Staff should never have a “pocket full of gloves” this is very wasteful – as soon as you remove the gloves from the box and place them in your pocket they are dirty/contaminated.

What’s wrong with this picture? Week 3

Each week throughout May and June, we’re hosting “What’s wrong with this picture” to raise awareness about correct glove use and hand hygiene. It’s a “what not to do” for glove use! To play just enter your guess as to what’s wrong in the glove use picture into the comments section at the end of the article.

Correct answers will be entered into a draw for these prizes:

  • One of two $25 gift cards
  • A VCH ball cap
  • A VCH stainless water bottle

draw prizes VCH swagVisa gift card

The details

There are eight pictures in all—one each week from May 5 through June 23. Check out each week’s picture, then scroll down to the comment section and post your guess about what you think the glove use error is that’s being shown in the picture. But watch out! One of the photos will show correct glove use!

  • Deadline for all entries is June 24.
  • Winners will be drawn from correct answers and announced in the June 30 VCH News.
  • You must use your real name and a valid email address to comment and enter the draw.

Have fun and don’t forget to check back each week for a new picture!

Need a review on proper glove use?

Check the World Health Organization Glove Use Information Leaflet

  1. Cheryl

    Putting gloves in the pocket may contaminate the gloves. There is risk for cross contamination. Gloves should be single use. We shouldn’t store many gloves in the pocket as the gloves may get dirty inside the pocket (1. Pocket is not a clean area. 2) The gloves can contaminated each other. 3) the gloves hanging out can touch other dirty surface and get contaminated). It may transmit germs to patients by contact

    June 10, 2016
  2. Meenu Joshi

    Gloves should be kept in the original glove box all the time and taken from it as and when needed. They must not be put in the uniform pockets. Risk of cross- contamination.

    May 25, 2016
  3. meenakshi sareen

    gloves should never be kept in the pocket because it is not considered clean. Clean gloves should be pulled out directly from the box to avoid cross contamination.

    May 24, 2016
  4. dimple

    gloves should not be stored in pocket they are contaminated now & should be thrown away

    May 24, 2016
  5. Kathy

    Gloves are for single use. If they are dirty, they should be discarded properly to avoid cross contamination. If they were clean to begin with, they won’t be anymore because the pocket is potentially not clean.

    May 24, 2016
  6. Kelly Foston

    Hoarding of Gloves and now as a result, contamination. Keeping too many gloves in the pocket at once, and how the user grabs the gloves is an incorrect procedure. The boxes are designed so the user grabs one glove at a time…without contaminating the other gloves.

    May 24, 2016
  7. gurmeet

    Gloves should be left in original box until needed. These are now contaminated and will have to be thrown away which is a waste. if the gloves are dirty they will contaminate the pocket and whatever may be inside; if the gloves were clean, they may be contaminated by the pocket.

    May 22, 2016
  8. Maria Wong

    Cross contamination. A staff going to one patient to another especially if they are in isolation room. Gloves should be kept inside the box when not in use.

    May 21, 2016
  9. Bernadette

    Staff shouldn’t be carrying individual gloves in their pockets especially as seen in this picture. Once the gloves are out of their box, they are considered “dirty” and should not be used for direct patient care..

    May 20, 2016
  10. crystal

    inappropriate storage of gloves, unused or used they need to be discarded.

    May 20, 2016
  11. Carman

    Both clean and dirty gloves should not be pocketed. Clean ones will be potentially contaminated once out of the box and dirty ones should have already been disposed of.

    May 20, 2016
  12. Amanda

    Gloves should not be stored in pockets due to the risk of contamination: if the gloves are dirty they will contaminate the pocket and whatever may be inside; if the gloves were clean, they may be contaminated by the pocket.

    May 20, 2016
    • Rachelle Coleman

      Gloves should not be carried around in nursing clothing pockets. This is unsanitary. When gloves are required they should be removed from the glove box at that time.

      May 20, 2016
  13. Christina

    If they’re clean they are now contaminated by the pocket of the scrub top; if they’re dirty, they are not being disposed of properly and are contaminating the pocket of the scrub top. Either way poor storage of gloves! Where’s the glove box?!

    May 20, 2016
  14. jess

    If you don’t use the gloves right away (and store them for later in your pocket), they can be considered dirty.

    May 20, 2016
  15. Becca

    The gloves in that pocket should definitely not be there, or be used now that they are “dirty”, even if unused. They should only be used straight from the box – who knows what’s been in that pocket!

    May 19, 2016
  16. Lina

    Hoarding gloves in the pocket…gloves are exposed and are already considered comtaminated. It’s not best practice for Infection Control-it’s a break in protocol right there. What a waste…not cost effective. you only get the gloves before you use them when needed. Make sure you do Hand Hygiene before putting them on by washing your hands or Putting Alcohol Base Hand Rub(ABHR)

    May 19, 2016
  17. Lana

    Gloves in the pocket… Could be/get contaminated and should be stored properly.

    May 19, 2016
  18. Cindy Sellers

    These gloves are now Dirty – even if they have not been worn.

    May 19, 2016
  19. Jillian

    Gloves should be left in original box until needed. These are now contaminated and will have to be thrown away which is a waste.

    May 19, 2016
  20. G

    Well : 1) If these were clean gloves: why are you taking gloves from it’s clean storage place if you’re not using it right away? Your clothes have been in contact with the external environment aka DIRTY! Don’t put clean gloves in a unsterile environment. Or if these were dirty gloves: eww! throw them out right away!

    May 19, 2016
  21. Jillian

    Gloves are not sterile anymore. They should never be stored in a pocket but in the original box until needed.

    May 19, 2016
  22. Tracy

    Well I hope he isn’t planning to re-use those gloves! Gloves stored anywhere outside of their original packaging are no longer clean.

    May 19, 2016
  23. Yolanda Russell

    Gloves should be kept in the original box until they are used. Once removed and kept in pockets, they will no longer be clean as there could be a chance of contamination. If these are used gloves, they should be thrown out after they are used once and not put in pockets.

    May 19, 2016
  24. SIMONNE

    Infection control issue! Stored gloves in a pocket are no longer “clean” and can carry germs with them. They should remain in their original box.

    May 19, 2016
  25. Andrea

    Gloves are in his pocket and are exposed to outside germs. Could potentially touch other unhygenic surfaces and items.

    May 19, 2016
  26. Sushma

    Contaminated gloves!

    May 19, 2016
  27. Karen

    According to the WHO glove use guide, “The use of contaminated gloves caused by inappropriate
    storage, inappropriate moments and techniques for donning and removing, may also result in germ transmission”. Therefore, storing gloves in a pocket is inappropriate and will result in contamination and transmission of germs. They need to be stored in their original box/packaging.

    May 19, 2016
  28. Lalaine Quiban

    Perfect example of waste. Too many gloves in the pocket; all are now/could be contaminated and are best discarded.

    May 19, 2016
  29. Laszlo Kalmar

    Not clear if these are clean or dirty gloves. – potential for cross contamination

    May 19, 2016
  30. peter

    1) single use gloves should be used once and disposed of properly
    2) if gloves are unused, they should not be pulled from box and stored in pocket for future use

    May 19, 2016
  31. Thomas

    Infection control issue! Stored gloves in a pocket are no longer “clean” and can carry germs with them. They should remain in their original box.

    May 19, 2016