Are your hands clean upon exiting a patient room still wearing gloves? Probably not, so rubbing your eye and/or adjusting your glasses, etc. is never a good idea. Gloves should be removed immediately upon exiting the patient environment and your hands should be cleaned right away.

What’s wrong with this picture: Week 5

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. But watch out! One week we’ll throw in a picture of correct glove use, just to keep you on your toes.

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. Barb

    Gloves are sterile until you touch someone or yourself, esp the eye, as this lady is doing and she should remove them, wash her hands and doff a new pair before touching a patient.
    If she had the gloves on and touched a patient, before touching her eye she is at risk of infection and contamination to herself!
    Not smart!!

    June 16, 2016
  2. Cheryl

    Rubbing her eye with the gloves on. The gloves could be contaminated and transmit germ to her eyes. Or she can transmit germs to patients by contact

    June 10, 2016
  3. Thomas

    She should not be touching her eye while wearing gloves! If the gloves are clean, she is contaminating them. If the gloves are dirty, she may be exposing herself to germs and bacteria.

    June 10, 2016
  4. Bansi Gandhi

    EVERYTHING. Touching the eyes with the gloves transmit bacteria to her eyes and face and vice versa the bacteria from her wet eyes will transfer to other patients the nurse will be in touch. Bad judgement all the way!

    June 9, 2016
  5. Shirley Oandasan

    Once you have the gloves on don’t touch anything whether it’s clean or dirty except the patient you’re about to give care

    June 6, 2016
  6. Jen

    2 PROBLEMS:
    1. Any contaminants that are on the glove have now entered the staff members body through the eye.
    2. If the gloves were clean to start with, they have now been contaminated by the staff body fluids (eye) which will now be transferred to every item/surface the glove comes into contact with, including potentially a sick patient with compromised immune system, and other staff.

    June 6, 2016
  7. Yolanda Russell

    If the gloves have been used for client care, they should be removed and not used to touch the face or eyes.
    If the gloves are new and just put on, they should not be used to touch the face or eyes prior to client use as they will spread germs/bacteria to a client.

    June 6, 2016
  8. Monique

    The woman is touching her eye with a glove on. If the gloves are clean, you are introducing germs onto the gloves which you may pass on to either equipment or a patient. If the gloves are dirty, you’re exposing yourself to germs and bacteria. Never touch your face and eyes with your gloves on. If you must touch your face, don’t use your gloves and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

    June 6, 2016
  9. Jess

    She is touching her eyes with gloves, which will either contaminate her or the patient

    June 5, 2016
  10. angela sue

    She’s touching her eye and face with a glove on.

    June 3, 2016
  11. Kathy

    Touching her eye is already making her prone to introduce germs into her eye, let alone using presumably a dirty glove.

    June 3, 2016
  12. Carman

    Do not touch face and eyes with your gloves! If the gloves is clean, you are contaminating it. If the gloves are dirty, you are exposing yourself to germs and bacteria.

    June 3, 2016
  13. Marge

    Does sort of set one to giggling. What’s wrong? Well, she’s got her finger in her eye.
    True enough she has a glove on that we don’t know if it’s clean or contaminated. We also don’t know if, she put the glove on, got a lash in her eye or a twitch or… and stuck her finger there to deal with it, then changed gloves before providing care.
    Wrong? I think it’s good to avoid sticking your fingers in your eyes, especially at work. Gloves, even right out of the box may not be “clean” so a gloved hand isn’t necessarily as clean as you think.

    June 3, 2016
  14. Sandra

    She is touching her eye and will transfer whatever is on that glove to her eye which could spread some kind of illness or contaminant. The gloves should be removed and her hands washed with soap and water

    June 2, 2016
  15. Michelle G

    She is touching her eye with a glove. Regardless of whether the gloves are clean or dirty, you assume they are dirty. This may be prior or after patient contact. She should not touch anything on her face when gloves are on

    June 2, 2016
  16. Helen Taylo

    ewh!! Gloved hand to eye…don’t know if the glove is dirty, or clean…either way, it’s not safe,,since if the glove is clean and she’s going to provide care after itching her eye, it is then contaminated with whatever is in her eye. If the glove is dirty, she’s potentially creating more problem for herself

    June 2, 2016
  17. Emily

    Not only is she contaminating her eye she is cross contaminating to the client or surfaces from her eye

    June 2, 2016
  18. Emily

    Not only is she contaminating her eye with the glove she may be cross contaminating from her eye to the client or surfaces

    June 2, 2016
  19. K

    If those had been used gloves, they need to be removed and HH performed before she touches her eye! If those had been clean gloves, she would have been contaminating them. Whether this was a “before” or “after” moment, it still displays improper glove usage.

    June 2, 2016
  20. K

    If those had been used gloves, she would risk infection from touching her eye with contaminated gloves! Gloves need to be removed and hand hygiene performed immediately after any patient or patient environment contact before doing anything else. If those had been a fresh pair of gloves from the box, then she would be contaminating them before the next patient or patient environment contact. She could transfer germs from herself to the patient. Whether this is a “before” or “after” moment, it still displays improper glove usage.

    June 2, 2016
  21. Carl

    What’s wrong? So many things, starting with the glasses aren’t colour coordinated with the hair streaks. Second the streaks in the hair aren’t colour coordinated with eye colour. On the subject of glove use I must agree that whether they are sterile or unsterile they should not be stuff in ones eye. I’m sure whoever was conned into being the model for this picture had to force themselves into touching their eye with their glove. Also I’m just teasing about the colour coordinating.

    June 2, 2016
  22. peter

    Dirty gloves will contaminate the eyes/face of glove wearer and/or clean gloves will be contaminated by the bacteria picked up from eyes/face of glove wearer

    June 2, 2016
  23. Zori Kaneva

    Should never touch face with contaminated gloves! Gloves must be removed first and hands must be washed before touching the face.

    June 2, 2016
  24. Natalie

    If she has gloves on – she’s either just put them on and now contaminated them by touching her face/eye area and is not sterile to treat a patient OR she has used them for clinical use and now contaminated her eye/face area. Gloves should be taken off and placed into a contaminated bin and her hands promptly washed before touching your face.

    June 2, 2016
  25. G

    Don’t rub your eyes (regardless if you have gloves or not)! 1) Clean gloves will get contaminated once you touch your face and you’ll be transfer bacteria to patients. 2) Don’t touch your face with dirty gloves eithers. That’s how you get acne and infections. No- no -no!

    June 2, 2016
  26. Janet Bristeir

    Shouldnt touch face especially eyes with gloves. Even if they are straight out of the box, they have contaminates on them that you dont want in your eyes

    June 2, 2016
  27. Jillian

    She is touching her face with contaminated gloves! Never, ever do anything until the gloves come off and hands are washed. If she put clean gloves on to see her next patient and touches her face then the gloves are no longer sterile and need to be thrown away and a new pair put on before she does anything else.

    June 2, 2016
    • Sandra

      They werent sterile to start with. they are boxed gloves!

      June 2, 2016