No gloves ever?!?

Nurses Safety

Published

So I'm in my last rotation of nursing school and I followed a nurse in CVICU today. Well from the getgo he mentioned he's "old school" and that's fine with me. In fact I get excited when I hear that as I figure I'll learn a lot. Well... While this nurse let me do almost everything and I completely appreciate that experience, he didn't wear a pair of gloves the whole day. I watched him do peg meds, draw blood, suction, and clean a diarrhea bottom (touching testicles and all) WITHOUT gloves. I got excited at one point cause he pulled a pair of gloves out BUT THEN he handed them to me, none for him. In fact, when cleaning the poop he said "yeah, I know im being naughty." So, I thought that if he doesn't use gloves then he must scrub his hands. Nope, 5 second rinse, no lather...that's it. I was shocked....

Needless to say...didn't shake his hand at the end of the day.

i wouldn't tell on the guy unless you're going to do the same when you see doctors and the higher ups do it also. then you'll see why it really doesn't matter, b/c nothing will be done to the docs and higher ups, but the nurse will get grief for it.

I agree. However, if I had to work with this nurse day in an day out I'd make a fuss. I didn't say this in my op but after he pulled the patients testes up to see if there was a mess under him he proceeded to leave the room without washing or sanitizing his hands to get more chux pads. If I had to work after him and blatantly observed this day after day I couldn't hold it in. I've seen doctors not wash before and after patients but nothing as bad as this.

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Specializes in Oncology.

ahahaha this was funny, but gross at the same time. ew. i would never even think of doing that I even wear gloves when i'm doing an assessment (i'm a nursing student as well). i sometimes feel as though it may offend a pt when you wear gloves for small things, but some might not appreciate you doing things like touching po meds with your hands (my opinion)

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Specializes in Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes.
:eek: ....gross.... :barf02:
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Specializes in LTC.

NASTY ! I'm more concerned about the commit he made.... that is indicative of sexual assault.

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Specializes in oncology.

That is f-o-u-l!

And btw, I've only been working as a nurse for about a year but feel like the term "old school" when referring to a colleague essentially means crazy @$$ shortcuts taken. I just don't get it, especially when one's personal hygiene/staying DRO-free is at stake.

One old school nurse on my floor had blood arrive for her patient. Over 1.5 hours later that blood was still sitting at the nurse's station. I offered to take it back to the blood bank for her. Her reponse? "It's fine." And it was hung 20 minutes later. Yikes.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

I'm "old school", too. Old school never meant not following best practice as it was considered to be at the time, meaning a 5 second rinse would have been just as wrong then as it is now. Handwashing technique was rigorously adhered to, and we used Betadine soap, and Phiso-Hex before it was banned from common use. My hands were a mess from all that scrubbing so maybe that's why all that "sissy" (kidding!!) lotion soap that smells pretty replaced the industrial strength stuff.

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:eek: ....gross.... :barf02:

Ditto. I forgot to put on gloves on my first day in the doctor's office when I did a finger stick for glucose. The doc pulled me aside and said if I forgot again I would be gone. The pt. told on me and I was so nervous I forgot and the nurse didn't catch it either. I wouldn't intentionally do it though!

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Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

I have trouble with gloves as well. When I wear gloves as ordered for EVERY patient interaction my hands chap and I end up bleeding all over my patients. I feel my chance of contamination is MUCH greater with open lesions on my fingers than it would be with intact skin. I rarely wear gloves except for the poopiest contact or those when sterile gloves are required. I've tried every cream,lotion, salve on the market. Mostly I wash my hands well before and after any "wet" contact- blood, bath, skin care... Walking in and checking a set of VS- I'm at greater risk pushing a shopping cart or using a public restroom. I know there are those who disagree with my choice, they are entitled to thier opinion. I have to protect myself as I feel best. Perhaps your preceptor has a simular problem

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As a patient I have called a doctor out for not washing his hands before he started examining one of my children. Nasty!

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I have trouble with gloves as well. When I wear gloves as ordered for EVERY patient interaction my hands chap and I end up bleeding all over my patients. I feel my chance of contamination is MUCH greater with open lesions on my fingers than it would be with intact skin. I rarely wear gloves except for the poopiest contact or those when sterile gloves are required. I've tried every cream,lotion, salve on the market. Mostly I wash my hands well before and after any "wet" contact- blood, bath, skin care... Walking in and checking a set of VS- I'm at greater risk pushing a shopping cart or using a public restroom. I know there are those who disagree with my choice, they are entitled to thier opinion. I have to protect myself as I feel best. Perhaps your preceptor has a simular problem

In my opinion it's your option to put yourself at risk BUT it's not the patients. They should feel they are receiving safe care. Maybe you wash well between patients but this nurse didn't. If I were this patient and I was touched how he was touched and aware of it that nurse would NEVER come near me again.

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Specializes in Hospice.

Ok, I'll admit that there are occasions when I should be wearing gloves according to protocol, but don't. However, in the situations that the OP described, I guarantee I'd have gloves on! On the other hand, I'm very conscientious about frequent, thorough handwashing.

I too have encountered medical personnel who are very careless about gloves/ handwashing/ cross contamination in general. It's a pretty scary thing with the knowledge we have about pathogens today. Not only are people who are lax about handwashing putting themselves at risk, but also all of their patients. Let's face it, many of the people we care for have very comprised immune systems. While our bodies can fight germs, some of our patients cannot. I would never want to hurt (or kill) someone I was caring for by passing along a pathogen. Also, image what these people take home to their families...

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Specializes in Developmental Disabilites,.
I have trouble with gloves as well. When I wear gloves as ordered for EVERY patient interaction my hands chap and I end up bleeding all over my patients. I feel my chance of contamination is MUCH greater with open lesions on my fingers than it would be with intact skin. I rarely wear gloves except for the poopiest contact or those when sterile gloves are required. I've tried every cream,lotion, salve on the market. Mostly I wash my hands well before and after any "wet" contact- blood, bath, skin care... Walking in and checking a set of VS- I'm at greater risk pushing a shopping cart or using a public restroom. I know there are those who disagree with my choice, they are entitled to thier opinion. I have to protect myself as I feel best. Perhaps your preceptor has a simular problem

Could you be allergic to the brand of gloves your hospital uses? Or to latex? Try going to employee health.

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