Standard precautions ignored

Published

Recently I went to the local clinic to have blood drawn. I was horrified that the phlebotomist did not once wash her hands between patients, nor wear gloves. She even kept reusing the same bloody vacutainer sleeve and and a bloody tourniquet. OK so now it's my turn. When I told her to wash her hands, wear gloves, and change her bloody equipment she looked at me as though I had two heads. I finally said "look, I have hep C" (which I don't, but she wouldn't comply with my requests otherwise). I filed a written complaint with the clinic. I have finally received a written response which states that ..."phlebotomists have never been instructed to follow standard precautions in this clinic. However this has been rectified and they will wash their hands after each patient. They will wear gloves for those patients deemed to be high risk" Doesn't this negate the purpose of standard precautions? Aren't we to consider all are high risk?

I have never seen such blatent disregard for standard precautions. This incident happened in Canada. I work in the US and am so glad of that. Your thoughts?

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I think the lack of standard percautions is a problem...but is it really needed to mention it's from Canada? I'm sure if I came down to the stated that I could also find some lack in the use of standard percautions.

This incident happened in Canada. I work in the US and am so glad of that.
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What part of Canada?

Every province I've lived in they always wash hands, use clean tourniquets, and glove up if I've asked.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

there is no excuse. You were right to be concerned and take action.

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Specializes in Critical Care/ICU.

Does this really surprise anyone? The fact that it happened in Canada is irrelevant. It's a total reflection of the facility, not the country.

It's just really scary that most people aren't as attuned to these types of healthcare atrocities as one who works in healthcare!

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I've seen disregard for universal precautions... in both Canada and the US. I agree, it's the Company, not the country.

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Being in the USA and needing frequent blood work myself as well as blood work for my son and the blood draws I see done at work I feel qualified to make the following statement. The USA is full of phlebotomists who do not use general precautions. I don't think I have ever seen one wash hands between draws. I often see them done gloves but then they rip the finger off to feel for the vein so what's the point. And I agree standard precautions should be used on all otherwise it is dicriminitory IMO.

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I completely agree. I see many nurses I work with not wear gloves when starting an IV or drawing blood in the ER. I have another problem at my work place. At one point we use to be able to keep covered drinks at the nurses station. We do not bring specimens to the nurses or physician areas. Lately administration says we can not have drinks anywhere near the nurses or physician are and all drinks must be kept in the staff break room and consumed only in the staff break room. Our staff break room is located approx. 500ft from the nursing and physician desks. It is behind a locked door with a numeric key pad. With the volume our ER sees, 80,000+ a year, rarely does anyone have time to rush back to the break room, throw in a combo, drink as fast as you possibly can and exit before the world ends. Administration only provides a 30 min lunch, and supposively two 15 min breaks. We've been told by our manager (upon hire) that do not expect to ever get two 15 min breaks. The 30 min lunch gets missed constantly for on nights you lose staff and have no one to relieve you. Many nights, especially here lately I go 12hrs with bearly touching a drop of water and never get to use the rest room till I go home. I think this is unfair work practices forced on medical staff in the name of OSHA. Technically any area I come in contact with can become contaminated, chairs, counter tops, my keyboard and the mouse I use. The cleanest thing I have is probably my hands after I wash them, so why can't I use them to pick up my covered drink at the nurses station when no specimens come near the desk?

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Specializes in Hospice, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.
The cleanest thing I have is probably my hands after I wash them, so why can't I use them to pick up my covered drink at the nurses station when no specimens come near the desk?

Because paper-pushers NEVER let good common sense get in the way of policy and/or procedure.:angryfire

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i know i get a bit slack when it comes to wearing gloves, i suppose it comes from working in ED when you get someone who is shut down come in its very hard to palpate a vien in gloves and like someone said it defies the purpose of wearing them if you cut a finger off.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I find I can palpate veins in very tight gloves. I refuse to give injections or start IV's or so lab draws without gloves. The patients, as well as myself, deserve to be protected.

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Here in CA, a few years ago, a lab tech was caught washing out and re-using butterfly needles to draw blood. Most bizzare! Cost Kaiser a fortune!

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