"I don't have AIDS"

siggie13 · Jul 12, 2008

I have never had a patient say that to me, ever. I have been gloving up for almost 5 years. Maybe it is a regional thing??
I would just say "I dont either-but it is for the protection of all"
Are you gloving up to do basic care or just touching? I dont glove up for things like vitals, really only when I am going to be touchy anything icky or get some form of secreations on me.
I did have an AIDS patient once and I patted her cheek and stroked her forehead with my bare hand and her mother pulled me aside later and thanked me and said "hardly anyone touches my daughter with thier bare hands"

Like you, I am very glove conscious. I do remember one time when I was called to start an IV on an AIDS patient many years ago. I came in, intoduced myself, did all my prep work (checking for veins, checking old sites: all the time touching the patient with my hands. Then, I put on my gloves and started the IV. Took off my gloves, washed, shook his hand, thanked him and left. I received such a look from him of gratitude and now, I think I know why. Thanks for your story. :yeah: :redbeathe

morte, LPN, LVN · Jul 12, 2008

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

i am not sure that i am following you.....it would seem that a pair of gloves out of a box (not your pocket) would stand a good chance of being cleaner than your freshly washed hands...also their use is cutting down on what you get on your hands and may miss with your hand washing....any time/way we can break the continuing trail of infection would seem to be good to me.....also, i would think that sometimes this is said to ease the patient's concern about THEMSELVES

mcubed45 · Jul 12, 2008

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

huh? do you know how many microbes are still on your hands after washing? even doing a complete scrub when prepping for surgery doesn't get rid of everything - that's why they still wear gloves. so yea, gloves are for the safety of the patient as well as the nurse. you're right, the mis-information on here can be pretty amazing... :rolleyes:

coolpeach · Jul 12, 2008

I am a nursing student as well as a patient so I can give you a perspective from two sides.

As a nursing student I push the nasty buggy around at the walmart, have three snotty nose kids who pass along their germs to me all the time. I do not want to take a chance on passing any of my cooties to an already sick patient. I also have enough problems without picking up any cooties the patient might having, and passing them off to my family.

As a patient I would prefer the nurse/Dr put gloves on before touching me at all. You are not someone who I know well or have a relationship with. I did not choose to come in to see you in particular. You are just who was on duty when I came in, and frankly you have been around sick people all day (so I know where your hands have been.)

richardjboro1 · Jul 13, 2008

huh? do you know how many microbes are still on your hands after washing? even doing a complete scrub when prepping for surgery doesn't get rid of everything - that's why they still wear gloves. so yea, gloves are for the safety of the patient as well as the nurse. you're right, the mis-information on here can be pretty amazing...

So a large slit in the box, a sick patient moved in and out every day, and you are saying the gloves are more clean than my hands? hmm... I'd like to see a study on this. "clean" vs "sterile". Yes, I'm aware that our hands are dirty after a surgical scrub... The "clean" gloves simply cover our supposedly clean hands so we do not transmit MORE "ick" from one patient to another, and keep our hands a tad cleaner.... I will now bow out of this discussion..... now back to your regularly scheduled programs.....

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jul 13, 2008

years ago, we were forbidden from wearing gloves to draw blood, give baths or even clean up poop because "the patient may feel like we think they're dirty." some of those patients were dirty! we had one box of exam gloves in the whole unit -- for the interns to use when they did their rectal exams. things are much different now, but i still have to remind myself to put on gloves for some actitvities that newer staff just take for granted they'll wear gloves!

pinksugar · Jul 13, 2008

I wear gloves for everything, including taking vitals. I even wear gloves to print limits off the monitor. I have never had a pt have a problem with it. I also wash my hands in front of the pt before I come in and after I leave the room. I want them to know that I care about cleanliness and that I don't want them to get anything from me. Truth be told, I also don't want to get anything from them.

I did have a r/o TB pt get irritated when people kept wearing N-95 masks in his room. I explained several times why they were necessary, and he was still upset. Oh well. I wasn't walking in there without it, so if he wanted care he had to deal with it.

racing-mom4, BSN, RN · Jul 14, 2008

I wear gloves for everything, including taking vitals. I even wear gloves to print limits off the monitor. .

What do you think your going to catch off the monitor or the BP cuff? I think you would catch more off a telophone handset than the monitor? But that is my own opinion. I was amazed when Oprah taught me our kitchen sinks are dirtier than our toilets!!

I have 3 boys so I willing to bet I pick up more germs doing thier laundry than I pick up at work!

pinksugar · Jul 14, 2008

To be honest with you RacingMom I don't really trust that our housekeeping staff does that good of a job. I don't touch anything in the rooms without gloves unless I personally sanitized the surfaces myself. When I refer to the monitor, I am referring to the one in the patient's room at the bedside, not our central monitor in the nurses' station.

As for the BP cuffs - our patients wear their own and they really get disgusting. We change them regularly (they are disposable) but if the patients are sweaty they get soiled quickly. I had a patient in liver failure the other day and her BP cuff would be dripping with yellow fluid (her arms were weeping) everytime I went to check on her. I was changing her cuff literally every hour. I think it is important for all health care providers to make a habit of wearing gloves in the rooms, no matter what. I have been 'surprised' a few times by the things I find on the patients' bodies and in their beds and I really don't want to be touching them with my bare hands - hence the constant gloving.:wink2:

I definitely agree with you about the telephone handset. I sanitize the phones constantly. I know they get really grody.