Universal Precautions are not optional...

[Lisa, MA]

How would you handle it if you knew a co-worker was very lax in using Universal Precautions?

[Athenas83]

And BTW...I hate that some people only use the alcohol foam to clean their hands. In my old eyes, that is NOT acceptable hand washing.

The "alcohol foam" is fine if you haven't come in contact with bodily fluids.

[pinksugar]

!

And BTW...I hate that some people only use the alcohol foam to clean their hands. In my old eyes, that is NOT acceptable hand washing.

Honestly, that is just too bad. I prefer to wash my hands with hot water and soap, too, but my facility actually forces us to use the alcohol gel washes when we enter and leave the patient's rooms. We are only allowed to wash the old-fashioned way if the pt has C-diff. If the observers are watching us go in/come out of pt rooms without using the hand gel (old-fashioned washing does NOT count) we get written up. I am sure that my facility is not the only one like this.

[*LadyJane*]

I smell a MA vs. Nurse undercurrent here.

[Belle Epoque]

The "alcohol foam" is fine if you haven't come in contact with bodily fluids.

Honestly, that is just too bad. I prefer to wash my hands with hot water and soap, too, but my facility actually forces us to use the alcohol gel washes when we enter and leave the patient's rooms. We are only allowed to wash the old-fashioned way if the pt has C-diff. If the observers are watching us go in/come out of pt rooms without using the hand gel (old-fashioned washing does NOT count) we get written up. I am sure that my facility is not the only one like this.

What? Not allowed to wash your hands except for C-diff so if no C-diff patient then hands don't get washed all shift? What kind of facility is that?

The alcohol sanitizers are meant to be used in conjunction with good hand washing. Soap and water washing is mostly for visibly soiled hands with the sanitizers used in between hand washes. If you've used the sanitizer 3 or 4 times, it's time for another wash.

I can agree with sanitizing before and after approaching each patient but I have a hard time believing you'd get written up for washing your hands when you feel appropriate.

[pinksugar]

What? Not allowed to wash your hands except for C-diff so if no C-diff patient then hands don't get washed all shift? What kind of facility is that?

.

We are allowed to wash with soap and water but when entering and leaving the pt's rooms we have to use hand sanitizer. This is the new rule. Normally I would prefer to just walk out of the pt's room, go directly to the nearby sink (without touching anything during my 10 foot walk from the pt's room to the sink), and wash my hands with soap and water. I don't particularly care for the gel cleansers. However, we are forced to use the gel when entering or leaving a pt's room. I can wash my hands with soap and water whenever I wish, but I can't go to the sink, wash my hands, and then directly enter a pt's room, even if I don't touch anything. I have to use the gel cleanser. I think it's pretty stupid, but then again most decisions made by management are.

The point I was trying to make is that the gels aren't going anywhere, so there's no reason for the OP to get worked up over that.

ETA that we are NEVER made to wash with soap and water, unless we have a C-diff pt. They don't care if you use the gels all day long. I know, right? *rolls eyes*

[OCNRN63, RN]

I smell a MA vs. Nurse undercurrent here.

Yep. Here we go again.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

1. she was putting herself at risk for contracting my husbands hcv.

2. she was putting my hubby at risk for secondary infection by tending his wounds without proper barriers and clean asepsis.

3. she was putting other patients at risk if she had transferred his pus or blood or tissue onto her hands and then touched another patient. who knows if she was washing her hands in between...i certainly never saw her touch a sink.

[color=sienna]if she was cleaning the wounds with gauze and forceps she was not touching his wounds or his cooties, and couldn't transfer anything back to him either. but she needed to wash her hands, yep, i agree there.

and btw...i hate that some people only use the alcohol foam to clean their hands. in my old eyes, that is not acceptable hand washing.

[color=sienna]this is acceptable practice, kills germs, and sometimes you just have to allow people to do their jobs. at a certain point expressing your preferences will start giving negative results. unless the hospital is more interested in pr scores than real patient care.