Someone told me that for infection control purposes, lab coats are not allowed in the NICU, but when I observed at a different hospital (private, no residents, no fellows), the docs wore street clothes (no lab coats). Do you have a dress code in your unit? What is it?

Don't you know doctors don't spread contamination????

Only nurses can do that.

On a more serious note. Used to be we had the hospital supplied scrubs. Then they started to allow us to wear our own. Hospitals save a fortune. The studies did not show a higher infection rate. Cover gown usage over home scrubs vary from facility to facility.

Nothing that can not be pushed up above the elbows for scrubbing is allowed in our unit. We also wear our own uniforms and use cover gowns. Docs abide by this policy mostly. As long as they are using cover gowns and following infection control policy (scrubbing, hand washing, etc) I wouldn't be too upset if they were not wearing scrubs since scrubs aren't necessarily any cleaner and we don't make parents wear scrubs to come in. I think the reason our unit doesn't allow labcoats is because of the above the elbows rule, not because they don't want people wearing street clothes.

What about jewelry? Rings, watches etc. Also, I know we've just had a declaration that fake nails can't be worn in the hospital. I'm a guy, so I don't care, but a lot of my female colleagues are upset. The reason for the ban is infection control. Any other rules like this unique to the NICU? Do you make families wear gowns (ie the ones often worn by visitors to burn units) over their street clothes?

We wear uniforms from home, the residents/docs wear scrubs or clothes from home. Parents don't gown anymore. We can wear our wedding band and a watch and one bracelet. No fake nails...they have been linked to pseudomonas outbreaks. Nails also can only be a certain length (yes, the managers go hand checks periodically). Get caught with fake nails, automatic 2 day suspension. We don't have to wear lab coats off the unit either. Same thing here with the shirts that have to be pushed up to the elbows so we can wash up.

We have one really odd rule in our hospital dress code....your socks have to be ankle height or higher...no low ones. Wierd.

What about jewelry? Rings, watches etc. Also, I know we've just had a declaration that fake nails can't be worn in the hospital. I'm a guy, so I don't care, but a lot of my female colleagues are upset. The reason for the ban is infection control. Any other rules like this unique to the NICU? Do you make families wear gowns (ie the ones often worn by visitors to burn units) over their street clothes?

Fake nails have been strictly forbidden in NICUs for a fairly long time after being linked to several neonatal deaths in one hospital. There is actually a long thread about this you could probably search out, but basically fake nails enourage the growth of certain organisms that real nails don't. No amount of hand washing or glove wearing can change that so they are not worn in the clinical area. I would about have an aneurysm if someone came near one of my critically ill babies with fake nails :chuckle I understand the desire for fake nails cause mine always look terrible, but as long as I work in the NICU that just comes with the territory.

As for jewelery, only a plain band is allowed. I'm not married so I don't wear any rings. No watches or bracelets other rings.

At my current hospital parents do put on cover gowns if they will be holding their baby. Some hospitals do not require it. Since a lot of hospitals are doing Kangeroo care where the infant goes skin to skin with the parent under their clothes, it seems a little silly to worry about the gown sometimes.

What about jewelry? Rings, watches etc. Also, I know we've just had a declaration that fake nails can't be worn in the hospital. I'm a guy, so I don't care, but a lot of my female colleagues are upset. The reason for the ban is infection control. Any other rules like this unique to the NICU? Do you make families wear gowns (ie the ones often worn by visitors to burn units) over their street clothes?

The fake nail rule has actually been in effect for several years, and this was per JCAHO, as well as others. This is nothing new.

The fake nail rule has actually been in effect for several years, and this was per JCAHO, as well as others. This is nothing new.

You know what's weird is that the healthcare providers aren't allowed to have fake nails, but we don't enforce it with the parents. We've had several babies get horribly septic over and over again, and suggested to their mothers that it might be a good idea to get the nails removed. A few of them refused! True, they're not accessing central lines and ETTs, but they've got their hands on their babies every day and that has to count for something.

You know what's weird is that the healthcare providers aren't allowed to have fake nails, but we don't enforce it with the parents. We've had several babies get horribly septic over and over again, and suggested to their mothers that it might be a good idea to get the nails removed. A few of them refused! True, they're not accessing central lines and ETTs, but they've got their hands on their babies every day and that has to count for something.

We did enforce it where I used to work. Just as we didn't allow parents to come in without scrubbing, we did not allow them to come in with false nails. Security would be called to escort them out if they don't scrub, and can be called for fake nails as well. Toronto hospitals were really ID conscious after SARS. I've never had that happen where I work now.

Someone told me that for infection control purposes, lab coats are not allowed in the NICU, but when I observed at a different hospital (private, no residents, no fellows), the docs wore street clothes (no lab coats). Do you have a dress code in your unit? What is it?

Lab coats are not allowed in my unit too. The docs wear street coats whereas the nurses still wear the uniform, we were told before that we'll be given srubs but I still haven't seen them yet

I think the other reason that lab coats are nixed is that it's probably not washed every night. It's like the blazer you keep at the office. (Throw it over clothes for appearances.) Now I realize that some people are very vigilant and take it home every night and wash it, but they are probably in the minority. Now the clothes on your body on the other hand, I hope you're not going home naked. You know those are going home and into the laundry pile. Just my observation/opinion.