use of gloves

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Apr 6, 2011

If they're contact precautions- all the time. Otherwise, only when you're going to be touching the icky stuff- toileting, changing briefs/pericare, denture care, etc.

goldenretriever8 · Apr 6, 2011

thanks fuzzywuzzy!! you really know your stuff! You must be a CNA for a long time?

juliaann · Apr 6, 2011

I wear gloves every time I go into a patient's room, unless it's a quick call light that I know I'm not going to have to do anything for (like if I can hear the IV pump beeping in the hall, or know the patient is just wanting meds, etc.). I'm tired of pulling back linens to find a pool of blood/urine/emesis/partially chewed food that my hand has often already partially entered. After I'm done touching the patient, if I'm still talking to them I take off my gloves and use alcohol foam while talking to them.

tomc5555 · Apr 6, 2011

Don't use when feeding, or assisting patient with meals.

EMTLewis · Apr 6, 2011

You should use your PPE anytime you have patient contact...

Kitsey · Apr 6, 2011

Anytime you may come into contact with any bodily fluid. We are supposed to wear them for feeding as well. It's kinda been grossing me out (I'm still on orientation) to see how many people change briefs with no gloves.

MurrR · Apr 6, 2011

Anytime you may come into contact with any bodily fluid. We are supposed to wear them for feeding as well. It's kinda been grossing me out (I'm still on orientation) to see how many people change briefs with no gloves.

Not wearing gloves during a brief change?! Not only hazardous to their health, but dangerous for their patients too! :eek:

I've heard differing statistics on how much contamination gloves truly prevent, anywhere between 80 to 95%, but I firmly believe that the correct wearing and changing of gloves during care coupled with proper handwashing is THE best tool we have for preventing a lot of infections.

I think something that a lot of people forget to do in the rush to finish a brief change or whatever is at hand is to change gloves when you finish the "dirty half" - After you've cleaned them up, and disposed of the dirty materials, changing into clean gloves is an important step to make sure you don't put germs you just cleaned off them back onto them. I know that I've been guilty of this before, especially when I was responsible for 50+ people and always on the run.

Alcohol hand sanitizer is great stuff - but don't forget that there's a few things it doesn't kill, I'm thinking particularly of C-diff. I always use hot water, lots of soap, and a good scrub after particularly filthy cares like brief changes or even showers/baths.

sunnydelight88 · Apr 7, 2011

I use gloves whenever touching any patient. I work in an ER and I never know where the person has been or what they have. However, one set of gloves at a time is enough. When I was learning to be a CNA...I was taught to change my gloves FIVE times when putting a patient on a bed pan. That is just putting them on the pan...not taking them off. My teacher kept saying that everytime we touch the rail the gloves became contaminated. However, I soon realized that the gloves we wear are not sterile gloves...they are for our protection. So, if you feel you need to wear them...you probably should.

cmyer3368 · Apr 14, 2011

I second juliaann! You never know what you might get into, as well as what you might be passing on to the patient.

reussir1 · Apr 14, 2011

I use gloves whenever touching any patient. I work in an ER and I never know where the person has been or what they have. However, one set of gloves at a time is enough. When I was learning to be a CNA...I was taught to change my gloves FIVE times when putting a patient on a bed pan. That is just putting them on the pan...not taking them off. My teacher kept saying that everytime we touch the rail the gloves became contaminated. However, I soon realized that the gloves we wear are not sterile gloves...they are for our protection. So, if you feel you need to wear them...you probably should.

Five times? To put one patient on a bedpan?

Really?

Seems a little excessive.

Dorali, BSN, LPN, RN · Apr 14, 2011

Right before state came for their followup a few months ago, our facility when nuts over the CNAs knowing how to do pericare. There was a total of about 6 glove changes throughout, and even how to get the wipes out of the tub. (Taking one out with your left hand, *tossing * it to your right, then wiping. Then, one swipe per wipe.) We had to carry around little bottles of sanitizer so we could use it between glove changes; our dispensers are in the hall. Surely they know we don't do that in real life. Management would go crazy with the amount of supplies we go through!

I use gloves for any kind of contact with the resident & their linens. Also, if they are on isolation, I don't touch anything in the room without gloves. Never heard of wearing them during feeding.