Group Forums >> CNAs >> WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SEE SOMEONE DOING PATIENT CARE WITHOUT GLOVES ON?
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SEE SOMEONE DOING PATIENT CARE WITHOUT GLOVES ON?
51 posts back to top |
Posted 11 months ago
It's become a good work habit, second nature, the right thing to do! To preserve, protect and sustain the life of your pt, and yourself. Now comes the Nurse (Uh Head Nurse, RN, LVN, Doctor, X-Ray Tech) CNA pleasantly smiling and chatting while offering to help you turn your patient, without washing or gloves. What do you do? Ignore and later report? Ignore and continue chatting (after all He/She is your supervisor) Ignore Scream "UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS" at the top of your lungs and throw the entire box of gloves across the room! oops daydream Pull two gloves from the box and gently hand them over. Be honest, this is our CNA forum, I want to know what is going on in our CNA neighborhood. Does it frustrate you? Remember that is you and I, our sisters, mothers, fathers, laying in those beds. How important is this?
Admiring the Struggle it takes to be Human |
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| Posted 11 months ago I wash my hands before and after touching a patient, but often I do not use gloves before touching a patient. Why you are going to ask? To often we use gloves when it is not necessary, especially someone who is not contagious with anything and to me and for me, it is my part of healing with human touch. I was not taught to use gloves just to touch a patient and yes I realize I went through nursing school over 30 years ago. If there is any chance of coming in contact with body fluids, then yes I use gloves. |
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51 posts back to top |
| Posted 11 months ago Thank you for the very honest feedback on this subject. I agree, touch is healing and the closeness and personal repoir it builds is important. Sepsis is a crucial issue that can reverse all of those "good intentions".
Admiring the Struggle it takes to be Human |
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| Posted 11 months ago I do flash back to my training in the dark ages that we shouldn't wear the gloves. I do wear them when there are bodily fluids involved. It's a hard habit to break and at times I have to tell myself to get the gloves on. I do was my hands, OCD with hand washing. Please don't pay any attention to my misspelled words or typos. Sorry I'll try harder next time. |
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| Posted 11 months ago Always gloves even before I know what the patient needs. You never know what could come up or come out. I'd rather be safe than sorry. |
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| Posted 11 months ago Some patients are offended when you wear gloves just to touch them. If there are no fluids involved I don't wear them. If the issue comes up like you say, then you can put them on. I personally would feel like you think I am dirty and gross if all your doing was taking my blood pressure and you put on gloves for that. "Softly. deftly, music shall caress you. Feel it, hear it, secretly possess you...." |
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| Posted 11 months ago Considering the laws which don't allow us to review patients medical records, we don't ever really know what we being exposed to:::::or what we are exposing our patients to:::::: Gloving is the most important part of Universal Precautions. Our pt's don't get offended that we glove, they get infections if we don't. Don't forget to GLOVE LOVE Peace Admiring the Struggle it takes to be Human |
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| Posted 11 months ago Universal precautions does not entail wearing gloves for every pt contact. Joint Commission requires proper hand hygiene before and after pt contact or even going into a pts room. What you suggest is fine if that's what you want your practice to be. Personally, it's overkill if you're practicing hand hygiene according to the WHO guidelines. Sepsis? You're suggesting that's a result of not wearing gloves? A bit of an obtuse statement, don't you think? |
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| Posted 11 months ago "if its wet and its not yours, wear gloves" Also, treat all patients like they have blood born pathogens...........much better to be safe than sorry. I think just going in a room to meet your patient, maybe touch them on the shoulder or arm for reassurance....................and there is no 'wetness', gloves not necessary. I think nobody takes better care of me than me.............so I'm going to protect myself without being too paranoid to offer comfort to someone who is grieving, sad, showing stress and just needs 'human touch'. If somebody has some gooey stuff seeping from her pores, <trying to make up a scenario> of course I'm gloving. If its the supervisor in there with you when you reach for the glove box, grab an extra pair and hand them to her with a smile and dont make a fuss about it. Good luck We only have one heart, take care of it! Angie |
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| Posted 11 months ago im a cna and i rember a nurse telling me i dont need to wear gloves for everything, i was dressing a resident, i always wear gloves |
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| Posted 11 months ago envyangels says ...
If you are giving care, then you legally do have access and should review their medical records. Yes, patients do become offended if you wear gloves for every single thing. I don't know where you practice, but I've had many patients get angry when gloving for a simple touch etc. |
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51 posts back to top |
| Posted 11 months ago However regulated or to use the syntac of "obtuse" in regards to Universal Precautions is an astringent observation on anyone's part. Take into account that CNA's do not have access to the patients charts, we don't know what we are dealing with and according to HIPPA 1997 LVN/RN's can not by law give us that information. RN work without medical records or information in regards to your patients care is like walking into a room with curtains drawn and no light to turn on. I challenge you to hit the floor tomorrow with no medical records access. You would perform your duties with Gloves ON! CNA's take all precautions because it is not only our first line of defense, it is our only defense. We very often have enough experience to realize our patients history or simply the patient shares that information with us. CNA's GLOVES ON! RN's LVN's read the chart, trust your inner judgement, we don't have the luxury! Peace
Admiring the Struggle it takes to be Human |
967 posts back to top |
| Posted 11 months ago Whenever their is bodily fluid involved, or antipicated, or a possibilty, use universal precautions!! it's as simple as that. Whether you know today, they do not have anything, tomorrow is a different story.Pt's freq get diagnosed with MRSA days after you have been taking of them.Knowing pt medical information isn't always necessary due to that fact.Of course, knowing history is nice, the fact that they COULD have something that hasnt been diagnosed, is the real concern. When i first started ,as a nursing assistant in 1986, getting gloves to use was more of an absurdity, and very hard to find, the hospitals didnt really want to spend the money on them.Things have totally changed, and for the better.Always use universal precautions no matter what, and you'll be fine... |
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| Posted 11 months ago Just for the record it's HIPAA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. For me, I consider any CNA who works with me a significant member of the healthcare team and regardless of what HIPAA says, I will impart information to my CNA's if I, in my professional capacity, feel they need to know. I think some of HIPAA is absurd and goes way overboard, especially in regards to those taking care of patients. |
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| Posted about 1 month ago Well you don't want to report them that's for sure. it all depends on what you are doing, if it's just pulling up a patient and they are not in insolation it's nothing wrong with that, because they can always use the hand sanitizer outside the room when they are done. Also if you are in a room and they are kind enough to help you when you ask and the patient may have a disease just calmly get a pair of medium gloves or whatever size you think they wear and hand them to them with a smile, in that way they will get the hint. If it's a nurse just say "Do you need any gloves?"and if they say no don't get them upset by worrying about it because the nurses work more with the patients and trust me they are more aware about the patient than you are especially if it is their patient. One nurse I worked with didn't like using gloves and when they had snacks at the hospital they would tell her to make sure she washed her hands before touching anything anyone brought there to eat. as a matter of fact they called her "Merca Fingers" That was the name the nurses made up for her, they refuse them thats on them but never report them, you don't want to burn your bridges with them,let me guess you are a new CNA? |
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| Posted about 1 month ago I just say, 'hey, do me a favor and put some gloves on if you don't mind please'. People know me for this and I don't usually have a problem after a few times of such intervention. They may think I am jerk at first until they realize that I do it to everybody and it is nothing personal the first time or two. In the end, you try to remember that you are doing something right that protects them, you, and many others, but deliver the request with tact and respect. Walk softly, but carry a big stick and don't fear using it only when needed.
Cheers - Tim, R.N. |
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| Posted about 1 month ago not wearing gloves only kills the stupid ones. |
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| Posted about 1 month ago SEVOFLURANE says ...
To a great degree, you do have a point, but there is the spread later to others homer. So maybe a forum should be started like 'who in your life would you not use gloves on or wash your hands when doing patient/enemy care right after working with several MRSA patients prior.'
Take care and keep the laughs rolling, peace out - Tim, R.N. |
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| Posted about 1 month ago Well if no body fluids were involved, I wouldn't worry too much. However, one should always use universal precaution. I work as an STNA now and we are not told patient's conditions before we go in. But if a nurse should have worn gloves and didn't, I would take a diplomatic approach by just asking them would they mind putting a pair of gloves on. No need to grind someone down into the ground, a simple request usually works. I would not report it to the supervisor. |
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| Posted 11 days ago Yes pull the gloves from the box and give it to them.(nasty) |
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| Posted 10 days ago I have had the misfortune of having to hand nurses and doctors gloves. It makes me mad when co workers ignore the "stop" signs outside a patients door and forgets the universal precaution code. Not only does it put them into danger of picking up a nasty bug, but the rest of my coworkers and residents. for some reason we have had a rash of c-diff coming from the hospital to our nursing center. I have found it easier to treat ALL patients as tho they have this "bug". But when it comes to comforting touches, I do not glove up, but make sure to wash my hands immediatly after giving that care. |
You know the drill, you knock on the door, wait to enter, greet person with a smile and "Hi, my name is::::::::::::::::and I am going to be helping you out today. You sing this gently as you glide to the sink to scrub and glove. 
