RNs wearing gowns to feed newborns

[camrn98]

Hi everyone,

Looking to see how many places have their staff wear some kind of covering gown when feeding babies or baby care in general. I am working some where that their policy is to wear a gown (not-isolation) when caring for the newborns. I thought Hand Washing was the protection against transmitting germs.

I would like to hear everyone's practice and if you any evidence base that supports this.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Our hospital hasn't done this since the 80's. there has been no evidence that cover gowns are needed, especially when good hand hygiene is used. We are not allowed anything below the elbows, including jackets. The only time we use gowns is for contact isolation.

[klone, MSN, RN]

No, we don't. And we also wear undershirts and jackets.

[Aerielle]

On the unit where I was on for my pediatric rotation, we wore gowns when feeding babies to avoid getting baby spit up on our scrubs. We also wore the gowns during baby care to protect us from surprise pee showers and poo explosions when opening up a diaper! :)

To my knowledge, there were no policies for or against it. It was just common practice amongst the nurses.

[M/B-RN]

We wear scrubs provided by the hospital, nothing from home, and allowed to wear scrub jackets. If we leave the unit we have to cover up with a robe-looking gown or a scrub jacket.

[nocturnalnurse]

We also wear just scrubs provided and washed by our hospital, hand wash or sanitize between infants. One exception is newborns who haven't had first bath, then they are contact precaution until bathed which would require a gown if held. also, infants born to mothers on isolation precautions are also put on those same isolation precautions and we try to make one nurse take the mom-baby pair so they don't have contact with other babies.

[monkeybug]

At my last hospital we did this. Large regional hospital, by the way. Each baby has a patient gown changed each shift or if soiled. I guess the idea is that we wear our scrubs in from home, so it shields the babies from our pets and whatever we pick up, and also keeps from getting something from one baby on your scrubs and then transferring it to the next baby when you pick them up. It always drove me nuts.

[obizyanka]

Never saw the written policy but some say that we are to wear the gowns when bathing/feeding. I only know one nurse that does. We can wear long sleeves / jackets. In fact when I'm in nursery I make sure to also that baby is swaddled well and in a hat. The less of baby that touches my skin the better. It just came out of a very very dirty area and one bath does not get rid of that IMHO. I