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?

[WhyShouldYou]

Ahhh, just read page 2. It's not about the procedure at all is it. It's just the physical contact from a HCP, with the boy...

But should the seat he sat on not then also be cleaned? The surface he rested his hand on while the procedure was undertaken? The handle of the door on the way out, and the outer door?

It's a minefield! I'm never leaving the house again!

[Ozwizard]

Yanbu and my reaction would be the same as yours. When ds was just about to be put under for an op, the anesthetist stepped back sneezed,wiped both of his hands down the side of his scrubs and then went to continue what he was doing. I was not amused and said to him "you are going to wash your hands after sneezing?" He was embarrassed that he had been called out on it and went and washed them!

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

viloot. There's no need for smear swabs to be sterile before use. I'm guessing your DP doesn't sterilise his penis before sticking it in your vagina, nor do you sterilise your fingers.

[Lelloteddy]

Am surprised at your posts Feral ( and would be more than slightly concerned if you are actually an HCP)

Blood taking is not a sterile procedure. But HCPS by the nature of the job are constantly in touch with ill, potentially immunocompromised, potentially INFECTIOUS patients. Things like MRSA, Cdiff etc are easily passed by touch contact. Hand washing is critical in the frontline fight against infections. Before and after each patient contact. Seven step technique is recommended.

[feralgoat]

I stand corrected

You'll be glad to know I'm not a HCP, or ever intend to be one!

[Libitina]

As a HCP YANBU OP

[Smidge001]

I don't think I've ever had my blood taken by anyone who didn't put on a pair of disposable gloves. And I've had a lot of blood taken. Not sure it's great for the environment but at least I've never had to worry about whether their hands were clean.
YWNBU.

[VilootShesCute]

simon ha ha. No he doesn't sterilise his bits but then again he's not scraping away at my cervix with it to get a tissue sample

[Lelloteddy]

Thing is though Smidge is that putting gloves on dirty hands doesn't stop infections spreading. If you have any contaminants on your hand from the previous patient etc, as soon as you pick up the gloves, you're potentially contaminating them as well. Hand washing really is the key. It's SO important.

[Lelloteddy]

Mrs DeVere exactly. People love honking their bosoms to the goady daily fail headlines about filthy hospitals and rife MRSA bugs yet act as if you've just asked them to sell a kidney if you politely request that they wash their hands before and after hospital visiting.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I'm an HCP.
I call my patient in, check the DOB and any updates (on the computer) with clean (gel) hands.Open pack and tip onto work surface (still in its inner sterile wrap)
Then I wash,dry,pinny,gloves. Open sterile wrap (noe technically 'clean' because its open)
Use my preop cleanser to soak gauze. Then I touch my patient.

If my gloves get dirty or bloodied, I change them. If I need to answer the phone, open a cupboard, I remove and replace.
Once I'm done, I use gel then the keyboard.

I'm dealing with one of the most bacteria ridden part of the body.
I wear jazzy royal blue HiVis gloves and my hands are wrecked

[wheresthel1ght]

Having been given a horrific womb infection that very nearly saw me having to have a hysterectomy after a consultant hadn't changed his gloves between buggering about on his pc and examining me YADNBU!!

If the nurse didn't like being called on it then she should follow the correct guidelines.

I would definitely report it to the practice manager. If nothing else it is clearly a training area for her.

[FreakinScaryCaaw]

wheresthel1ght sorry to hear that. I hope the surgeon got into trouble?

[wheresthel1ght]

Unfortunately trying to prove it was nigh on impossible but as I was single, hadn't slept with anyone and didn't use tampons there was no other way it had been introduced to the top section of my womb!

[Janey50]

2 things I will say here. Firstly,you are perfectly within your rights to ask a doctor/nurse/phlebotomist to wash their hands before touching you. There are posters on the walls of my local hospital to this effect,saying 'Please feel free to ask me if I have washed my hands before I touch you'. Secondly,I fail to see what good gloves are if they are putting dirty hands all over them in order to get them on?!

[shazzarooney999]

She is not touching the affected area, so I am not sure what your problem is???? you sound quite Ocd like.

[MarvellousMonsters]

I do venapuncture as part of my job, I'd never do it with out washing my hands and/or wearing gloves. I wear gloves for every patient contact, especially if I'm sticking needles in theme ou weren't being an arse at all, she was.

[Janey50]

And one extra point I will make. There seems to a shocking reluctance amongst MINORITY of medical professionals to wash their hands. By it's very nature,a career in the medical/caring professions requires you to wash your hands frequently. So why go into a job like this if you are anti hand washing?

[PassThePinot]

YANBU at all. In fact I am glad you asked her. That is not being said in a patronising tone either, I'm an infection control nurse and hand washing before ANY patient contact, regardless of what is being done and what has been touched prior, HAS to done. It's part of our health board policy. Good for you for asking her.