icky stuff I saw at clinical.

[kimmicoobug]

I just had to post what I encountered when I had my clinical rotation the other day. I was being precepted by a nurse in her mid to late 40's, maybe. Well, she totally disgusted me. She wore gloves, but not like she should have. This nurse was told to give a medication straight into the patient's vein. She dug and dug and finally got it in, then pulled the needle out and there was bleeding. She put a swab on it to contain the bleeding, but in the process, got blood on her fingers. She knew this guy personally, and said, "don't worry, I know you don't have anything." She washed her hands and went on her merry way. Later in the afternoon, another patient came in with difficulty voiding and had to be catheterized. His urine was red and he had blood clots. He c/o feeling like his cath was coming out so I asked the nurse to look at it after I did. She did not put gloves on and handled his member and got some more blood on her hands. It was at this time or another time that she said that older nurses didn't wear gloves like they should like us younger students and/or nurses.

OK, guys, what is your input on this situation. I mentioned this to another nurse but without as much detail and she said I should talk to the supervisor. Could this be seen as an ethical or a legal dillema? I ask this because in my paperwork due tomorrow, we have to discuss a legal or ethical dillemma that we encountered in clinical. :) . Perhaps, I am just too wrapped up in what we learned in school. But after witnessing what I did at this particular hospital, I don't want to take myself or my kids there to that particular unit. Yuck, yuck, YUCK.

[almostanurse]

icky, yuck, blah

[neneRN, BSN, RN]

At a recent team meeting, our staff was given a lecture on using gloves, as many are guilty of starting IVs,etc. without them. We were informed that OSHA can fine YOU PERSONALLY, not the hospital, $7000!!!! if caught not following precautions for glove use.

[live4today, RN]

I worked with nurses in the past who did not wear gloves during procedures such as you mentioned and then some. I think back in their days of nursing, gloves were not mandatory in the hospitals as they are today, except they did have to wear gloves for sterile procedures and wound changes.

I wear gloves for EVERYTHING I do for patients that would involve coming in contact with their body fluids...be it sputum, urine, stool, blood, or excessive perspiration from a patient. I wash my hands after removing every pair of gloves, and before I don the gloves. I always carry lotion in my nursing pocket to keep my hands soft and supple. Yes, it takes time, but it's worth it to my health and the patients health.

[sjoe]

neneRN--a good reason for the saying,"Don't believe everything you hear." JCAHO can do NOTHING to you personally.

[psychonurse]

I started in nursing when wearing gloves were not a big thing but more and more I saw things and when HIV and HepC started their way through the world I knew that I would be one person that would wear gloves all the time with procedures that require them. I have seen lab techs and nurses start IV's on me without gloves and say to them,"Why aren't you wearing gloves, you don't know what I have?????":eek:

Something that got me thinking about all that was when I was working still in the hospital in ICU. Had a patient come in with septic shock and a very bad infection that ended up dying. A week later the mortician that worked at the funeral home that picked up that other guy that died came in with the same infection.....That got me to realizing that gloves are very important and will keep you alive.....Patients can keep on bleeding until I get my gloves on Thank you very much......:kiss

[mario_ragucci]

All the hysteria over bacteria, lol. Think of all the stuff that gets into you via your adenoids. And what a great portal for airborne contaminants to become a part of you and your family: soft, warm and moist are adenoids!

There are no barriers for your alveoli or adenoids either :-( If you grimace at something the cat brought in, you awda take a look at some dust that circulates freely under a microscope. Gloves are excellent barriers for stuff you might sample by physical contact. But what you take in via gasous contact, heh, i don't know. Come gloves or high water, it's your immune.sys that protects you, and to another extent, those you love and share space with.

[renerian, BSN, RN]

I would have worn gloves like you would. I don't think it is ethical it is procedure problem. Learn from what you saw and make the floor you are working on a better place by setting a good example.

renerian

[Qwiigley, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, CRNA]

The legal implications to her have to do if she gets Hep C or HIV, she would sue the hospital and the hospital would have to pay. How fair is that? I was a PICU nurse and wore gloves during all necessary times per standard. I did not always wwear gloves to touch a pt. Human contact is very important, not only to children, but every human. Use common sense.

[nell]

Well, I'm one of those old goats from the pre-gloves days (worked on the AIDS floor of San Francisco General at the beginning of the AIDS crisis: we weren't allowed to wear gloves at one point ) and I have to make a concerted effort to remember to wear gloves for things like diaper changes. Also, starting IVs on babies is more difficult with gloves, but doable. The taping however is impossible! I get more tape stuck to me and my gloves than to the IV!

But an IV stick on an adult (they hold still for taping, or at least there's more space to tape in) or touching ... eewww... I can't even say it... I'd have my gloves on to even look at one of those things!----Nell the Nun

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

She washed her hands after patient contact so she was not a threat to the pt, nurses or other pts. I think that what she did was yucky and risky to her. If she contracted something the hospital would have good reason not to honor her claim if they could document that she routinely doesn't use PPE.

However I think that touching a patient's genitalia requires gloves if only to establish some professional distance. I would not be OK with a professional touching me without gloves, even just for a minute. Plus there are more cooties in the nooks and crannies, I don't think reporting her will change her practice but make a mental note not to do that yourself or risk grossing out all your coworkers.

[whipping girl in 07, RN]

All I can say is (and I said it last night at work, as a matter of fact)...the only member I'm touching without gloves on is my husbands!

[renerian, BSN, RN]

Konni too funny!

renerian