SAFE PRACTICES, AMONG NURSING WORKERS, WHEN USING GLOVES IN THE VEIN PUNCTURE ACTIVITY

Abstract

This is an exploratory study, structured according to the Health Promotion Model categories; the data was qualitatively
analyzed; the study objective was to identify the gloves procedural characteristics, in the peripheral vein puncture activity, utilized by the nursing workers; and, the reasons given for not using gloves. Nursing workers of a Medical Clinic admission unit attached to a Hospital located in the State of Sao Paulo-Brazil were the ones participating in the study; the study had two stages, observation and semi-structured interviews. A content analysis was performed with the collected data. The categories analyzed were: previous conduct, perceived benefits for the action, perceived barriers for the action, auto efficiency perception, co-workers influence, circumstantial influences and affection related to the activity. In the study was found that, most of the workers did not use gloves; the workers related as barriers for not using gloves, the adequate glove size, the lost of tactile sensibility, the excess of activities, the workers shortage, the lack of in-the-work-training; also, due to the acquired ability, the workers developed a perception of auto-sufficiency; this, made them to consider the peripheral vein puncture as being a not hazardous activity. With the objective of promoting the workers health and safety, we concluded that it is necessary to implement strategies to change the practices related to the use of gloves in the peripheral vein puncture activity.