Question for the group.
When doing central line dressing changes are you washing your hands, remove the old occlusive dressing with clean gloves, washing your hands again, and then don sterile gloves to finish the procedure? You may also respond directly to me at my home e-mail [email protected] or respond on this forum.
Thanks,
Timothy Royer, BSN, CRNI
We simply change gloves from clean to sterile gloves after removing the old dressing and proceed with cleaning and applying new dressing. Don't wash hand again until after dressing complete and leaving the room.
Our policy was written this way too.....right!......I'm really going to walk away from a pt to cross the room and re-wash, while the pt snoops, sticks their fingers in things, moves their arm (for PICCs) around to see it, uses the opportunity to scratch as it was itchy under the drsg,etc. And that's the compus mentus people! Obviously, it depends on the pt and set-up of the room.
we carry a hand sanitizer gel on our carts, often I'll "wash" with that.
I agree, hand sanitizer is the only way to go. Hand hygiene stipulations are proliferating.
During a recent JC survey, the surveyor faulted one of our home care nurses because she washed her hands before contacting the patient. The nurse then took vital signs and proceeded to do a blood draw. She didn't wash again before putting on the gloves for the blood draw, and was faulted for improper hand hygiene.
Pretty soon we're all going to have to walk around with gallons of alcohol gel strapped to our backs . . .
Jennifer Rabalais, CRNI, CIC
I love the alcohol based gels. I do use it befoe donning the sterile gloves.
Gwen Irwin
Austin, Texas