here it goes... The other day at clinicals (I'm a student:) ) I witnessed a herione addict fake a seizure. Well, the nurses who responded to this incident were amazing. At first they thought she was Really having one but after 15 mins of "jerking and foaming at the mouth", they quickly called her bluff. Anyway, one thing that really gave me the "heebie jeebies" was that out of the 4 nurses that assisted, only ONE RN wore gloves!!
Now this pt has hep-b and c (which they all new about) but even the iv nurse wasn't wearing gloves! The pt had soo many needle sticks (from iv nurse cuz she couldnt find a vein) and at one point she Bled all over the nurse who was trying to hold the pt down. In school, it is drilled in our heads, glove, glove, glove for anything that involves bodily fluids so I was really shocked that they would put themselves at risk... So, later on I asked one of the RNs (very politely) why she chose not to wear gloves and she replied that she works better without them:eek: !!!! So, I was just curious.. Do you, as healthcare workers, wear gloves All the time.... be honest, now;) If you dont, what procedures do you do w/o gloves?
I do believe that you should always where gloves when you are in contact with any bodily fluid, open wounds, etc..........I also worked in the O.R. back in the early 80's(before universal precautions, AIDS)and there were plenty of times when we would get trauma pts straight from the ER and while preparing the pt, gloves were often an afterthought. Not smart, but it's been done. I still see several surgeons who have come to the unit to do a dsg change and No Gloves??? Not only for his/her safety, what about what they are exposing the pt to? Always carry gloves in your pocket at work, so you will always have a pr close by.
What bothers me about the whole glove issue is that I also see many(aides, nurses, doctors, students etc)...who overuse gloves. I mean, is it really neccessary to put on gloves when feeding a longtime resident in a nursing home? Or how about the ones who put gloves on and go from room to room, patient to patient with the same gloves? Oh YUK!!!!! And the remarks/looks I get when I ask them to please change their gloves and wash their hands.
Then there are the ones who when working with an AIDS patient, won't even go into the room without gloves/mask on. No matter how much education there is regarding how Aids is transmitted, people are still so paranoid. I was touched by a previous post, that stated going into a pts room who was dx'd with Aids and touching that pt. God Bless You and others like that. I have worked with many pts with Aids and it means so much to them. The human touch is one of the best of what we can give to a anyone esp a sick patient. Imagine being that patient and having a nurse come in with gloves/mask etc....It really upsets me to see that.
We are supposed to be using universal precautions, never know who may have Aids/hiv+/hep........so be wise, use your judgement, be safe...........not paranoid.
No one has brought up the fact that there is a hefty fine for not wearing gloves, to the institution if you are witnessed Not wearing gloves and ripping out the finger is also a breach of infection control and is not allowed. I have worn gloves since we were first instructed to, I don't know how many years ago and have learned to do IV starts with no problem, Use a smaller size or even sterile gloves if you need them to fit snuggly for the touch factor, don't rip off a finger, Please!!
The biggest problem I have is putting adult diapers on and the tape always sticks to me first, they are a hassle but we are trying to protect ourselves and our patients.
Depends. I'v been working as an LPN & EMT. (I am a BSN student. ) Every situation is unique- when in doubt, glove. It is the most important thing in EMT school. BSI (body substance isolation) is drilled in a million times. If I go in to isolation then of course. If I just go in to do an assessment or listen to lungs or whatever I will just wash before and after. The situation with the emergency, YES! No way is it worth it. I keep gloves in my pocket in case I need them and you are not able to run and grab a pair.
I am allergic to latex and am "glove adverse"- even the nitrile ones bother my hands-- so, I carry my nitrile gloves in my pocket, I glove when I may come in contact with body fluids, and I get them off ASAP. Once a patient is clean and on a clean diaper, do you really need gloves on when you peel off the tape? Also, if I know I'm going to do a really dirty job that might require glove changes, I put the nitrile ones on first, and then however many pair of latex ones I may need. Then as each layer of gloves get soiled, I take them off and there's a fresh pair underneath.
I also find that sterile surgical gloves one size too small allows me to feel the vein without ripping off a finger.
PS. When you're done with your gloves, take them off and wash your hands. It really gives me the heebee jeebees when people (not just nurses) wear gloves to answer the phone, push elevator buttons, etc.
I was just having a conversation with my mom (who is a CNA) about this. It is dangerous to be a healthcare worker. We can't always see the things that could harm our health so I alwyas wear gloves, at home and in clinical.
jude11142
169 Posts
I do believe that you should always where gloves when you are in contact with any bodily fluid, open wounds, etc..........I also worked in the O.R. back in the early 80's(before universal precautions, AIDS)and there were plenty of times when we would get trauma pts straight from the ER and while preparing the pt, gloves were often an afterthought. Not smart, but it's been done. I still see several surgeons who have come to the unit to do a dsg change and No Gloves??? Not only for his/her safety, what about what they are exposing the pt to? Always carry gloves in your pocket at work, so you will always have a pr close by.
What bothers me about the whole glove issue is that I also see many(aides, nurses, doctors, students etc)...who overuse gloves. I mean, is it really neccessary to put on gloves when feeding a longtime resident in a nursing home? Or how about the ones who put gloves on and go from room to room, patient to patient with the same gloves? Oh YUK!!!!! And the remarks/looks I get when I ask them to please change their gloves and wash their hands.
Then there are the ones who when working with an AIDS patient, won't even go into the room without gloves/mask on. No matter how much education there is regarding how Aids is transmitted, people are still so paranoid. I was touched by a previous post, that stated going into a pts room who was dx'd with Aids and touching that pt. God Bless You and others like that. I have worked with many pts with Aids and it means so much to them. The human touch is one of the best of what we can give to a anyone esp a sick patient. Imagine being that patient and having a nurse come in with gloves/mask etc....It really upsets me to see that.
We are supposed to be using universal precautions, never know who may have Aids/hiv+/hep........so be wise, use your judgement, be safe...........not paranoid.
JUDE