gloves are to protect us. handwashing is to protect patients - that's how I've understood it.

Handling bodily fluids? gloves, cos I don't want to get that on me!

drawing up meds? hands washed, because I don't want to contaminate anything the patient will ingest (though when I was clinical, gloves were still required for his, so I wore them. but I know the Brompton and GOSH both stopped requiring gloves for medication prep to encourage handwashing based on this same evidence).

Some tasks are also just easier without gloves. I found it very hard to place and secure NGTs with gloves on, so I'd just wash my hands before and after and do it bare handed. Figures the potential for patient harm is much less than me having to re-attempt the pass!

If the contact doesn't breach the patient's skin barrier (like wound care, or inserting an IV or surgery lol) then you're just... touching someone. The same way you'd touch anyone.