If Your Hands Could Talk, What Would They Say?

By Medline Newsroom Staff | October 31, 2017

Exam gloves often can be seen as purely utilitarian. But clinicians across the country say the healthcare industry is in need of a dire wake-up call about what’s happening under the glove. In fact, a Medline survey reveals that 79 percent of nurses say the condition of their hands impact quality of life.

With hand dermatitis affecting more than 50 percent of inpatient clinicians and nearly half of respondents to a recent RNnetwork nurse survey saying their workplaces don’t support a healthy work/life balance, new thinking and approaches to drive clinician well-being are critical to keep quality nurses in healthcare.

Medline commissioned surveys among nearly 340 nurses from across the country on topics ranging from condition of hands and glove use to hand hygiene and employee morale. Key findings include:

  • 94 percent experience skin irritation (e.g. dry skin)
  • For 57 percent, the condition of hands impacts frequency of washing or sanitization
  • 79 percent say the condition of hands impact quality of life
  • Condition of hands affects job satisfaction for 66 percent of nurses

“The constant moist and dry environment of gloves can create the perfect scenario for skin breakdown,” says Martie Moore, R.N., MAOM, CPHQ, chief nursing officer, Medline. “Gloves shouldn’t be a means to an end. We need to understand what’s truly happening under the glove so clinician hands can be healthy.”

It’s time to have a conscious dialogue about what’s happening under the glove. Learn more about the connection between hand hygiene and clinician well-being at https://www.medline.com/pages/about-us/newsroom/hand-health/.

 

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Categories: Caregiver Readiness, Infection Prevention, Skin Health

Medline Newsroom Staff

Medline Newsroom Staff

Medline's newsroom staff researches and reports on the latest news and trends in healthcare.

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