Isolation Gowns

[Redhead28]

Our facility, without checking with the staff that would be effected, changed from the yellow isolation gowns to a blue plastic gown. These gowns are horrible. They are hot, sweaty and stick to your skin. Infection control states we had to change to these because they prevent contamination by fluids. Please let me know what your facility uses.

[rnicupcu]

My facility uses the blue plastic and they are awful to work at length...but when I've used the yellow in the past in another facility I was a bit worried that I might actually get blood or secretions on my body b/c the gown seemed "too comfy" b/c I initially was used to the blue..... Back to the blue....I tend to no longer wear lots of layers beneath scrubs b/c of those...used to wear a tshirt and jacket with scrub set but now I stay too hot....but I do feel protected...to a certain extent.

[donsterRN, ASN, BSN]

We use the yellow, "nylon-ish" gowns with the cotton at the wrists.

One size fits all.

Not.

[JoyfulRN14, BSN, RN]

All the hospitals I had been to for clinicals used the yellow nylon gowns, but the hospital I got hired at uses the blue disposable ones. They are so hot! I can't believe how sweaty I get in them, even doing just a 10 minute patient bath and linen change.

I do get the concept that they are better for infection control though.... being plastic you could get fluid on them and it would just roll right off. Those yellow ones I'm afraid it would soak through.

But I don't often have patients in which I have the chance of getting large amounts of fluid directly on me, I wish we could use the blue ones only if that was a risk. (although I guess the large amounts of fluid is a risk with any patient care - you never really know what they're going to do!)

[BluegrassRN]

I've used both and prefer the blue.

[Redhead28]

This is great information, keep it going! Thanks.

We did talk to them about having both gowns available and using our clinical judgement on whether we need fluid protection, but of course that was a no go.

Our NICU nurses were also very unhappy but they do 12 hour shifts in those gowns with the MRSA babies. I can see someone getting dehydrated after 12 hours of sweating.

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

ID had us change to the blue plastic gowns. They said that it was because they are fluid proof and disposable. Try being in a room for 12 hours straight with only your lunch break in one of those suckers.

[Hoozdo, ADN]

My hospital has both. I have only chosen the blue plastic once - and that was

for an extremely bloody code.

The blue is so hot I can't even stand them for bathing patients. Even the yellow

ones will get hot if I have a mask and face shield on too. I can last a couple of

hours that way before I am frantic to get OUT of that garb.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

I also hate the blue ones....I get so hot in them as well...I also have to use a thick sterile gown with a head cover mask and sterile gloves when placing PICCs...so I am always hot...I am so thirsty by the end of the day and was getting horrible migraines. I finally figured out I was dehydrated since we can not have any drinks at all at the nursing station or with us...so now I take frequent short little breaks to stay hydrated. Look at the inside lining of the blue gowns and you will notice a shiny plastic type lining and that makes it impervious to liquids and that is why they are used

[APRN., DNP, RN, APRN, NP]

My facility uses to blue plastic isolation gowns and I hate them. My uniform is saturated with sweat within 30 minutes of being in a room doing procedures with the patient, and the blue plastic is molded to the sweat on my forearms. I have sweat dripping down my forehead and rolling into my eye's causing them to burn and sting, but I can't use my fingers to wipe the sweat off my face because I'm in an isolation room.

I have used the yellow gowns before and I never had that problem.

[HamsterRN, ADN, RN]

Yellow nylon, with the blue available at our discretion. I wore one once while I was putting an NG tube in, it came in pretty handy (the pt's belly was beyond full).

[Redhead28]

12 hours and two patients on Isolation. I hate those blue gowns. Just standing in the room scanning and drawing up medications I had sweat dripping. HCA owns our hospital so think we are probably stuck, but good to see everyone's opinion.