Wearing goggles while putting in an IV or performing phlebotomy?

Published Sep 2, 2003

by VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN

Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Does your institution require this? What about your nursing school (if you are a student)?

6,620 Posts

Sep 2, 2003

I have never been at a hospital that requires this, except during the whole SARS thing. I wear glasses anyways so i think it's a little silly to put goggles on as well.

passing thru

655 Posts

Sep 2, 2003

Blood doesn't splatter when you are sticking a vein, although anything is possible.

The only time I witnessed a splatter was a doc inserting a radial arterial line.........blood splattered everywhere and Yes, the pt was known

- HIV+ .

When I worked in ICU, I bought myself a pair of clear lens glasses at the drugstore and wore them frequently, as I was always splattering myself when emptying foley bags, suction cannisters, ngt suction cannisters, suctioning trachs , ETT's, etc....seems I was just a splatterer.

Anyway, I liked the protection my attractive glasses provided. And also the safety feature of protecting my eyes. They were comfortable, much more than goggles would be.

I do not wear them now as I do not empty anything, and as I said, I am not worried about blood splattering my eyes when performing venipunctures.

The lab techs in our hospital who do all the morning lab stiks do not wear protective goggles. Few wear glasses. Again, they are doing venipunctures.

It is not required in our hospital.

purplemania, BSN, RN

2,617 Posts

Sep 2, 2003

I have only worn goggles for art sticks or when dealing with pt in restraints (as far as phlebotomy goes)

Dayray, RN

700 Posts

Sep 2, 2003

seems like over kill to me. I can be a messy IV starter always get it in 1 shot (damn now I cursed my self) but I drip all over and have never had a IV start squirt me in the eye.