Gloves? Is this acceptable?

[medsurgRNCali]

I know we are suppose to use gloves for everything. And I always put gloves on as soon as i go into the room , but I have seen many nurses not use gloves if they are just passing a oral med. Is this acceptable? In reality you are not touching the patient, you scan his band, scan the med and put it in the med cup. I can see why they wouldn't use gloves, it seems it would be easier to open those dang pills without them! But isnt this frowned upon?

[Agatha12]

I'm guessing many of you that don't glove up work on a med surg floor or outpatient. When you work in the icu, literally every encounter you can come into contact with bodily fluids. It's a different world. I have to do oral care and suctioning. I have to pass meds down feeding tubes. Many patients have chest tubes and drains. I'm always in contact with fluids.

I suppose if I had alert and oriented patients that could toilet themselves it might be a different story. Very few of my patients can even swallow. I have to push IV meds constantly and have drips to hang. I'm gloving up for all of that.

When I do oral care, I turn. Therefore, gloves are worn. Most of my patients are incontinent. I clean them up when I turn. Turns and oral care are every two hours.

The nature of the ICU requires gloves.

I'm not sure why that's a hard concept to understand.

This is first time you gave rationale, we understand that ICU is a different world. in your previous messages you kept saying that I glove up because I want and I wont defend myself

[mtmkjr, BSN]

I'm guessing many of you that don't glove up work on a med surg floor or outpatient. When you work in the icu, literally every encounter you can come into contact with bodily fluids. It's a different world. I have to do oral care and suctioning. I have to pass meds down feeding tubes. Many patients have chest tubes and drains. I'm always in contact with fluids.

I suppose if I had alert and oriented patients that could toilet themselves it might be a different story. Very few of my patients can even swallow. I have to push IV meds constantly and have drips to hang. I'm gloving up for all of that.

When I do oral care, I turn. Therefore, gloves are worn. Most of my patients are incontinent. I clean them up when I turn. Turns and oral care are every two hours.

The nature of the ICU requires gloves.

I'm not sure why that's a hard concept to understand.

In order to follow Universal Precautions, there would naturally be a greater usage of gloves in ICU, ER etc. I don't think people would generally disagree with the need in those clinical areas.

I understood this thread to be more about the use of gloves for patient care when NOT in contact with tubes, drains and wounds, but rather, in routine care, passing meds, repositioning, checking vital signs etc...

I find the human touch to be an important part of healing. The care in ICU is more clinical, but there should still be attempts made to give care in that way when there is opportunity to do so.

[Wuzzie]

I'm guessing many of you that don't glove up work on a med surg floor or outpatient. When you work in the icu, literally every encounter you can come into contact with bodily fluids. It's a different world. I have to do oral care and suctioning. I have to pass meds down feeding tubes. Many patients have chest tubes and drains. I'm always in contact with fluids.

I suppose if I had alert and oriented patients that could toilet themselves it might be a different story. Very few of my patients can even swallow. I have to push IV meds constantly and have drips to hang. I'm gloving up for all of that.

When I do oral care, I turn. Therefore, gloves are worn. Most of my patients are incontinent. I clean them up when I turn. Turns and oral care are every two hours.

The nature of the ICU requires gloves.

I'm not sure why that's a hard concept to understand.

It isn't a hard concept to understand. But this is information that you did not share in your previous posts. We aren't psychic. If you want us to understand you have to give us the particulars right out of the gate. It isn't really fair to leave out pertinent details and then get cheesed off and defensive because we questioned your rationale. You made it sound like you glove up for just sticking your head in the door. And FTR, I have worked in both critical care and the ED so I get where you're coming from....now.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I'm guessing many of you that don't glove up work on a med surg floor or outpatient. When you work in the icu, literally every encounter you can come into contact with bodily fluids. It's a different world. I have to do oral care and suctioning. I have to pass meds down feeding tubes. Many patients have chest tubes and drains. I'm always in contact with fluids.

I suppose if I had alert and oriented patients that could toilet themselves it might be a different story. Very few of my patients can even swallow. I have to push IV meds constantly and have drips to hang. I'm gloving up for all of that.

When I do oral care, I turn. Therefore, gloves are worn. Most of my patients are incontinent. I clean them up when I turn. Turns and oral care are every two hours.

The nature of the ICU requires gloves.

I'm not sure why that's a hard concept to understand.

Had you explained this from the get go, the response would have been much different. Don't blame us because you left out highly pertinent details.

[Nunya, BSN]

Respectfully, I'm confused. You have ADN, RN next to your user name. This is nursing 101 - surely you've had countless infection control inservices/clinical encounters that would have addressed this?

Different hospitals/units may have different protocols. I worked in a NICU where we donned gloves with ALL patient care.

[Nunya, BSN]

Never be sorry you ask the question, now you know you have different answers. I have put gloves on a few times with passing medication to a resident, one who was incarcerated and he would set you up...universal precautions.

The only dumb question was really a statement I had and can laugh at it now because I truly did not know. I had to order a penile pump for a patient. I was trying to save my budget monies and found they are costly upwards of $5000.00. They look like a breast pump to me and I was complaining to my boss about the budget for this thing I had to order (the patient was in prison) I was coming up with all sorts of reason not to order and called the surgeon. While having a conversation with the ordering physician there were several staff members standing behind me laughing. When I got off the phone someone said why not try Adam and Eve store, without hesitation I replied why would I go to a Christian book store. There are something's you can never take back. And now I know what store this is, and no you cannot order from this place as they are not FDA approved.

Why exactly would a man in prison need a penile pump?

[Crystal-Wings, LVN]

The PM shift nurse on my private duty case always puts on gloves when he takes my patient's vitals at the start of his shift. I really don't understand that, but I never say anything. He must use them for practically everything because we go through a box of gloves quickly which gets irritating especially since our case manager only comes once a month to bring us supplies. One month we ran out a month before she was due to come in, so I had to go out and buy a box with my own money. My company reimbursed me though.

[Kallie3006, ADN]

Revisited this thread to see if the rational for gloving up and not having to defend oneself. Thought I would learn something new....... a little disappointed

[osceteacher]

You never know when you will come into contact with bodily fluids. I've had vomit come across the room to my eyes and hair before. I've had people spit on me. I can do a skin inspection and find a whole bed of liquid stool. I can look at a catheter during my head to toe and find the patient has pulled it out. I've had patients pull out their catheter and hand it to me when I come in the room.

You admitted to not wearing an apron every time, I'd be inclined to say there's a discrepancy in your rationale if you're only taking 50% of the precautions. Why not go the full hog and wear a face mask too? I can count on one hand the number of times I wish I'd had gloves on when I didn't.

I'm guessing many of you that don't glove up work on a med surg floor or outpatient. When you work in the icu, literally every encounter you can come into contact with bodily fluids. It's a different world. I have to do oral care and suctioning. I have to pass meds down feeding tubes. Many patients have chest tubes and drains. I'm always in contact with fluids.

I suppose if I had alert and oriented patients that could toilet themselves it might be a different story. Very few of my patients can even swallow. I have to push IV meds constantly and have drips to hang. I'm gloving up for all of that.

When I do oral care, I turn. Therefore, gloves are worn. Most of my patients are incontinent. I clean them up when I turn. Turns and oral care are every two hours.

The nature of the ICU requires gloves.

I'm not sure why that's a hard concept to understand.

No, I work in an ICU (When I do get back on the wards) and my glove use absolutely increases from ward based, I pretty much apron up each time too. You didn't say any of that so that's why the 'concept is hard to understand'. See what happens when you actually defend yourself, people can understand where you're coming from.

Do I wear gloves all the time in ICU? No, because 99% of the time I'm actually sat in the room with my patient, so I'm hardly going to sit in sweaty gloves, I'll still don gloves when appropriate and do not work by a I always wear gloves for everything rule even in ICU because not all of my patients are going to be a level 3 or all instances potentially needing them.

Different hospitals/units may have different protocols. I worked in a NICU where we donned gloves with ALL patient care.

I'm pretty sure most people aren't discussing about vulnerable babies here. There will always be examples where glove use is near mandatory each time.

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

Serious question. The requirements for food workers is to wear gloves when they touch food, so why wouldn't we require gloves before touching medications?

[cleback]

Serious question. The requirements for food workers is to wear gloves when they touch food, so why wouldn't we require gloves before touching medications?

It's entirely possible to pop pills from blister packs without touching the pills. If I do have to handle the pills, yes, I would wear gloves.

[mtmkjr, BSN]

Serious question. The requirements for food workers is to wear gloves when they touch food, so why wouldn't we require gloves before touching medications?

I don't touch the medications...