9/4/2008 - Written by the Medical Exam Glove team

Everyone knows that donning medical exam gloves are important to preventing the transmission of microorganisms. The following is a healthy reminder of good practices to ensure we improve hand hygiene.

Wash hands before AND after donning exam gloves. No one is pointing fingers, but we all know how hectic a hospital environment can become. For this reason, it is easy to forget that we are suppose to wash our hands properly every time we put on and take off a pair of exam gloves. 

Dispose of exam gloves after using on patient. Medical exam gloves are disposable meant for single-use only. This means we should never touch a patient with a pair of medical gloves that were already used on another patient. A good habit to keep is to take off your exam glove right before you leave the patient’s room to ensure you do not unconsciously use the same pair on another patient.

Share with your head nurse or infection control if you experience irritated hands. If you experience irritated hands or if your skin becomes dry and chapped, it is not your fault. Every day your hands go through a lot between the handwashing and all the gloves you don and take off. You must always continue to use medical gloves and wash hands to ensure you are protected. Just because your hands hurt does not mean you can stop practicing good hand hygiene. For this reason, share your condition with your head nurse or infection control team so they can help improve your skin condition. Skin irritation on the hands is not an uncommon problem and solutions are available to help you.

For more information on improving hand hygiene in a healthcare setting, Click here>

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