Should I wash my hands before I pee????

[Misslady113]

I work in a nursing home. We all know that we should wash our hands before we eat or put our hands in our mouth, eyes, or nose. But I'm wondering can we catch something from wiping ourselves when using the bathroom. Can bacteria\viruses travel into the body through the lady parts? No, I dont wipe myself with my bare hands, but sometimes the hands may touch that area when wiping. Should I wash my hands before I pee? I hope this is not considered asking for medical advise, its just a question about practices in the workplace.

[Katie5]

Yes, before and after anywhere. I make it a habit to wash before and after, the water's free, and the soap's "free". Why take chances?

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Of course microbes can travel up the genitourinary tract and cause infection. This is how most urinary tract infections originate. If a female wipes from "back to front," the germs from the anorectal region can enter the lady parts and reach the urinary tract to cause infection.

However, I simply wash my hands after toileting, since I tend to think that washing up before and after using the restroom is overkill.

[lisamc1RN, LPN]

You should be washing your hands all the time. When you go into a room, when you leave a room, before and after doing a treatment. You should be gelling all of the time, too. In between patients, between med passes, before and after doing your charting. If you are doing this, then chances are, by the time you are ready to go to the bathroom, you've already washed your hands and won't need to think about it. When in doubt, wash your hands.

[CABRN55]

I'm responding now with a mixture of scientific and anecdotal evidence to support my argument to wash BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER VOIDING. I've been an RN for 34+ years and seen a lot of changes in health care, the biggest thing I'd say has been the increase in antibiotic resistant microbial infectious diseases. A few years ago, I had surgery myself and was very careful about being discharged ASAP and while an inpatient I did as much of my own care as possible, thinking that it would reduce my chances of infection by reducing my exposure to other possible carriers of infection. What I didn't consider, was that I myself was a possible major source of posssible contamination, since I was a health care provider and health care providers are many times carriers themselves of MRSA and VRE, but have no outward signs unless they are immunosuppressed or otherwise self-innoculate, such as a post operative patient, such as myself. I developed a massive UTI, that was positive for MRSA. Unless I was exposed during OR, only I could have exposed myself. I dc'd my own foley the 1st day post op. And I took care of my supra pubic cath site and dc'd it myself after it became infected. It took 6 weeks of tx to eradicate the infection. You'd better believe I now ALWAYS WASH MY HANDS BEFORE and AFTER voiding or doing anything to myself that involves a wound, or an orifice!

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

I wash my hands before and after when at the hospital. It just makes me feel more at ease.

[mamamerlee, LPN]

If I stopped to wash my hands in the bathroom, I probably would need to change my clothes because I wet myself!!! If I put it off too long, I can barely get myself undressed enough to stay dry!!

Hopefully, I just washed my hands, or gelled them, when I finished my last task.

Sometimes, I think we are taking the cleanliness thing too far.

Misslady, use a bit more tissue!

[Nurse Joey]

From the male perspective I walk around all day opening doors with my hands, not my other appendage. So I say yeah wash your hands.

[Zookeeper3]

I can't count on everyone having clean hands to touch the doornob that opens the bathroom, so yes! I consider my hands contaminated and wash them first.

[NC Girl BSN]

Most of the time when I am at work. Depends on how long I hold it.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

Interesting thread! something I had never thought of before to be truthful

[MERRYWIDOW46]

I always wash before and after. I want to protect myself from whatever is lurking infection wise.

Our infection control department has signs posted, wash before and after eating, drinking, using rest room, touching face, mouth, eyes.

It is just good prevention and practice.