I asked the nurse to wash her hands

[FreakinScaryCaaw]

This morning I took my teenage son for a blood test. The nurse had used the keyboard to look up stuff and touched other surfaces. She was just about to take bloods when I said 'you are going to wash your hands aren't you?' She said my son was the first patient of the day and her hands were clean but if it made me feel better she'd wash them. I replied that she'd touched surfaces. She wasn't happy. She washed her hands reluctantly.

I wasn't being an arse was I?

YABU to say "'you are going to wash your hands aren't you?' "

YWNBU if you had said "i'd be really grateful if you washed your hands first"

In the moment before she was going to use the needle, the OP's immediate response would have been mine too.

YANBU

I would imagine your tone was due to a bit of panic? I know I would be.

I once went to the doctor as I had an ear infection. He checked the bad ear first with the usual ear-checking device. He then checked my good ear and I was shocked that he didn't change the disposable plastic ear insert first but I didn't say anything. I ended up with the infection transferring to the other ear. I wish I'd said something as I ended up being off work for weeks as I was totally deaf for all of that time (I had been able to handle no hearing in one ear but not both). I would never not say anything in future.

I didn't have a harsh tone just neutral.

angelos02!! That's shocking.

I would've been polite if she hadn't been just about to take bloods

Surely she didn't spring in a nano second from typing on the keyboard to jabbing a needle into your son though.

I once had bloods taken by a medical student in hospital. He didn't wear gloves, and tried to take the blood from the back of my hand.

I pointed out that I had never had blood taken from there before, I said "isn't it usually from the arm?". He insisted that the hand was the right place - and stuck the needle in me 3-4 times before giving up and going for my arm. By which point he had my blood all over his hands - which he then transferred to various drawers and equipment whilst scrabbling around for plasters etc.

I was horrified and I wish I had said something to the senior nurse - but he was utterly lovely, and I was traumatised from being in A&E so I didn't.

Soupdragon, so the germs would have kindly jumped off her hands would they?

UnG, that's really awful.

Good on you. My hospital has signs up encouraging patients to ask us to wash our hands before touching them if we are not observed to!

As an aside - having recently spent time in hospital - where the nurses were always very good at using the hand sanitizer frequently - I did wonder what havoc it must play with your skin. Do nurses suffer terribly dry cracked hands? It must be horrible.

yanbu
it's pretty rude (and dangerous!) of the nurse not to wash her hands before procedure.

I presumed gloves were non negociable, as is hand washing.

Do nurses suffer terribly dry cracked hands? It must be horrible

Yes. My hands are about 50 years older than the rest of me. They are so sore.

UnG, yeah - contact dermatitis/dry cracked hands are pretty standard!

But yes- signs asking patients to remind us to wash our hands is standard. YWNBU.

YNBU at all.
I think lots of GPS and nurses get com placement about hand washing from what I've seen (no not everyone).

It makes me feel very uneasy when they don't wear gloves to take bloods but I asked a nurse why not once and she said it makes it more likely they'll stab themselves because they can't feel as well with them.

I'm not sure that's true. Can you imagine if a surgeon didn't scrub and wear gloves? Bonkers!

OP I would actually write to the practice manager and tell them.

I'd have wanted her to wash her hands, don't know if I'd have asked though.

I keep hydrocortisone in my bag for when my hands get really cracked.

YANBU - all HCPs should be scrupulously careful about hygiene at all times

YANBU at all.

I know someone who caught a very nasty infection from a keyboard (they harbour all kinds of yuk) through a tiny cut on their hand and , several months on, are still suffering from it.

Good for you for standing up for correct hygiene practice.

It does after all say on those big posters doesn't it about hand washing. That's it's okay to ask.
I think tbh. She was embarrassed about having to be reminded by a patient, well not patient, but YKWIM, so she got a bit defensive. She's only human I suppose.
I wouldn't dwell on it.

YWNBU.

Another aside - I was in hospital on Friday. Nurse doing my sats/temp etc had clearly been smoking as her fingers stank. It was really unpleasant.

The nurses at our surgery don't wear gloves for taking blood.

I wouldn't have said anything personally.

YWNBU & tbh I don't think that you were rude.

She should have just said thanks for the reminder.

As a Nurse I would have no problem with being asked to wash my hands. And I have been and done so in the past! Granted you tend to wash them and then use Alcohol Gel prior to 'gloving up' but regardless if you feel that someone should wash their hands then ask. I might just add that using Alcohol Gel is more effective at killing bacteria than hand washing if there is no visible soiling!

Ex nurse. Washed hands and wore gloves before taking bloods, couldn't imagine not! I wonder though, how much bacteria is on those pump sanitisers that are everywhere? When I visited a relative in a maternity unit, there was one just inside the door that we all had to use as we went in. So, the person in front who'd just been to the toilet and hadn't washed his hands, the child with sticky hands, someone who'd licked their fingers etc.......