So scared blood test done without gloves

[Nighttime pacer]

Hi all
I'm really freaking out about this. I had a blood test done at a private hospital yesterday. The lady doing wasn't wearing gloves and didn't use an alcohol wipe on my arm first. I phoned the hospital yesterday afternoon (I only realised after I'd gone) I spoke to the ward sister there who said it's normal to use an alcohol wipe and she should have but some prefer not to wear gloves as it's easier to feel the veins (mine are always hard to find).
I then phoned NHS 111 last night and spoke to a doctor. He said I should be fine just to check that where the bolo was taken doesn't look like it's getting infected or red. He said it's really unlikely I'll have picked anything up as she pressed on the wound with cotton wool as she was taking the needle out and then put a plaster on it so her hands didn't touch the wound and it's always a new needle and so sterile.
I'm still freaking out, I'm tempted to go back to the hospital on Monday and if the nurse who did it is there have a word with her and ask about hand washing and everything.
Sorry for being so long winded.
Scared.
Nighttime Pacer

[mummato2]

What exactly are you scared of?

[Nighttime pacer]

I'm just scared that she might have touched something and got some bacteria or a virus on her fingers which touched my skin and that the needle then touched my skin and injected the virus or bacteria into me.

[Magic]

I have a blood test once a year and the nurse does not wear gloves.
I put the little plaster on myself.
The nurse does not come in contact with the blood as it goes straight into the
phial. I don't think you have anything to worry about Nighttime

[mummato2]

I'm just scared that she might have touched something and got some bacteria or a virus on her fingers which touched my skin and that the needle then touched my skin and injected the virus or bacteria into me.

Telling you not to worry is not going to help :) BUT you shouldn't be worried.

You are dealing with a professional person who followed the basic procedure.

I am sure she washed her hands between the last person she saw and you, I am sure she was not transmitting anything to be worried about.

Any bacteria or virus that is communicable by blood wasn't an issue because her hands did not come into contact with the needle. The only contact she made was with a cotton ball prior to the bandaid once it was done.

Please try not to worry. There is zero risk of anything happening from this blood test.

[Nighttime pacer]

Thanks everyone. I know (as usual) I'm getting worked up over nothing. I'll try and chill out get on with relaxing and having a nice time.

[debs71]

In all honesty, the main reason and purpose of wearing gloves is to protect the health worker in the main during this procedure, not the patient. They are far more at risk of contamination that you are, as it is their skin that is potentially coming into contact with your blood. It only takes a small open wound on a finger for that to occur.

Nurses/phlebotomists who do not wear gloves will doubtless have washed their hands with antibacterial/microbial hand wash before taking the blood, but in all honesty, they will be automatically using a 'non-touch technique' anyway, as nowhere will they be in direct contact with the needle entry point, which is the only place open to anything. As said already, most nurses and doctors I worked with who took blood used their bare hand to find a vein. It is very hard when covered in latex.

So they will feel for the vein (no risk there) The syringe and needle/blood collection equipment is straight out of a sterile pack, so they don't touch anything there which is in direct contact with you. When they remove the needle, they put the cotton ball against you, or hand it to you to press down, so no contact there again.

All in all, you really have zilch to worry about. Contamination from her to you is not a concern, and even if it was, she had no contact with you anyway.