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 Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
I personally don't think that situation neccesitated the need for gloves but I was hoping to get someone else's opinion on this.[/quote']

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Yes, the instruction the OP was given was wrong.

Just the same, unashamed glove-wearer, hand-washer, and lover of hand sanitizer here. Non-discriminating.

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.

I was working in the GI proceed room, the next patient was a colonoscopy. The charge nurse called to let me know the next patient was HIV+. I couldn't care less.

The GI doc asked me what the phone call was. I bet he already had a idea since he knew the schedule. I told him.He said a HIV person on anti virals has an almost undetectable level of the virus.

No one in the proceed room took any extra precautions. Which of course weren't needed.

Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.
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.

If this nurse also finds time to properly access her patients while constantly wiping everything she sees or touches, then she's truly excellent.

But something makes me doubting it.

Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

Donning gloves every time for every patient's interaction is wrong for the following reasons:

1). It makes proper assessment impossible to perform. Skin temperature, texture, structure of skin lesions, fine pulse assessments and especially percussion cannot be properly accessed and performed while wearing gloves.

People quietly say that I must have ultrasound sensor, doppler and mini CT scan implanted in my fingertips. In fact, I just always do my physical assignments and never wear gloves while doing it, policies be ****ed.

2). It creates false sense of security and leads to less frequent hands washing, which is one of only two scientifically proven ways to reduce spread of pathogens (the second one is using hand cleaners).

3). It spends $$$ unnecessarily

4). for those suffering from skin diseases, wearing gloves all the time can be worse than washing and moisturizing hands

Re. original situation, the precepting RN must be either time traveler from early 1980th, or one of those policy-and tasks- kissing personalities. Nothing new about it - I was once precepted by an LPN who skipped heparin shots and early ambulation orders due to her "compassion toward patients" combined with total lack of both knowledge and common sense. But I would do my best to avoid any interactions with this person in the future, because next time she might think that the OP breathes 0.36758991 times/min more than she does and that might be detrimental for patients' safety and well-being.

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
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Would this be universal or standard precautions or universal standard precautions?

I don't care who your, that post is funny Davey, you twisted rascal.

Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Practicing in the ‘80s, at least the early 80s, was different. We were told in nursing school we shouldn't wear gloves when changing a colostomy because the patient might feel bad. Um, gross. The pendulum has swung far to the other side. People wear gloves for everything. No chance of blood or body fluids I don't wear gloves. People still need human contact.

Specializes in Public Health, TB.

I am surprised that more bank tellers don't wear gloves! Do you know how germy money is, ew!

And lately, I watch baristas run their fingers around the top of the coffee lid and shudder.

Universal precautions--hand hygiene always and wearing gloves when you expect to come in contact with bodily fluids.

No, I don't put on gloves as soon as I walk in, regardless of what I plan to do in there. It's not necessary. I put on gloves when I'm ready to do something that will potentially expose me to bodily fluids.

I thoroughly disagree with you. Can you plan on when you are coming into contact with fluids? I was in a room just yesterday to help move a patient from one bed to another. I picked up the catheter bag and it was not clamped. Urine went all over me. But technically, I was not supposed to come in contact with fluids. You can't plan for accidental exposure.

I wear gloves, every, single, time. Even if I'm just turning off a beep on the pump. I can't tell people when to projectile vomit, when to bleed, when to poop and pee. It can happen when I just go to silence a pump.

Plus, how does the patient know I haven't had say, my finger up my nose before going in the room? Lol. I didn't, but how do they know? It's just as much for their protection as mine like I stated.

If this nurse also finds time to properly access her patients while constantly wiping everything she sees or touches, then she's truly excellent.

But something makes me doubting it.

I work with a nurse that does this. She's freaking awesome and I am privileged to work with her and get her vast knowledge.

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Plus, how does the patient know I haven't had say, my finger up my nose before going in the room? Lol. I didn't, but how do they know? It's just as much for their protection as mine like I stated.

It's a reasonable assumption that the nurse taking care of you is using appropriate hand hygiene. Besides, you're supposed to practice hand hygiene whenever you walk into a patient room.

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