Infection control + gloves

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Nursing student here - I wanted to become more familiar with gloves in general eg choosing the right type for the right job so I feel more comfortable at my placements around that. But I am having a hard time finding information. Wondering if anyone can help me out? Also, what's your practice around gloves? I have spoken to a couple people about it and it seems some people choose to wear them for just about any patient encounter and others are on the opposite end of the spectrum, even giving bed baths without them! I'm just looking for any thoughts/resources I could look at so I can feel more confident choosing when to don gloves and which type. Thanks:)

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Specializes in ICU.

I put gloves on for all patient contact. I prefer the nitrile ones. It's not just for my protection, but theirs. Hospitals are dirty. There are so many people in and out if each room all day long. And even though I wash before going in a room and after, it's still possible to have another person's germs on my hands. I do everything with gloves.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

As a student, it's really not up to you or your comfort level. You will wear gloves during patient care when your school or facility policy mandates. You don't get to choose.

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Why would you not want to wear gloves?

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Specializes in LTC and Pediatrics.

Now if you are wondering about what the gloves are made out of, then that will be up to the individual. I find that for my hands, the vinyl non-powdered ones are best. Now at your clinical sites, you may not have many, if any, choices.

As has been said, you will wear gloves as you are suppose to wear them. As a student, you go with what you are suppose to do, not what you see others do.

Since I work in LTC, I wear for administration of eye drops, anything with a needle stick, any time I may be in contact with body fluids such as assisting in the restroom or changing incontinent pads and for dressing changes. I am sure there are more times, but those are the main ones for my job.

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Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.

Since I work in LTC, I wear for administration of eye drops, anything with a needle stick, any time I may be in contact with body fluids such as assisting in the restroom or changing incontinent pads and for dressing changes. I am sure there are more times, but those are the main ones for my job.

I do private duty home care pediatrics. I wear gloves for contact with body fluids like mucus, pee, or poop. I don't care if she drools on me: I am not going to wear gloves the entire time I'm in the home. That isn't necessary. However, if I have a cut or rash on my hand, I will keep that covered.

I wear gloves for eye drops, mouth care, trach suction, trach care, wound care, that sort of thing. I don't care what they're made of, but I don't want powdered gloves!.

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Specializes in Short Term/Skilled.

I only wear gloves as part of standard precautions. I don't wear them for anything else, I just wash my hands a lot.

A lot of nurses wear them from the moment they enter the room until the moment they leave, I find that human touch can be quite therapeutic and I don't see the need in wearing gloves to take a blood pressure, etc. I assume that's what you're getting at, anyway.

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your school and the facility you are in will tell you what to wear and when. You don't have any decisions to make in that.

I wear gloves whenever there's a reasonably good chance of something warm and wet coming from them and landing on me. for run of the mill contact like taking blood pressure, helping someone reposition in the bed and like that I never wear gloves. how would you feel if no one would even touch you without donning gloves first? I think that's dehumanizing.

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I wear gloves all the time, at work, at home, when shopping, dining, going to movies, etc. There are microbes EVERYWHERE.

Yikes, I forgot to put on gloves before touching my computer mouse and keyboard. Now I have to go soak my hands in bleach!

Seriously, the more I know and learn, the more I am ready to blame antibiotics on just about every modern illness, from autism to celiac disease. Our bodies are a teeming mass of microbes. Our bodies would die within seconds if somehow we were to eliminate every microbe in our body.

Read about the microbiome, (please check the site you are reading, try to go with articles from reputable sources)! It is fascinating stuff.

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It's good to know when to take those gloves off too. I've seen some staff keep the same gloves on after cleaning up a bowel movement. Also, my friend said that the person at Walgreens who gave her a flu shot tried to keep an old pair of gloves on and just used hand sanitizer on them before administering the shot. Yuck.

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It's good to know when to take those gloves off too. I've seen some staff keep the same gloves on after cleaning up a bowel movement. Also, my friend said that the person at Walgreens who gave her a flu shot tried to keep an old pair of gloves on and just used hand sanitizer on them before administering the shot. Yuck.

as if we needed another example of why vaccinations shouldn't be administered on the equivalent of a street corner, that being a clerk in Walgreens. Ick.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

I must admit, I dont always wear gloves for all bed baths (if there is nothing body-fluid-y coming out of anywhere other than drool.) I do for diaper changes though, and cleaning that general area.

The vinyl ones give me contact dermatitis. I prefer nitrile, and I find that they tear less and are more comfortable than vinyl anyway. I much prefer smaller, tight gloves to large baggy ones when given the choice (sterile gloves that come in many sizes)....more dexterity.

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