New burn nurse- need gear suggestions

[poopylala, BSN, RN]

Howdy, my fellow burn nurses! I'm a new nurse grad about to take my Nclex in a week and when I've passed it, I'm celebrating by going shoe shopping for my new job in the burn unit here in Houston.

I know it's a hot environment in the patient rooms so I have been looking into Columbia's undershirts which are supposed to be cooling. They are allowed in my hospital from what I've gathered from burn nurses who currently work there. Any other suggestions for how to keep cool? They'll have scrubs for us to wear and I was told I can change as often as I need during my shift and to keep deodorant in my locker.

I'm concerned about shoes and feet swelling. I have high arches and wide, bony feet so my Sanita clogs are not an option for any unit that isn't freezing. I'm looking into Alegria but am open to any suggestions y'all might have :)

Thanks for any suggestions or feedback!

[marienm, RN, CCRN]

Congratulations! Good luck on the NCLEX!

My preference is for shoes that are pretty impermeable. I also have high arches, so Dansko-style 'hard' clogs don't fit me comfortably. I have a pair of Klogs-brand slip-ons that feel kind of like sneakers but don't have any mesh or any laces for fluid to slip through. I did put arch-support insoles in them, which helps my one knee that I injured a long time ago. The shoes are not terribly fashionable, but neither is the rest of my wardrobe! I change into hospital scrubs at work and keep these shoes in my locker...hospital shoes don't come back in my house.

[mountaingirl12]

Congratulations! A lot of nurses on our floor wear dansko/clogs, but I've also heard that chacos are good for high arches. They also aren't thick like dansko, but rather more normal shoes. It's important to have shoes that are easy to clean off, as mentioned already. Wound care can be messy while in the tub room, so make sure your shoes don't have pores!

[laurenbsn14]

I don't know about undershirts; I just wear regular camis. If I know the hydrotherapy session will be super long, I sometimes take my scrub top off because I have the cami underneath. I'm covered otherwise with the waterproof gear in hydro, anyway. What you really need is a GOOD stethoscope. You will not be able to hear heart/lung sounds through inches of burn dressing with a cheap one. I started with a cheap one and didn't know what I was missing until I got my Littman. Also, get slip-resistant shoes that aren't meshed. Getting hydro water in your shoes is unpleasant :)