I had a CT scan today. At the end of the scan, when the nurse was removing the canular, he tore off a strip of tape and stuck it to his shirt. He then prepared the gauze, stuck it to the tape and then placed it on me to cover the canular injection point.
My question is, is it an acceptable practice to stick the tape to the non sterile shirt that he was wearing. Or am I being paranoid!
It’s clearly not a hygienic practice at all Robert but thankfully the tape was over the gauze so not touching your cannula site. It’s no better or worse than him sticking it to a non hygienic surface but ideally they’d be a much better way of doing this.
You’re certainly not being paranoid but it’s easy to feel that way at the moment. I’ve seen some shocking practices by nursing staff and there’s times we feel inhibited about complaining.
Newdawn
Thank you both for the replies.
I think this sounds unhygienic too. When I go for my blood draw at the GP I have to ask for the site to be swabbed first. I took my own surgical spirit last time just in case!!
My vet practice on the other hand is currently not handling my Greyhound without full ppe.
Go figure.
Very odd indeed. What the heck is going on!!! Has almost everyone lost their marbles I do wonder.
Ok, first of all the tape is not sterile. So taping it to a non sterile surface is fine. The tape is clean, so taping it to his shirt, which who knows what is on his shirt, is unacceptable. I am sure you will be fine but it is definitely not the way it should be done.
Not hygienic!! A lot of hospital staff in Florida behave as though they never heard of infections control. This is why infections are such a big killer in US hospitals.
I've had similar experiences Robert. Add to that, I've just learned that I live in the only U.S. state with a (1989) law banning vaccine mandates, including at hospitals. How is this even possible? kgw.com/article/news/health...
A disgusting shortcut for sure. Reminds me of one of my pet peeves: in nyc one sees many hospital workers in their scrubs and crocs on their way to work. The streets and subways are germ factories. I always wonder why they are allowed and think it would be so much healthier if they wore street clothes and changed into clean scrubs at hospital.
I fully agree, sunfishjoy. Staff at the hospital I used to work at did the same thing. When I asked a manager about it, he said that the hospital would have to pay them for changing time before and after their shift if they forbade them from wearing their clinical clothing to work. (Presumably they'd also have to pay the staff on the current shift to cover them for the changing time, and then for their own changing time, if you get what I mean). That's NZ hospitals for you. Money is everything. Of course, nobody would have the faintest idea how many hospital infections were transmitted to vulnerable patients this way, or what that might cost. Or how many infections went the other way, to staff members' family and friends.
Hate to break this to you but, the real germ factory is the hospitals, not the grocery stores
Thanks for the replies. Will chalk this one up to experience and watch out for it next time.
Robert, whilst not great practice I would prefer they stuck it to their clean shirt than the edge of any surface in the room which I’ve often seen done. As has been said, the tape isn’t sterile and is covering another dressing so I’m sure you’ll be ok.
Jackie
When medical personnel don’t observe basic hygiene it’s not acceptable …. but we cannot control individuals who don’t always think….
I was in the medical clinic ,in the ladies room washing my hands When out from a stall comes a young woman in a white coat , Obviously working there in some capacity ,and she exits the ladies room without washing her hands … I was speechless but I did mention it to the doctor who was also horrified and said it is possible that she went to her examining room to wash her hands …. He said he’d mention it to the clinic and perhaps a reminder about basic hygiene is needed…..
Unbelievable!! With all the stress on cleanliness and Covid , and maintaining sterile fields one should expect that simple hygiene procedures should be a starting point!
Maybe she used a antibacterial gel instead, of her personal own?
I hope she was doing something but it still looked strange……
I find it alarming that they are allowed in a toilet cubicle/stall wearing their white coat!
Good point!!
Completely unacceptable and I would have said so. However, I used to work at the hospital where I am now a patient, and because of that I am very familiar with infection control procedures there - I wasn't medical staff, but you pick stuff up quickly. You are not being paranoid.
I always watch what nurses, techs and doctors do, and if I feel uncomfortable about anything they do or don’t do I don’t have any problem talking to them about it. They are just people just like us, and we have to be our own advocates when it comes to our health.
Not cool.
Three monthly hospital appt
Letters from hospital
Wellness poster for my stay at hospital 
