"I don't have AIDS"

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Have you guys ever had a patient say this when they see you putting on gloves? I've heard it at least half a dozen times or more. I don't understand why some patients get offended when you put on gloves.

Specializes in ER/Ortho.

I have an older cousin (50 something) who is a construction worker. When our aunt died (his aunt too) he got really offended when the EMT's put gloves on to move her body. He was so upset he was screaming and threatening. I know he was upset that his aunt just died, but I still found it odd.

I chalked it up to his being uneducated.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Years ago, before AIDS, we were taught that to wear gloves when doing patient care was insulting and depersonalizing to the patient. There were no gloves in the building at all except for sterile procedures.

Standard Precautions didn't happen without the usual infighting about whether or not it was insulting to the patients to wear gloves, and I recall a huge amount of disagreement about the issue until Standard Precautions was initiated.

I think it's interesting that nowadays we get into trouble for not wearing gloves for patient care and I recall wishing we could wear them when we had some huge cleanup to contend with.

Y'all are makin' me feel old. :p

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I've never once had a patient comment that I should not wear gloves (or that I didn't have to because....).

I guess I figure that they're so used to seeing us doing it, that it isn't a question of "why", we just DO it.

I don't wear them for general patient contact, I can wash my hands after that, but I always wear it when the possibility exists of touching anything that's warm, wet, and not mine! ;)

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I only had a patient comment once but he was relieved that had gloves-it's just automatic for me to grab a pair on my way into the room, I'd tell the PCT's you just don't know folks can have hep a-g, you just practice as if everyone has something and always practice universal percautiions.

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Specializes in district nurse, ccu, geriatric.

Can't say I have heard that one, but when you hear it again just tell them I know you don't, but I do, imagine the reaction :lol2:

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Just had someone say that to me this week. I was working at the front desk, and a man came in holding is hand telling me he cut his finger. So I put on some gloves to take a look and he got very upset with me that I would put gloves on.

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Just had someone say that to me this week. I was working at the front desk, and a man came in holding is hand telling me he cut his finger. So I put on some gloves to take a look and he got very upset with me that I would put gloves on.

I guess I'm surprised that there's so much resistance to glove-wearers out there, since I've never seen it myself.

With the guy you described, I guess a way to defuse him would be to say you didn't want to take a chance on infecting that bad ol' cut ;)

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

I too have had pt's have a few feathers ruffled for putting gloves on each time I went in their room.

I just educated them and all was fine at the end.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical-Ortho-Neuro-Agency.
Just had someone say that to me this week. I was working at the front desk, and a man came in holding is hand telling me he cut his finger. So I put on some gloves to take a look and he got very upset with me that I would put gloves on.

It is sad that he didn't realize that its for your protection and his protection. I have had patients ask how many times I wash my hands, because after each interactions I wash my hands. Last week there was this woman after each handwashing, she wanted me to do something for her.

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I have had this response as well. Usually I will just smile and tell them it is more for their protection than mine.

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Funny you say this...My second cousin said this once when she was needing a blood test. I just looked at her and said it is for the safety of you and the nurse. Some ppl......

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I've had it happen to me, and as described above, it was an older (50s) man, obviously blue-collar, and apparently worried about his condition.

Also, I've been taught that non-sterile gloves are for PERSONAL protection, not for protecting the patient, unless of course, the wearer has open cuts/sores. non-sterile is just that, they can still carry pathogens on the outside and infect the patient, tho this is unlikely if precautions are used.

It often amazes me some of the mis-information or misunderstanding even on this board. I'm glad we try to educate the public, but we also must strive as nurses or future nurses to educate ourselves to the best of our abilities!

Richard

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