I wonder if in part the IC nurse has misunderstood or maybe your OSHA people???
I do not like to see people in the hall with seemingly Clean gloves on and
nothing in their hands....as Oregon Osha at one time would only assume they were
dirty. If you have somehting in your hands like trash or pushing a gurney...it
should NOT be an issue. ALSO...I agree with your comment about uniforms in
oublic places. In the OLD days...nurses changed after arrival at work.
Hmmmmmm....
Again, early on in the 90's I had been told that OSAH would cite someone in seen
in public with unifrm....not sure that was a scare tactic...if they really were
planning to or if they did. Makes sense!

What kind of a respone did you get?
Can you get a group of staff to sign something to present and contest?
Good luck!

Mary Ann
Health and Wellness Coach
www.wesharejuiceplus.com



-----Original message-----
From: "mrsasucks" mrsasucks@...
Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:24:40 -0700
To: MRSA@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [MRSA] Tales from the Crypt (Letters to OSHA)

> for your reading enjoyment....
>
> December 9, 2006
>
>
>
> Department of Health and Human Services
> Centers for Disease Control
> Public Inquiries
> Mailstop E11
> 1600 Clifton Road
> Atlanta, Georgia 30333
>
> RE: Use of clean exam gloves
>
>
> It is with deep concern for my health and safety as well as the health
> and safety of my co-workers and patients that I am requesting an
> official ruling on the use of clean exam gloves. I am an Operating
> Room nurse at Kettering Hospital in Kettering, Ohio. During an
> In-Service on Wednesday, December 6, 2006 the OR staff was informed by
> the Infection Control staff that it was no longer acceptable to wear
> clean exam gloves while transporting patients to and from the
> operating room suite or anywhere else in the hospital. We were also
> advised that it is not acceptable practice to wear clean exam gloves
> when transporting bags of OR trash or linens to the decontamination
> area for disposal.
>
> The rationale offered by Infection Control is that if a clean gown and
> clean linens are placed on the patient, there is no need for gloves.
> Additionally, if the trash and linen bags are clean on the outside
> (which often they are not) there is no need to wear gloves when
> transporting these bags.
>
> Patients often have varying tubes placed in their bodies that have the
> potential to be accidentally pulled and can splash a person
> transporting them. Some examples would include naso-gastric tubes,
> chest tubes, Jackson-Pratt drains, Penrose drains, IV catheters, foley
> catheters, etc. Also, many patients are incontinent of stool and urine
> as well as the potential for vomiting or bleeding from an orifice.
>
>
>
> Operating room trash and linens are almost always contaminated with
> blood as well as feces, urine, sputum, bile, gastric secretions or
> vomitus, at times. The potential for a bag to be torn during
> transport to the decontamination area exists.
>
> My perspective is as follows: until we get the Star Trek technology
> onboard, health care workers must physically transport patients and
> patient waste. Therefore; it would seem prudent that we protect
> ourselves and others by the use of clean exam gloves during transport.
>
> I would like an official ruling by the CDC as I have been advised by
> my supervisor that I would be "counseled on my behavior" if I continue
> to wear clean exam gloves.
>
> Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
>
> Caryl J. Carver, RN, BSN
>
> cc: OSHA
> NIOSH
>
>
> STAY TUNED FOR ANOTHER EXCITING ADVENTURE WITH OSHA... THERE WERE 7
> ENCOUNTERS IN ALL
>
>
>