Ohio STNA Skills Test - Question

[ecmb]

This is a very specific question regarding the Ohio STNA Skills Test.

Of the 24 skills that STNA's must learn, there are only a handful that specifically state to WEAR GLOVES at some point during the procedure.

What I need to know is this: we learned to wash our hands first, then to put on the gloves. However, many of the skills require us to adjust the height of the bed, gather equipment, pull the privacy curtain, etc. Do we do all of this AFTER we've put the gloves on? Or do we wash our hands, then gather equipment, etc., and THEN put the gloves on?

I'm not sure if the effect of the gloves would be contaminated by touching the bed, equipment, etc. before performing patient care. Also, it seems to me that if you wash your hands first, then gather equipment, you wouldn't be putting the gloves on just-washed hands.

[cowboybrown]

The comment about the gloves not being sterile, most of the time they are not sterile. You are putting them on for protection against body fluids. Grabbing a pair of gloves is a clean technique not a sterile technique.

[Lifesnadir]

From my experience (limited, for sure) what I witnessed was nursing assistant's breezing in and out of patient's rooms and not washing hands every time.

Just a comment... Remember the adages that basically mean, "Don't do a wrong act just someone else does it."

Yes, many Doctors, nurses, and Nursing Assistants fail to wash their hands.

But, if you always follow acceptable protocols, you'll be less likely to be the one who infected your patients with E-coli or other bacterium.

When an outbreak occurs in hospitals or nursing homes, especially on one floor, *sometimes* facilities do run tests on personnel to see who might be spreading the illness.

Risks for NOT washing one's hands are numerous, including for PERSONNEL. As some examples:

1. Do you know what the last visitor to your patient touched before touching the patient's bedside rail?
   
2. Will you unknowingly pick up a virus or bacteria when you adjust the TV volume on the remote soon after a visitor who also handled the remote came in without washing her hands after using the toilet?
   

YOU risk either getting a virus or bacteria on your hands every time you:

1. touch yourself -- your face, your nose, or during a bathroom break
   
2. touch another person -- shake a visitor's hand; or touch a patient or do patient care
   
3. touch any object, whether it is a doorknob, bed rail, remote control, dirty linens, or empty a catheter etc.
   

As a student, it is even easier in some ways to bring attention to the lack of handwashing. If you see an Asssistant or Nurse who has NOT washed, you could (innocently) ask or say:

1. Should I wash my hands before doing this task? (hint hint) No professional will want to be upstaged by a "student", so of course you'll be told "Oh yes, we always wash our hands before doing this." So you gave a reminder, without being obvious.
   
2. Or, you could say, "Ooops I better wash my hands or my instructor will have my hide." Believe me, "when a student 'reminds', the employee soon falls right behind". No employed worker ever wants to be called on not doing the right thing, so just a comment like this will help someone else remember to wash their hands!
   

We can't always get doctors to comply. But, nurses and nursing assistants can always do it right.

As one other quick story: In one study, researchers found that the neck ties male physicians in hospitals wear often carry a host of germs. First, most neck ties are not washed or dry cleaned often. Second, neck ties DO brush up against items (as do fabric ties on uniform skirts etc). Neck ties were found to be almost as dirty as the bottoms of shoes or long shoe laces that drag. In part as a result of this study, you'll often see male doctors tuck the ends of their ties into their shirts, between 2 button holes, to keep them up and away from the patient. Nursing Assistants and Nurses should make sure any fabric ties don't dangle into the patient's bed area.

Again, by all means wash your hands--- even if "no one else" is doing it!

Lifes

[ksstoller]

The test is like you are working in a nursing home When you go into a patients room the items you need should already be in your hands. items are clean. after washing your hands they are classified as clean not sterile, and the room is classified as clean for that patient including bed. on the test it says to Identify that hands should be washed then explain procedure etc. My teacher said to do all by the book make sure you do the bold print or for sure you will fail. putting gloves on protect you from residents body fluids. when you get into a position at a facility you might do somethings differently. I am currently taking classes on the weekends and will be finished at end of month. will be taking STNA test soon after that. good luck to all who are going to take the test and congrats to those who have passed~!