When should non-sterile patient gloves be removed?

Study for the Cengage Microbiology Test with helpful multiple choice questions and detailed explanations. Ace your exam with confidence!

Gloves are a protective barrier to prevent spreading contaminants, so they should be removed whenever that barrier could transfer microbes to clean surfaces, other parts of the patient, or the next task. This includes if the gloves become heavily soiled or torn, before touching a clean surface or object, and before touching a different part of the patient’s body to avoid cross‑contaminating sites. After removing gloves, you should perform hand hygiene and then use a new pair of gloves if further care is needed. All these situations call for removing the gloves to maintain infection control.