Survey Shows Nurses Not Satisfied With Double Gloving

LOS ANGELES - More than 93 percent of nurses responding to a survey question about their use of double gloving said they were not satisfied with the process. The survey was conducted among nurses attending the recent Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Congress in San Diego. It was sponsored by BioBarrier Inc., an infection prevention technology company that has developed a unique, high-sensitivity, two-layer surgical glove.

Seventy-five percent of those who responded indicated that they double glove, a practice common among surgeons and nurses who recognize that two layers of barrier help wipe off more pathogens from a needlestick or sharps injury than a single layer. Of these, almost 73 percent said they double glove always or usually.

Among the reasons cited for lack of satisfaction with double gloving the nurses identified tactile loss, fit, discomfort, difficulty of donning two gloves and time to don the gloves. Other, less cited, reasons are cost and amount of waste.

The survey also asked whether the nurses' hospitals utilize the Needlestick Act, which requires hospitals to review new and potentially safer devices every year with the active participation of their nurses. Eighty-four percent of those who responded indicated that their hospitals followed Needlestick Act guidelines and 13 percent said they did not. The remainder did not answer the question.

The survey queried 315 nurses representing a range of job titles including

supervisor, director, coordinator, staff nurse, head nurse and nurse manager.

BioBarrier's new glove features two separate layers originating from a single cuff at the wrist. It is more comfortable than wearing two separate gloves. Several studies confirm the relationship between double gloves and the reduction in pathogens.

According to the company, the two-layer glove will save time and money for hospitals and medical practices by reducing the time associated with double donning, by reducing the amount of packaging currently used for single glove sets, and by reducing inventory, storage, transportation, and waste.

BioBarrier holds more than 20 U.S. and international patents that address new dipping processes for latex and polymer thin films, while utilizing current powder-free technologies. These patents significantly expand the potential array of protective products available to healthcare and humanitarian workers. Product applications include surgical and exam gloves and other surgical protective clothing and coverings for the operating theatre. Additional safety applications include occupational gloves for first response and for bio-security and military applications. Consumer applications include personal protection coverings such as condoms.

BioBarrier's technology can be applied to any currently available surgical, exam or occupational glove. The company is seeking research partners for product application and efficacy studies including research with new microbicides for sexually transmitted diseases.

Source: BioBarrier Inc.