What is an appropriate nursing action when handling a urine culture specimen?

When handling a urine culture specimen, ensuring that the sample is obtained with gloves is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, wearing gloves helps to maintain a sterile environment and minimizes the risk of contamination, which is vital for accurate results in a urine culture. Contamination can lead to false positive results, where bacteria not originating from the patient might be detected, potentially leading to incorrect treatment plans.

Additionally, using gloves is a fundamental aspect of standard precautions in nursing practice. It protects both the healthcare provider and the patient from potential infectious agents, particularly when handling bodily fluids. Maintaining safety and hygiene in specimen collection is essential to uphold best practices in healthcare settings.

Other options, while related to specimen handling, do not prioritize the same level of contamination prevention and patient safety that is critical during the collection of a urine culture. For example, labeling the sample after collection may lead to confusion or misidentification, while sending a specimen without labeling can compromise patient care. Keeping the specimen at room temperature is not appropriate, as it can affect the viability of the organisms being cultured. Therefore, using gloves is the most critical action for achieving reliable and safe specimen handling.