Hand lotion

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Our infection control nurse has told us that we are not allowed to bring in our own hand lotion for our PERSONAL use at work. We are suppose to use the stuff supplied by the facility. She says it is because of infection control issues. The facility supplied stuff tears up my hands. It is anti-bacterial and eats my hands. I had to see a dermatologist a couple of years ago and he said all this anti-bacterial stuff is not good for my eczema. He says he knows I can't avoid the anti-bacterial soap at work but to try and stay away from it at home as much as possible. Our infection control nurse said she will actually confiscate any lotion brought from the outside. Does anyone else have a policy such as this? If so do employees abide by it? I would think it would be very hard to enforce and especially if the lotion is in your purse. I would like to see our IC nurse go through my purse. :( Heads would roll and it would not be mine. :devil: Any suggestions?

I meant as long as the bottles do not sit on the counters for others to use. The use of alcohol gel is more recommended than the use of soap. The gel apparently does not dry the hands as much as soap.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I need to see the literature on this one. At work, I, for one, do NOT slather my GLOVED hands with petroleum-based lotion and shove them in and out of a tight body orifice for 30 sec to 10 min!

Love to see the unit where that does occur! On second thought, maybe not.......

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Have you also questioned the choice of handwash? The choice of active antibacterial agent can affect how horifice it is on your hands - if a milder antimicrobial is used in the handwash your hands would not be as dry or likley to bleed.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Have you also questioned the choice of handwash? The choice of active antibacterial agent can affect how horifice it is on your hands - if a milder antimicrobial is used in the handwash your hands would not be as dry or likley to bleed.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Originally posted by NurseShell

I wonder if our cracked, bleeding hands would be considered an IC issue?? :D

Exactly the reason why I bring my own SOAP!

I have sensitive skin and in hemodialysis (outpatient clinic) we're being required to put on a pair of gloves just to silence an alarm or any other time we touch the machine. Passing out the IV meds q tx also requires handwashing in between so often in a given 30-minute period of time I'm washing my hands 20 times!! If I want any skin LEFT on my hands I bring in my own hand cleanser (which contains olive oil and shea butter) and a hand cream to go along with it. Antibacterial stuff eats my hands up too...and they do and will crack and bleed.

At some point all these folks making policies based entirely on theory are going to have to concede to reality. Just because something looks good on paper doesn't mean it works.

Barb

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Originally posted by NurseShell

I wonder if our cracked, bleeding hands would be considered an IC issue?? :D

Exactly the reason why I bring my own SOAP!

I have sensitive skin and in hemodialysis (outpatient clinic) we're being required to put on a pair of gloves just to silence an alarm or any other time we touch the machine. Passing out the IV meds q tx also requires handwashing in between so often in a given 30-minute period of time I'm washing my hands 20 times!! If I want any skin LEFT on my hands I bring in my own hand cleanser (which contains olive oil and shea butter) and a hand cream to go along with it. Antibacterial stuff eats my hands up too...and they do and will crack and bleed.

At some point all these folks making policies based entirely on theory are going to have to concede to reality. Just because something looks good on paper doesn't mean it works.

Barb

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Where I work, there are lotion dispensers put on the walls all over the units alongside the alcohol wash dispensers. The IC nurse here thinks an intact epidermis is alot more beneficial in promoting nosocomial infections rather than dry cracking skin:) Makes sense doesn't it?

I wonder where your IC nurse learned her infection control practices?? lol

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Where I work, there are lotion dispensers put on the walls all over the units alongside the alcohol wash dispensers. The IC nurse here thinks an intact epidermis is alot more beneficial in promoting nosocomial infections rather than dry cracking skin:) Makes sense doesn't it?

I wonder where your IC nurse learned her infection control practices?? lol

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

One point about petroleum based lotions and latex gloves:

What is very important is this type lotion does break down latex PLUS it quickly LEACHES latex out of the glove and onto YOU.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Step down, ICU, ER, PACU, Amb. Surg.

I have heard of this problem, experienced this problem and still have a problem with hospital soap and lotions.

When I worked in a civilian facility, they switched the soap that they used because of all the MRSA and VRE and psuedomonas running around the facility. The soap was heck on everyone's hands (they were still using all latex gloves at the time) 2 people ended up at the dematologist's office and hand to be prescribed special lotions and soaps (1 developed a nail fungus from the soap residue mixed with the power in the gloves the other ended up with a serious latex allergy from the mess) IC said that is we could prove that the soap was at the bottom of it all, we could bring our own in....we said does a ward full of nurses with hand problems qualify?? and she never said another thing....plus we all had our own lotion that we kept tucked away in our bags and used when we were all done with rounds or when ever we had washed our hands (you get the idea) so it was "soap on a roap and personal lotion" all around. Now that I work in a MTF, I ran into the same problem with the soap tearing the beegeebus out of my hands. Lotion of choice is Palmers cocoa butter when they are really bad. Cetaphil hand cream worked really well too. However as has been stated, lotions that contain petroleum can cause breakdown to the latex gloves....not a problem where I work as they have switched over to non-latex gloves...great for everyone else, bad for me...I'm allergic to them! So I have to A) be careful of the lotion I use or B) suffer with a lotion that is high in fragrance and kind to the latex.....The only thing that we have been told by IC where I am now is that the lotion can not be left out on the desk or counter top because sharing of any kind is an IC issue and a JAHCO violation. To help with soap troubles, we use a product supplied by the hospital called CalStat, which is an alcohol based, waterless hand sanitizer for inbetween uses, like before and after eating or when you can not get to a sink immediately..... we do not have a specific policy that I am aware of on this issue....and we changed soaps again.....an antibacterial gel that is both a hand/body soap as well as a shampoo for the patients....smells nice but I dunno if I would want to do a head to toe in it.....lol Oh the joys of handwashing, nurses and IC! I say check your infection control manual and the JAHCO regs on the lotion.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment