Wearing Gloves for Injections

truern · Nov 12, 2005

The hospitals I've been at don't require them, but my school policy is that we wear them.

Ergo, I wear them

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Nov 12, 2005

What is the practice out there for wearing gloves for injections - IM's and SC's?

No one that I work with, nor myself, wears gloves to give injections. Starting IV's, YES ALWAYS ! When the students are doing clinicals I notice they all wear gloves when giving injections. I suppose it's a good practice because occasionally you'll get one that will bleed. If I get a bleeder I do put on gloves before cleaning it up with etol, 2x2's and a bandaid.

honeyb111 · Nov 12, 2005

I haven't seen them required at any facility I've been at. Our instructors say it's our choice, we don't have to wear them for shots.

purplemania, BSN, RN · Nov 12, 2005

I wear them. You only need a little bitty amount of blood to become contaminated.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Nov 12, 2005

I wear them. You only need a little bitty amount of blood to become contaminated.

Me too. Some of the older ladies I work with don't, I am not taking my chances.

HappyJaxRN · Nov 12, 2005

I wear gloves for everything. I can't tell you the amount of times I didn't implement universal precautions and went to touch someone and either they threw up on me, had stool in the bed, were wet from urine....And I work on a floor where 95% of our patients are on contact isolation for either MRSA, VRE, C-Diff, Hepititis....you name it, they have it and I don't want it. I also wear gloves when getting the meds from the vial, especially if I know there is a chance I can splash it on me....which I do from time to time....I guess I'm just Ms. Glove Happy. :)

live4today, RN · Nov 12, 2005

I believe in donning those gloves NO MATTER WHAT! Patients are FULL of surprises when you least expect them to be. :)

suebird3 · Nov 13, 2005

we have a few who are "full of surprises"....then i wear gloves. my hands are suffering from contact derm. already, and it is a pain typing.

while in phleb. school....some of the techs would rip a finger off to palpate a vein; sometimes ya have to.....

suebird :)

gilliansl · Nov 14, 2005

Having worked in the medical profession as a nurse for 27 years, I now find myself back in school after moving from Georgia to California (my classes were before reciprocity... needed more hours and that #%^&* 54 hour pharmaceudical course)

I've never worn gloves to do an injection. As for 'bleeders', if you pull back (as we should) on your syringe to make sure your not in a vessel prior to injecting, then the bleeding you may get is VERY minimal. It's easily controlled with a cotton ball or gauze 2x2 before bandaiding (as ALL injection sites should be!), without getting blood on yourself. (A Z-track may be an exception)

Then too, unless YOU have a break in the skin of your hands or fingers, a drop of blood from the patient is easily removed quickly with your etoh pad on hand, then wash your hands, use the anti-bacterial rub afterwards, and you should be fine.

Just my experience and opinion... your milage may vary.

Gillian

cindyRN 2006 · Nov 15, 2005

The way they are teaching me at my school is that any time there is a reasonable chance you will come in contact with any body secretions then you had better have gloves on. I agree with the other posters that I air on the side of caution. ALWAYS.

BGSRN · Nov 15, 2005

Thanks everyone. According to one article that I was able to locate the CDC and OSHA do not indicate that gloves are mandatory (according to this source) however there may well be caveats r/t possible contamination. It makes sense to err on the side on safety and I have advised my students in this regard. However, they are watching varying practices from different nurses - I really would like to find some true evidence on this rather than a secondary source. I have tried the usual searchers w/only minimal success. So, if anyone knows of a good source I would appreciate a nudge in that direction!

Thanks:thankya: