2 8 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E M A Y 2 0 1 5
facilities have no dou-
ble-gloving policies in
place. Of those who do,
the majority note it's a
recommended prac-
tice, not a mandate.
The reasons why
staffers and surgeons
don't wear the extra
gloves are abundant.
It's too wasteful and expensive, some argue, while others say the decreased
comfort and dexterity don't justify the extra layer of protection. But these rea-
sons are no excuse, says Mary J. Ogg, MSN, RN, CNOR, a perioperative nursing
specialist for AORN. "All facilities should have a policy and procedure for dou-
ble-gloving," says Ms. Ogg. "It reduces the rate of injury so much that I encour-
age everybody to do it."
Inconsistency across the board
Double-gloving has been proven again and again to be more effective at prevent-
ing sharps injuries, yet many surgical team members still don't follow the prac-
tice for a majority of cases. One-third of our survey respondents say their surgi-
cal staffers double-glove for most or some cases (31% and 32%, respectively).
Only 19% say they do it for all of their cases, and another 16% say they rarely or
never double-glove.
When staff do double-glove, it's often only for specific cases. A large majority
of respondents have staff double-glove for orthopedic cases (71%), while 30% to
40% of other managers say staff double-glove for general surgery, plastics, gyne-
cology and GI cases. Aside from during orthopedic cases, double-gloving proto-
col lacked consistency. Many note it centers on the patient, not the procedure.
One respondent says their double-gloving policy is "patient-specific rather than
z PEEK-A-BOO Wearing an indicator
glove is an effective way to show staff
when the outer glove has been perforated.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
