I was doing personal care of one of the residents, as the resident was not able to stand up without assistance. I looked out of the door for help and saw the enrolled nurse, who also happens to be the admin manager of the facility. Would you please give me a hand to get xyz, I said to her she came and we both assisted her to stand holding her walker. As I was giving her a wash after assisting with toileting and just about finishing wiping and drying her bottom. “Take your gloves off!” she said in a very authoritative manner but I pretended as if I didn’t hear anything. She again said rudely “take the gloves off” which I felt embarrassed about and I told her why do you want me to take the gloves off. She said, “ those gloves are dirty and you need to remove them now”. I told her there is nothing in the gloves, she keeps saying you just cleaned her which really annoys me and I kept wearing the gloves saying when I did my placement I was told to put them on when doing personal care and she kept arguing with me and went on to give a big lecture saying “we practice different standards here in this facility regarding the hand hygiene”. I straight away told her that I was taught to use the gloves when I did my training and you are asking me to take it off when I am washing her bum or cleaning up. Sorry! I didn’t knew that’s your facility “different standard”, I said, thank you for letting me know and I told her I am not going to stop wearing gloves. Every now and then health organisations around Australia and the world say one must use gloves to protect themselves and the one you provide care to especially in time of COVID-19 pandemic. If that is the standard you follow here in your facility so be it I will not stop wearing gloves I was telling to myself. Recently, they ran the hand hygiene training and stressed staff to follow good hygiene on washing hands, sanitizing and using gloves but as soon as the prices of gloves goes higher in the market they are now saying don’t wear gloves unless need to be….this sounds ridiculous when the government and the health sector highly recommends the use of gloves for the prevention and control of infection in residential and community aged care. Wearing gloves and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) in essential work practices is the best way to infection prevention and control as when the person has known infectious disease like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and Clostridium difficile or there is a risk of being exposed to blood or body substances, Changing a colostomy bag or urinary drainage bag, Dressing wounds or touching broken skin, Assisting with toileting, Giving mouth or eye care, Oral suctioning Touching equipment or surfaces that may come into contact with blood or body substances, Blood glucose monitoring or You have broken skin Preparing food. Australian guidelines for the prevention and control of infection clearly mentioned Hygiene suggestions for carers of people with incontinence as follows:
- Wear disposable gloves when you are helping the person to clean
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water afterwards, even if you wore disposable gloves.
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