Wear gloves during assessment?

[future_nurse11]

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? I know to follow what the instructor says to do.. My instructor doesn't enforce that we wear gloves during assessments.. But would it be a good idea to do it anyway? I had another instructor before who said she wears gloves anytime she has pt interaction. Just wondering what's the norm & what's best health-wise.

[dah doh, BSN, RN]

For me it depends upon the situation. If I'm simply restarting a beeping IV pump no, full assessment and admits always. Male patients who use a urinal, always (they hold their member and don't wash their hands) yuck. Bringing a box of juice, milk or coffee in the room no. Feeding a patient, yes. Changing linens, gowns or chux always. Bringing a towel or warm blanket, no. I always foam in and out of the room.

Yup! That's pretty much me! Although I use the sanitizer then have to wash hands because the sanitizer film builds up into a gross mess. We don't have foam 😞

[YanMinor]

I'm surprised by so many of the answers here! Having good hand hygiene doesn't excuse you from wearing gloves.... Check your institution's policy. I'm certain that wearing gloves are part of universal precautions - universal meaning they should be taken with ALL PATIENTS.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

I've gotta say I agree with Pangea Reunited when she mentioned comfort for the patient as a reason to wear gloves. I would also be more comfortable if a stranger touching me had gloves on. In general, I don't like strangers touching me, and bare skin to bare skin contact is REALLY personal. I don't even touch my close friends or family members often - the only person I come into physical contact with frequently is my significant other.

I get that we are supposed to be all warm and fuzzy and touch-y, but for some patients that's taking a liberty. At least gloves provide a layer of separation for you and the patient, so it doesn't feel like you're violating their personal space quite so bad. You can be personal and be a good, caring nurse without making skin to skin contact with them.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

I'm surprised by so many of the answers here! Having good hand hygiene doesn't excuse you from wearing gloves.... Check your institution's policy. I'm certain that wearing gloves are part of universal precautions - universal meaning they should be taken with ALL PATIENTS.

Actually, the term is Standard Precautions. Gloves are indicated

for potential contact with blood, body fluids, mucous membranes, non-intact skin or contaminated equipment

CDC - Outpatient Care Guide: Standard Precautions - HAI

[firstinfamily, RN]

I notice the younger nurses doning gloves as soon as they enter the pts room. Whatever happened to "therapeutic touch?" I wear gloves when coming upon contact with body fluids, removing dressings, etc. I do not feel it is necessary to wear gloves to do vital signs as long as proper hand washing is utilized. I also always have at least one pair of gloves in my pocket for the "just in case" situation. We have the "cleanse in, cleanse out" policy in place throughout the hospital, so there are alcohol foam dispensers outside of every room.

[YanMinor]

Therapeutic Touch is a technique that is not evidence-based, nor does it require touching, oddly enough.

[maxthecat]

The World Health Organization Guidelines make sense to me. Note especially their pyramid of what type of glove use is appropriate and when.

http://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/Glove_Use_Information_Leaflet.pdf

If you are a patient and feel devalued as a person when you see me wearing gloves in an appropriate situation, speak up and I will explain my rationale to you.

If you are a patient and feel your boundaries are being violated when I touch you with bare hands, speak up and I will glove up.

Just don't expect that everyone feels the same as you and that I will somehow magically know these things about you.

[brownbook]

I wear gloves and an isolation gown at all times, at home, when shopping, work, everywhere. You don't know who or what has been touching that shopping cart, door knob, sitting in that seat, etc., I don't know where my husband, children, grandchildren's hand have been, did they really wash them.....DID THEY REALLY! You never know when a family member or acquaintance might want to (yuck) hug you!

I've made it to 64 and am hardly ever sick so obviously there is evidence based practice for what I do.

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

The World Health Organization Guidelines make sense to me. Note especially their pyramid of what type of glove use is appropriate and when.

http://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/Glove_Use_Information_Leaflet.pdf

If you are a patient and feel devalued as a person when you see me wearing gloves in an appropriate situation, speak up and I will explain my rationale to you.

If you are a patient and feel your boundaries are being violated when I touch you with bare hands, speak up and I will glove up.

Just don't expect that everyone feels the same as you and that I will somehow magically know these things about you.

I was all about that pyramid until it said no gloves for IM or subq injections. My old school instructors would have had a stroke at that! I can imagine in the field you would probably preserve your precious gloves for the really messy situations but if you've ever given a subq shot on someone with platelets of 10, you know that can involve some bleeding.

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

I wear gloves and an isolation gown at all times, at home, when shopping, work, everywhere. You don't know who or what has been touching that shopping cart, door knob, sitting in that seat, etc., I don't know where my husband, children, grandchildren's hand have been, did they really wash them.....DID THEY REALLY! You never know when a family member or acquaintance might want to (yuck) hug you!

I've made it to 64 and am hardly ever sick so obviously there is evidence based practice for what I do.

I'm actually tempted to wear a gown and gloves around my kids(age 6 and 2). I have excellent hand hygiene but they keep getting me sick. Kids are gross, eating their boogers, touching their butts. The 2 year old likes to wash his hands but will immediately touch his nose or butt afterwards. It would take mitts to prevent this.

[Angeljho, MSN, NP]

GLOVES NOT INDICATED (except for CONTACT precautions) No potential for exposure to blood or body fluids, or contaminated environment

DIRECT PATIENT EXPOSURE: Taking blood pressure, temperature and pulse; performing SC and IM injections; bathing and dressing the patient; transporting patient; caring for eyes and ears (without secretions); any vascular line manipulation in absence of blood leakage.

I'm sorry, but I don't give any injections without gloves. I also use gloves for bathing and I always wear gloves when caring for the eyes.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

I'm surprised by so many of the answers here! Having good hand hygiene doesn't excuse you from wearing gloves.... Check your institution's policy. I'm certain that wearing gloves are part of universal precautions - universal meaning they should be taken with ALL PATIENTS.

Wearing gloves is indicated in standard/universal precautions for contact with bodily fluids, wounds, blood, mucous membranes NOT for all patient contact.