Sterile gloves for sterile spec???

Published

I was taught and have always used sterile gloves when doing a sterile spec exam. I am now at a teaching hospital and the residents do them instead of us. I was assisting a resident and offered him sterile gloves to which he replied that they weren't necessary and proceeded to do the exam with clean gloves including spreading the labia before insertion of speculum. He is a third year. He had a few to me questionable clinical skills type things during my shift, but seemed to be basically pretty good.

Am I being too picky/anal??? What do you guys see/do? How about you at the teaching hospitals--is this new??

I've always used sterile gloves, but I don't think it is truly necessary as long as the speculum itself is kept sterile.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
We keep our sterile speculums in the blanket warmer. And I always wrap the outer package in a warm baby blanket so it stays warm until until the exam, since it takes a few minutes to walk back to the room and gather my supplies. But in reference to the OP, yes, we also use sterile gloves.

Cool idea! Do they ever get to hot and burn the patient?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion