Wearing gloves with HIV positive patients

Nurses General Nursing

Published

(First time writing here)

Yesterday during my clinical, I was interviewing a HIV positive patient. Half way through, the primary nurse asked me to talk with her in the hall, and when we spoke she told me to wear gloves whenever I was with the patient or touching things in his environment.

The patient didnt have any open open cuts or bodily fluids out, and I didn't have any cuts and was just talking with the patient. There weren't any signs saying to use any special precautions either...

I personally don't think that situation neccesitated the need for gloves, but I was hoping to get someone else's opinion on this. :)

Also I'm a student, and the nurse was really adamant on the gloves so I didn't really ask questions.

Specializes in NICU.

Like the bus accident you are in where a patient bleeds allover you and your paper cuts ,have fun enjoy yourself.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
Like the bus accident you are in where a patient bleeds allover you and your paper cuts ,have fun enjoy yourself.

I'm not asking this to be rude, but do you always wear gloves when you are out in public. I'm with you that I am not going to give first aid to a bleeding person if I don't have gloves on...but I'm certainly not going to wear them at all times "just in case."

Either way, the OP was about wearing/not wearing gloves during a patient interview. Of course I would wear gloves during any blood draw (regardless of known HIV status), I wear gloves to give all IM shots, I would wear gloves for the first aid situation described above. However, none of this directly relates to the OP...do you need to wear gloves during a patient interview--I stand firm with my 'no.'

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment