Changing gloves between soiled and clean tasks

Question

A nursing assistant is changing the brief of a resident who had a bowel movement. She has removed the soiled brief and finished perineal care while wearing gloves. A clean brief is open on the bed, ready to be slid under the resident. What should the nursing assistant do next?

1. ARemove the gloves, clean her hands, and put on a fresh pair before handling the clean brief✓ Correct

   Correct. Moving from a soiled task to a clean one calls for new gloves and hand hygiene in between.

2. BKeep the same gloves on, because they have only touched the resident's own skin✗ Incorrect

   Gloves from a soiled task carry organisms and must not be used for clean items or the next step of care.

3. CWipe the gloves with a damp washcloth and keep wearing them for the clean brief✗ Incorrect

   Gloves are never washed or wiped for reuse, and cleaning them does not substitute for changing them.

4. DRemove the gloves and place the brief with bare hands, cleaning her hands at the very end✗ Incorrect

   Hands need to be cleaned right after glove removal, not saved until the end of the task.

Answer

A. Remove the gloves, clean her hands, and put on a fresh pair before handling the clean brief

Rationale

Gloves belong to one task. After perineal care they carry the heaviest load of organisms, so wearing them to handle a clean brief would move that material to a clean item and the resident's skin. Taking them off, cleaning the hands and putting on a new pair separates the soiled step from the clean step.