To prevent contamination and protect your hands, you should _________.

• A. Wear gloves for all procedures
• B. Wash hands between clients but not gloves
• C. Use gloves only for sterile procedures
• D. Wear gloves only when hands are dirty

Answer: (A)

Protecting your hands and preventing contamination comes from using gloves as a barrier whenever you interact with a patient or potentially infectious materials. Wearing gloves for all procedures provides a consistent shield that minimizes the chance of transferring germs from one client to another or from the environment to the client. This approach works best when paired with proper hand hygiene: wash your hands before putting gloves on, change gloves between clients or tasks, and wash hands after removing gloves. Gloves are not a substitute for handwashing, and if gloves are damaged or contaminated you should remove them and perform hand hygiene. Gloves should be worn even if hands look clean, because some risks aren’t visible. Wearing gloves only for sterile procedures or only when hands seem dirty leaves you unprotected for many routine tasks, and washing hands without gloves leaves skin exposed during procedures.