Tiny cuts and scrapes..

Published

I have a kinda weird/random question. I start nursing school on Tuesday and I am planning to work my retail job throughout school. I am constantly getting cuts and scrapes and other injuries on my hands and arms and I am really worried about having all of these open cuts in the clinical setting. I don't see band-aids helping, just collecting more germs. What do you do in this situation... just wear gloves continuously since you never know what you're going to touch? Anyone else have a problem like this??

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Well, I am not exactly sure what you mean by wear gloves continuously. You have to put new gloves on for each patient and sometimes change multiple times while with the patient..you definetly can't wear gloves all day. Standard precautions and using good hand hygiene were gone over extensively in my program and we had to have a bandaid/bandage over any exposed open wounds/scratches while at clinical but other schools may be different. Check out the CDC website regarding standard precautions...

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/gl_isolation_standard.html

I have a kinda weird/random question. I start nursing school on Tuesday and I am planning to work my retail job throughout school. I am constantly getting cuts and scrapes and other injuries on my hands and arms and I am really worried about having all of these open cuts in the clinical setting. I don't see band-aids helping, just collecting more germs. What do you do in this situation... just wear gloves continuously since you never know what you're going to touch? Anyone else have a problem like this??
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yes I did not mean wear the same gloves all day! I meant anytime I'm coming in contact with a patient. Thank you for the website!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

LOL..I figured as much! I think the website will help you, it explains exactly when to put on gloves and will probably put you a little ahead of the game when you go over it in fundamentals! Good Luck.

Yes I did not mean wear the same gloves all day! I meant anytime I'm coming in contact with a patient. Thank you for the website!
Up Vote Up Vote ×

We were given readings to do over the summer prior to the start of class-- so I read all about infection control and gloves and other barriers.. but not once did it mention anything about us having cuts. I really appreciate that link, I'm learning a lot (:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

that is strange that they didn't mention cuts. It was one of the first things they told us in school regarding clinical, that and no fake nails.

We were given readings to do over the summer prior to the start of class-- so I read all about infection control and gloves and other barriers.. but not once did it mention anything about us having cuts. I really appreciate that link, I'm learning a lot (:
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yeah not in the book (or its possible I missed it..) but I'm sure they will clarify everything in lecture.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Any scrape or cut is a direct portal into the body so it is definetly best to keep it covered. I use the rubbery bandaids versus the fabric type, so they can be washed easier. We used a book by lippincott for fundamentals and it was in the chapter on skin integrity/wound care I think. If you aren't starting clinical right away maybe that stuff is to come but none the less you have your first question for the professor! I had a ton before school started and even more once it did.

Good luck on your first day!

Yeah not in the book (or its possible I missed it..) but I'm sure they will clarify everything in lecture.
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion