Wear gloves during assessment?

calivianya, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2015

I usually wear gloves at all times. You'd be surprised at the things even alert and oriented people stick their fingers in sometimes... better safe than sorry!

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Mar 1, 2015

I always wear gloves. And most infection control policies would suggest the same thing.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Mar 1, 2015

When doing a full assessment, I wear gloves all the time. Depending upon what I'm doing otherwise, I may or may not wear gloves. If I don't expect to be doing something that may result in contacting some body fluid, I won't normally wear gloves. I always do hand hygiene between patient contacts though. If I'm doing anything that could result in me contacting body fluids, I will wear gloves. It's really a judgement call as to when you should and shouldn't wear gloves. It's OK to wear gloves for every patient contact and it's OK to not do it... just be aware of what you're doing and the potential for coming into contact with potentially infectious stuff.

While it sounds like I almost never wear gloves, I actually wear them more often than not when working with patients.

vanilla bean · Mar 1, 2015

I wear gloves whenever I plan on physical contact with a patient, including routine vitals and assessments. Back in the day when I was an RT student, I once had a clinical instructor explain that her philosophy on gloving was that you can never anticipate what is going to happen with the patient while you're already in the room and you can't very well ask them to stop vomiting or bleeding long enough for you to don gloves. Already having gloves on when something unexpected has occurred has served me well more times than I can count. I love me some gloves!

Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2015

I am a new nursing student who started clinicals pretty recently. Im wondering.. Do you wear gloves when taking vitals & during a full-body assessment?

As a rule, no, I do not. Why would you need to wear gloves to take VS or auscultate lung sounds or check pedal pulses?

Exceptions: If the patient is bleeding, incontinent, has weeping/oozing wounds, or bedding is potentially contaminated with vomit, urine, blood, or feces (i.e. new patient arriving by ambulance from SNF).

As long as your skin is intact and the patient isn't spewing body fluids, simple hand hygiene is sufficient.

To be prepared for those unexpected surprises, just keep a pair of gloves in your pocket.

loriangel14, RN · Mar 1, 2015

Nope. I don't wear gloves unless I will be touching something oozing.

flipflopsNsweetTea · Mar 1, 2015

I am allergic to the gloves that my hospital uses, so I wear them sparingly and wash my hands a lot. I don't know what's worse, though -- the itching and break out from the gloves or from the constant hand washing.

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Mar 1, 2015

Yes wear gloves during VS and assessments, as you never know what you will find, like open wounds. You are protecting yourself and your other patients through wearing gloves and frequent hand washing!

Annie

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Mar 1, 2015

I am allergic to the gloves that my hospital uses, so I wear them sparingly and wash my hands a lot. I don't know what's worse, though -- the itching and break out from the gloves or from the constant hand washing.

My sister was also allergic to the gloves her hospital provides and they HAD to provide her with an alternative! You may want to discuss this with your occupational health person!

Annie

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · Mar 1, 2015

After getting a mysterious rash that would come and go and then reappear in a totally new location for about a month after doing my first week of clinicals I have forever worn gloves with every patient interaction thereafter! It itched like crazy, would go away only to pop up again in another location the next day, and I don't remember even seeing a patient with it. It's been over 15 years and I still don't know what the heck it was...I did, however, learn all the side effects to Benadryl during the aide rotation of nursing school...I was drinking it from the bottle like it was a flask!(Hey! I didn't know any better yet! I was so darn itchy!)

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Mar 1, 2015

As a rule, no, I do not. Why would you need to wear gloves to take VS or auscultate lung sounds or check pedal pulses?
Exceptions: If the patient is bleeding, incontinent, has weeping/oozing wounds, or bedding is potentially contaminated with vomit, urine, blood, or feces (i.e. new patient arriving by ambulance from SNF).
As long as your skin is intact and the patient isn't spewing body fluids, simple hand hygiene is sufficient.
To be prepared for those unexpected surprises, just keep a pair of gloves in your pocket.

THIS.

I don't wear gloves during an assessment, or obtaining VS; I do keep a pair in case for "surprises".

I don't feel the necessity of placing gloves unless it is absolutely necessary.