Wearing PPE

[newbie12]

Hi all,

I've just started working as a nursing assistant while studying towards becoming registered and I've been doing shifts on the oncology ward. I plan to stay there for a while as I want to be fully confident in working in one ward before moving around. I had a talk with a couple of the nurses on the ward about PPE and when I should wear it and I received mixed answers.

I know what I'm about to ask may sound like an absolutely ridiculous or obvious question, but I just want clarification. When we are doing the patients obs when they are recieving chemo, are we to wear gloves or any other PPE? My understanding is that we're really only supposed to wear PPE if we think that there is any chance of contact of bodily fluids, just like in other areas of nursing.

Thanks a bunch :)

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

You should be wearing PPE when there is ANY chance of exposure to pts bodily fluids. Lets just say you are doing Vital signs and you reach under the pts arm to apply the cuff and yuck you notice blood on your hands. They had a skin break...now you were just exposed to their blood. this has happened to me more times than I care to mention so now I just put on non-sterile gloves for any pt contact. So in your duties you will empty Foleys..take vital signs..assist pt with toileting needs...sounds like you need to be wearing non-sterile gloves for pt contact. Now if you are just delivering some water and you will not be touching the pt or linens... in that case you do not need to wear them. Every nurse/aide/HCW needs to use standard precautions on every pt. In terms of chemotherapy there are very specific recommendations from ONS about contact with bodily fluids post chemotherapy. all nurses need to be wearing the thicker chemo gloves for administation and removal of body waste post chemo. You will see many nurses take shortcuts with chemo administration....it not good practice..they should wear the chemo gloves pulled over the gown sleeves...a long-sleeved gown that is impermeable to liquids...goggles and dispose in specail chemotherapy waste containers (that is anything with chemo on it..including the cap on the end of the bag. You should carry some goggles with you in a fanny pack or something....yes pts cough without covering their mouths. I have a propensity toward eye infection b/c I have abnormal lacrimal ducts and have pts spit in my eye and yes then I get an infection..so always protect yourself as it is when you least expect it s when you often get exposed to something. You can see the entire list of precautions in any IV drug book...chemo book or ONS has it as well ...check the CDC site to get their definition of standard precautions