses to don them because it would make the patients and observers feel uncomfortable. Personally, I would ALWAYS wear gloves because you never know.

I knew a phlebotomist at my facility that hated wearing gloves; we looked at her like she was insane, also.

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Specializes in ER.

HANDWASHING- it's a wonderful thing. Gets rid of all the nasty germs even better than gloves.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

is it a nurse at Walgreens or just a pharm tech? Gloves will not protect against puncture wounds, only diminishes risks from possible bleeding or other exposure. I would be more concerned that she wash BEFORE she injected me. I don't care how much she exposes herself.

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Well I'm a student and I got to leave the unit and shadow on another last Friday. It was oncology, so EVERYONE got blood draws. NO nurse used gloves. One even had a mess all over her legs and floor, but still, she refused gloves. Isn't that a violation of JCHAO or something? Standard precautions? I found it disgusting and I wonder what the patient thought!

Amanda

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Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.
Well I'm a student and I got to leave the unit and shadow on another last Friday. It was oncology, so EVERYONE got blood draws. NO nurse used gloves. One even had a mess all over her legs and floor, but still, she refused gloves. Isn't that a violation of JCHAO or something? Standard precautions? I found it disgusting and I wonder what the patient thought!

Amanda

Thirty years ago, no one wore gloves to give injections or do blood draws. The idea was that gloves were impersonal and awkward and that the patient would be adequately protected by proper injection technique, including the nurse washing his/her hands before giving the injection.

After some health care workers died from exposure to HIV from coming in contact with blood, things changed. And after patients started dying from exposure to re-usable metal instruments that had not been properly sterilized (particularly proctoscopes), things changed again.

It is true that gloves will not protect a nurse from needlestick injuries. Back in the day, nurses recapped needles and sometimes put them in their pockets until they could throw them away in the sharps container in the med room. When I was a new nurse, it was almost considered a right of passage to get one's first needlestick injury. Once HIV became an issue, we all woke up to the reality that needlesticks are dangerous, not benign.

Amanda, did you bring it up with your instructor during post-conference? That would be an excellent issue for the students in your clinical group to discuss. I also have a feeling that in your continued experiences as a student and a nurse, you will remember this and you will ALWAYS remember your gloves. (Hey, good luck with the rest of your schooling!) :up:

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Specializes in student; help!.

Apparently there was a jug of alcohol rub, but she didn't use that, either. I don't know. I'm of the opinion that she's more at risk for injury/contamination than I am, but I got my shot from someone with gloves so maybe I'm being cocky.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Well, I see the gloves as an additional barrier because you never know what a person giving the injection is exposed to, either. And, the way I see it is because the person administering the needle is producing the insult, there is a chance that more germs have suddenly found a portal of entry.

I do sort of remember the days when gloves were not emphasized upon, but never really worked in such a situation. When I was in nursing school, we were told to not wear gloves until we reach an area where bodily fluids would be. That was a shock to me, also, because when I took the CNA class, we were told to wear gloves the entire time.

Not sure what this nurse the OP is talking about is doing, but I would not wish to take a chance.

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Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.
Apparently there was a jug of alcohol rub, but she didn't use that, either. I don't know. I'm of the opinion that she's more at risk for injury/contamination than I am, but I got my shot from someone with gloves so maybe I'm being cocky.

You're not being cocky. You are being smart---and safe. :up:

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

I always wear gloves, I never use sanitizers, I wash my hands after all patient contact with soap.

Tait

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