The latest issue in our OR is if people should be allowed to wear their own scrub jackets. A few "team leaders" have started to do it, and now some other people are wanting to do so as well. Then some people are saying NOOOOO!!!! GERMS! Etc........ We currently wear hospital provided/washed scrubs and jackets and this is our p/p. (Which is great with me) What are other policies for dress codes out there?

Thought you were looking lonely here. I don't work in the

OR, but I think that the germ thing is a valid concern. It's more

sanitary to use hospital issued attire. Did anyone ask the infection control nurse?

We can wear our own scrub jackets provided we launder them regularly and wear them only within the OR. I work in a community hospital and would be curious as to what other facilities are doing.

Paula

The circulating RN at the hospital I was just at got to wear her own jacket....obviously those scrubbing in wore the usual sterile stuff...they let me wear my jacket from hom (good thing too cuz I woulda froze without it). BUT...I'm thinking it would make sense to leave them outside and don hospital washed ones...to be safe.

In most of the hospitals in my area people wear their scrubs and warm-up jackets in and out, and launder tham at home with regular laundry. I know of no increase in infections related to this practice.

Surgeons and vendors still wear hospital-issued scrubs.

Scrubs that are contaminated with body fluids are washed in the hospital laundry.

By the way, AORN does not endorse this practice, I think the main motive for hospitals is cost-containment.

When I worked in the OR, we wore hospital scrubs and our own warm up jackets....we also wore cloth hats if we wanted to.

According to our infection control stats, there was no increase noticed after they implemented this practice.

We also wore scrubs outside of the hospital (clean ones mind you) and there was also no problem associated with that practice either. I would change out of my dirty scrubs at the end of shift into clean ones. I would then change out of my 'clean' scrubs as soon as I got home...then wear them back to work the next morning. Saved a lot of time in the locker room when I got to work in the morning.

If, by chance, something were to splatter onto our warm up jacket, we could use the laundry facilities at the hospital to wash them....didn't take that home to contaminate MY machine.

Everyone seems to have their own thoughts on what the standards should be. From my experience, it makes no difference to wear your own jacket.

Anne:D

But what is with OR people wearing those surgical gowns for jackets??? I know you guys get cold, but....ummmm.....don't you peeps realize that you look like you should be in The Matrix with those gowns flowing in the air while walking down the hall? Dodging flying sponges and surgical instruments??? :)

P.S. this was a good excuse to use the above smilies!

Thanks for all the input ! :) :)

Most of the people where I work have their own warm up jackets. No problem with infection control issue. I have one at each of the three places I work. I make it a habit to get no where near a dirty area. I will take it off and hang it up if that should be a problem. I don't wear it if the case is a known dirty one, take off when prepping. One hospital I work at does allow their staff to wear their own scrubs even when scrubbing! I don't agree to this and do feel it is the hospitals responsibilty to provide scrubs for their staff at all times. Mike

The small hospital I currently work at requires the OR staff to come in and change into hospital issued scrubs. We may wear our own warm up jackets or hospital OR cover gowns, also cloth hats are allowed. The funny thing is that this rule does not apply to the anesthesia staff. They take the scrubs home and come in wearing them - so much for same rules for everybody. Personally I think it makes no difference. The hospital where I worked before this one issued the scrubs to us and let us take them home to come in already dressed up also. We also had the option to leave soiled ones there and change into fresh ones if needed. Their main reason for doing this was of course cost containment and they claimed there was no evidence of a rise in infections associated with this practice. It seems that this has been proven repeatedly by different people, if anyone has concrete numbers on that please let me know, I would like to pass that on to our headnurse. Thanks

I would like to know if anyone of you have to provide your own scrubs for the OR. I interviewed for the OR in B'ham (travel job)and I was told I would have to provide my own scrubs. I thought this was unusual...I didn't think to ask about laundry and such....totally unprerared for that one...

Karen, the hospitals in B'ham have different policies on this issue. Some, like St. Vincents require employees to provide their own scrubs. Some issue employees a certain # of sets of scrubs, and if the employee wants more they must buy them. A few still provide scrubs.

At HealthSouth we were told we could wash the scrubs with regular laundry and regular detergent, with whatever temperature of water we normally use. Scrubs that are soiled at work with body fluids are washed by the hospital. I don't know about BWMC, but imagine they have a similar policy.

As a traveler I wear hospital issued scrubs and I wear the Matrix style overcoat since we wear paper type gowns when we are at the table. I like the way it flows personally when I fly down the hall in a rush. People seem to get out of my way. I have my own hats I wear because I like to be out of the norm.... go figure. If as a traveler the place in Birmingham wishes to you to buy your own scrubs to wear in the OR the company inwhich you work for should provide you with a uniform stipen.... Dont sign without one.... EVER. If its a requirement then you should be reimbursed for it. Dont settle for less.

Also if you buy your own scrubs its a tax deduction. Save all the reimbursements and the moneys paid for the uniforms themselves.

Just my thoughts

Zoe