We're Glovin' It: How Wearing Gloves Became Commonplace in Surgery

Throwback Theater The Stitch

By: Mary Derby, BSN, RN, CNOR

Published: 7/15/2025

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As you gaze around the OR and acknowledge the surgeon removing the tumor from the patient's abdomen and hand it to the scrub person as you prepare to collect the specimen, you cannot help but think, “Imagine if I had to handle some of these tasks without gloves?” You can silently thank Caroline Hampton and Joseph Bloodgood for avoiding that scenario as you place the tumor into a specimen cup. Sidebar 1 provides some key AORN recommendations on surgical gloves.¹

Hampton and Halsted

Caroline Hampton was born and raised in South Carolina. She rebelliously moved to New York in 1885 to attend nursing school and then to Maryland in 1889 to become the chief surgical nurse at John Hopkins Hospital. There, she worked with Dr. William Halsted, who was a world-renowned surgeon famously known for developing innovative procedures for hernia repairs, gallbladder removals, mastectomies, and many more.

Close to Quitting

In 1889, Hampton considered quitting her job because she was experiencing severe contact dermatitis from constantly washing her hands with a mix of chemicals. Dr. Halsted could not fathom the thought of letting Hampton quit, so they both came up with the idea for her to wear rubber gloves when assisting in surgery.

The Gloves

At the time, gloves were used in other specialties but were not of the same quality as the surgical gloves that Hampton used. Her surgical gloves were slender, protected her hands from harsh disinfectants and potential infections, and improved the grip of instruments during surgery over slippery, soapy hands. These gloves were placed on her hands after hand washing and were boiled between procedures. The benefits of the gloves inspired numerous nurses and surgical assistants to also wear them during surgery.

And Love

Additionally, it is speculated that Dr. Halsted encouraged Hampton to wear gloves when assisting because it was a secretly flirtatious act, portraying that he cared for her and her safety. What a whimsical way to confess one’s love! Dr. Halsted and Hampton married in June 1890.²,³

Bloodgood’s Role

Dr. Joseph Bloodgood was a surgeon who worked at John Hopkins Hospital in 1892 and was known as one of Dr. Halsted’s successors. He gloves while performing hernia procedures and noticed the significant decrease in postoperative infections in patients undergoing hernia procedures when gloves were worn by the surgeon.

At that time, surgeons feared using rubber gloves when operating because of the possibility of not being able to feel and decipher various tissues and muscles when operating. However, when Dr. Bloodgood published his findings about gloves and infections in 1899, it encouraged numerous surgeons to reconsider wearing gloves when operating, resulting in a rapid decline in postoperative infection rates.

Sidebar 1. Key AORN Recommendations on Surgical Gloves¹

  • Perform surgical hand antisepsis before putting on sterile gloves.
  • Use sterile technique when opening, putting on, wearing, and changing sterile gloves.
  • Scrubbed team members should wear two pairs of sterile surgical gloves (ie, double glove), and use a perforation indicator system.
  • Inspect all gloves for integrity after putting them on and throughout use.
  • Perform surgical hand antisepsis and put on sterile gloves before preparing or using a sterile field.

References

  1. Guideline for sterile technique. In: Guidelines for Perioperative Practice. Denver, CO: AORN, Inc; 2025.
  2. Lathan SR. Caroline Hampton Halsted: the first to use rubber gloves in the operating room. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Center);2022;23(4): 389–392. DOI: 1080/08998280.2010.11928658.
  3. Kean S. The Nurse Who Introduced Gloves to the Operating Room. Science History Institute Museum & Library. May 5, 2020. Accessed April 12, 2025.

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