Lab question - Wearing gloves?

When you have blood drawn does the person wear gloves? I always thought they did, at least that is what I remember. I am seeing a new primary doctor and I was there on Tuesday and again today, both days I had blood drawn by two different people and neither wore gloves. The first time it struck me as odd but after they swiped my arm with the alcohol, they didn't touch my arm so that made me feel a little better about it. Today, after she wiped my arm, she had to feel for the vein with her un-gloved finger so I was just picturing her germs poking into my arm when the needle went in. (Couldn't germs be on the glove though too so does it even matter?) I'm sure it's okay but I didn't know if I should speak up. She came to get me from the waiting room and immediately did the blood draw so if she washed her hands it was before she came to get me which I don't think is cool.

Typically all of my blood work is done at a lab and I really think they always wear gloves. I don't know why these people don't...to protect me and themselves.

I've seen it done both ways and really never considered it. Some of the hospital techs did wear them and some didn't. As I recall most didn't. I don't think the nurse in office visit did the couple of times I've had it drawn.

I started becoming more aware of medical hygiene after getting MRSA shortly after an in-office surgery where the nurse did not wear gloves and neither she nor the doctor wore mouth coverings. He talked throughout the procedure (spitting on cut flesh?) which was behind me on my shoulder.

Every time I've had blood drawn the technician wore newly donned gloves.
My DH just got a flu shot and the pharmacist put on new gloves.

At my local Burger King the sandwich makers wear gloves but at the one I stopped at 10 miles away they don't wear gloves. Yuck.

Next time anyone touches me they will have gloves on (except my DH lol).

I would never draw blood without gloves. It protects the individual drawing the blood. Who knows what diseases patients may have. It is easier to feel for veins without gloves, but I would ALWAYS wear gloves when handling bodily fluids.

Purell dispensers are only effective when doctor's/nurse's use them. If they did, then we might have a low risk of MRSA, SARS, every hospital-borne illness out there.

I sometimes wish that HW had the like feature like on FB...because I would so like your comment Lodi :)

Wearing gloves in medical practice for small things like blood drawing or something is for their safety, not yours. I wouldn't really care if otherwise everything at the facility is maintained clean.

At the restaurants, thats whole another story. If you try, its hard to work with gloves, try it at home, esp. around heat so behind your eyes, I think, everything is without gloves. Personally, I don't think that the folks working in restaurants keep their hands dirty. The one that causes troubles is contaminated food but the blame goes solely on the workers there.

Every time I can think of, the nurse/tech/etc. wore new gloves (blood draws, IV, Remi infusions). I think it's mostly for the blood drawers benefit. I had an ER nurse rip off a finger tip one time when my veins were being difficult to find.

I had my surgery at the Cleveland Clinic - they had foam disinfectant dispensers at the entrance to every hospital room. I NEVER saw a nurse enter the room without using it. It was actually something to behold.

I read something strange the other day regarding gloves - those who wear gloves are less likely to wash their "hands (aka gloves) than those without gloves. Therefore more stuff gets spread around than if they were just bare handed. I don't remember reading actual stats about it though. And this doesn't apply somewhere like subway were they end up changing their gloves every ten minutes. Of course, what do they grab the gloves with before that. Their hands...

There was only one time someone didn't wear gloves. It was 8 years ago and I still remember! Our health insurance, at the time, had us have at home physicals. The nurse that did ours did not wear gloves. Otherwise I'm pretty sure b/w all the infusions, blooddraws, hospital visits, pokes and pricks everyone has worn gloves.