•       The most common type of Personal Protective Equipment worn with medication administration;
•       Description;
•       Non-sterile (clean) gloves made using different materials, such as vinyl or latex; if allergic to latex, wear non-latex gloves;
•       Come in different sizes.

 

Gloves – Rules:

•  Should be worn once and then thrown away;
•  When wearing gloves, always work from (or touch) a clean area, before touching contaminated (or dirty) area;
•  Change gloves if hands are going to move from a body part that is contaminated (dirty) to a body part that is not contaminated (clean);
•  Change gloves right away if dirty or torn;
•  Take gloves off carefully and do not touch skin or clothes with dirty sides of gloves;
•  Do not touch anything with dirty gloves that anyone may touch without gloves, like a doorknob;
•  Should be comfortable – not too loose or not too tight.

 

Gloves – When to Wear

•  Wear gloves any time care worker will or think will come into contact with blood or body fluids (urine, stool, spit, mucus coughed up);
•  Wear gloves any time health care worker will or think will come into contact with non-intact skin (opened up skin, such as sores or cuts);
•  Wear gloves any time health care worker will or think will come into contact with mucus membranes (linings of natural body openings);
•  Inside or outside of the rectum;
•  Inside of the mouth;
•  Inside of the nose.

 

Examples of when to always wear gloves:

•  When you might touch blood, body fluids, non-intact skin, or mucus membranes;
•  Providing or assisting with mouth care;
•  Wiping a nose that is draining;
•  Providing perineal care (the genitals and the buttocks);
•  Caring for a resident with cuts and sores;
•  Performing a finger-stick blood sugar;
•  Touching a surface or equipment that is contaminated or maybe contaminated;
•  If the staff has open sores or cuts on own hands.

 

Gloves should be worn and hand hygiene must be performed when transdermal products, i.e., Nitroglycerin or Duragesic patches, are applied or removed

 

Gloves – How to Put On (Don)

•  Select correct size and type;
•  Insert hands into gloves Interlace fingers and smooth out folds creating a comfortable fit; and;
•  Carefully look for tears, holes, or discolored spots;
•  Special notice: when gloves and gowns must be worn, ensure that each glove is extended over the gown cuff.

 

Gloves – How to Remove

•  Grasp outside edge of one glove near wrist;
•  Peel glove away from hand turning glove inside-out, with the contaminated side on the inside;
•  Hold the removed glove in the opposite gloved hand;
•  With ungloved hand, slide one or two fingers under the wrist of the other glove. Being careful not to touch outside of the glove, peel off the second glove from inside, creating a bag for both glove;
•  Discard (Used gloves contaminated with body fluids should be disposed of in containers with plastic bags that are knotted prior to disposal, to protect janitorial staff. You must be familiar with your facility’s policies and procedures about the disposal of gloves and other materials (incontinence briefs, wipes, etc.) contaminated with.
• Wash hands!