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.
What is wrong with wanting to wear gloves? When I was in the ED, there were lots of people from the hood, so there would be lots of scabies, lice, etc issues and that include their belongings. It appears that most here disagree with the preceptor because by wearing gloves, one way or another, you are "discriminating," which is a big no no now days, and hurting someone's feelings or what have you. Just narrowing down someone's desire to wear gloves whatever the situation be into either ignorance and fear seems pretty narrow-minded to me too.I didn't study infectious disease or science of contagion or disease but at the end of the day, it's my safety and well-being and my family that is at stake. I am not denying the humanity of HIV patients, or any patients as I would treat them the same as someone with different disease, as I would wear gloves into all rooms. And if THAT offends yal...... oh well, I shrug and go on my day.
I feel like I have completely missed something in this thread.
People here are not criticizing the preceptor for wearing gloves. Glove are great. I wear them frequently. People are criticizing the preceptor for wearing gloves specifically for known hiv, but not in otherwise similar circumstances. This demonstrates ignorance. (I mean the term literally, not as an insult.)
If your practice is to always wear gloves, no matter the patient or nature of the contact, great. If you were teaching this to new nurses, it would also be important that you also teach evidence based standards of care.
BTW- Discrimination has always been bad. That's not a new thing.
Also- quick question: "I didn't study infectious disease or science of contagion or disease...."
The World Health Organization actually states that gloves should be donned any time "it can be reasonably anticipated that there will be contact with blood or other body fluids, mucous membranes, non-intact skin, or potentially infectious material will occur."
The World Health Organization does NOT recommend routine donning of gloves for all patient contacts or interactions, as it's a waste of resources, it does NOT contribute to reduction of cross-contamination, it may result in missed opportunities for hand hygiene, and it may result in germ transmission.
I don't wear gloves for fear of contracting HIV in situations like this, however, I usually wear gloves when touching anything in the patient room. Just because I have seen patients do some nasty things/have nasty things done in their rooms and I don't want to be touching that.
I also bleach everything, haha.
But no, not because of an incorrect HIV stigma.
I also bleach everything, haha.
I work with a nurse like you. I always feel really safe when she's on my shift; constantly wiping every thing down, counters, phones, stethoscopes, computer keyboards...when she's had enough of my mess in the med room she'll even go clean that up too! Love working with her; excellent nurse.
Way to hijack a thread.
My son-in-law was a germaphobe. Then they had kids, one of whom is disabled, will be in diapers his whole life. Son-in-law and much of their house has been pooped, vomited, and bled on. He is over his germaphobia!
And don't talk to me about bleach! I'm not a germaphobe, but HATE mold. When I get in a cleaning mood in my house I have poured undiluted bleach on various things. Of course managing to splash bleach on whatever I'm wearing at the time. I still shudder to think of nice jackets I have ruined.
When I was in the ED, there were lots of people from the hood, so there would be lots of scabies, lice, etc issues and that include their belongings.Just narrowing down someone's desire to wear gloves whatever the situation be into either ignorance and fear seems pretty narrow-minded to me too.
Medics bring a patient into the ED. You don't know anything about the patient, but they appear rather disheveled. Are they homeless? Do they have scabies, lice, etc.? Do they have drug paraphernalia on their person? I am 100% on board with wearing gloves when coming in contact with such a patient. There is a huge difference between an initial assessment on a homeless ED patient versus conducting an interview (where they is no touching involved) on an inpatient. If you feel better wearing gloves with all inpatients, go for it, but it is quite unnecessary in many circumstances.
According to the student who posted the OP, the nurse pointed to the pt's HIV status when telling the student to wear gloves in his room. I would take this to mean that the nurse is telling the student to wear gloves because the pt is HIV+. If the nurse believes that a caregiver must wear gloves by merely being in the room with an HIV+ patient, then that nurse is ignorant. The definition of ignorant that applies to this case: "lacking knowledge, information, or awareness about something in particular." Saying the nurse is ignorant is not narrow-mindedness--it is stating a fact.
Show me where you claim I misunderstood standard precautions.
Please provide a source that states gloves are to be worn for all patient interactions, including those where there is not a likelihood of coming in contact with body fluids, blood, or potentially infections items. You won't find it. There is absolutely no need to wear gloves when conducting a patient interview.
If you don't want to contract HIV from your patients, don't have sex with them, share tattoo or IV drug needles with them, or transfuse yourself with their blood. If you don't do those things, you will be fine.Furthermore, the CDC's most recent statement suggests that if the pt's viral load is undetectable, then they really can't transmit HIV.
Years ago, when I was a brand new nurse, I had a pt whose AV fistula had abscessed. He was HIV+. His fistula ruptured on my shift, and I ran into his room and instinctively slammed my bare hand down on top of the artery shooting blood shooting out of his arm onto the walls and ceiling. He yelled at me to grab gloves, but I wasn't moving my hand, and at that point my hand was already covered in his blood.
If I didn't get HIV from that, there is no way you will get HIV from a pt interview. The nurse that told you to wear gloves is stupid and wrong, and reeks to me of the phobia we dealt with in the 80s.
Agreed. I delivered the baby of an HIV+ woman, gloveless, running into the room, because she literally delivered immediately after her water broke (it was her 7th baby) and yelled out for help. I was also pregnant at the time. My coworkers gave me a hard time, but it was just an instinct, I didn't think about it (I immediately put gloves on once baby was on mom's chest and I washed my hands). If my daughter and I survived that, you will survive a conversation with a patient without getting HIV.
I love comments like "Oh, we're all so afraid of offending people these days," as if showing a little human kindness and not making someone feel like a biohazard, which, let's face it, people probably do to them on a daily basis, is being a "snowflake" or overly "PC" or something.
don gloves before patient care. Which is acceptable and an expected practice.
Gloves are unnecessary if you follow handwashing standards. Handwashing actually is more effective than gloving in prevention of disease. If a patient is on contact precautions, then you'd add gloving to your handwashing. No where is gloving ONLY a standard.
If you don't want to contract HIV from your patients, don't have sex with them, share tattoo or IV drug needles with them, or transfuse yourself with their blood. If you don't do those things, you will be fine.Furthermore, the CDC's most recent statement suggests that if the pt's viral load is undetectable, then they really can't transmit HIV.
Years ago, when I was a brand new nurse, I had a pt whose AV fistula had abscessed. He was HIV+. His fistula ruptured on my shift, and I ran into his room and instinctively slammed my bare hand down on top of the artery shooting blood shooting out of his arm onto the walls and ceiling. He yelled at me to grab gloves, but I wasn't moving my hand, and at that point my hand was already covered in his blood.
If I didn't get HIV from that, there is no way you will get HIV from a pt interview. The nurse that told you to wear gloves is stupid and wrong, and reeks to me of the phobia we dealt with in the 80s.
It is truly embarrassing to still be working with nurses living in the HIV hysteria of the '80s.
A patient came out of the OR and while I was hooking them up to the monitors. The OR nurse made a big deal of informing me the patient was HIV+. I continued with my un-gloved patient care practice of applying a pulse oximeter and blood pressure cuff and stated I wasn't planning on having sex with them so I wasn't too worried.
A victory in the battle against STUPID AND WRONG.
RotorRunner
84 Posts
Disagree with this. You are perfectly entitled to wear gloves every time you enter a patient room, but that is not standard precautions.
I only wear gloves when there is a likelihood of encountering open skin or bodily fluids. Wash your hands before and after all patient contact and there is nothing to be afraid of.
OP, your nurse was off base.