Are nurses able to shower after shift?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi I was wondering if most employers have locker rooms with showers so staff can shower after shift and then go home. Well clock out, shower then go home.

Specializes in ICU.

I wish nursing were more like firefighters. I get kinda jealous when I think of my brother-in-law, a fireman. They have nice showers, beds, kitchens, etc. They cook all the time, while they stay in the firehouse for 24 hours. When I have been there, it was always like a home. He has great retirement, benefits, etc. While I personally may not want to use a communal shower, I would if the door could be locked. I wouldn't get naked around people I work with. He and his firemen co-workers sit around and watch TV, cook, etc., until they get a call. Nurses are lucky to even get to eat, let alone shower.

1 Votes
Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

We have a shower in our ER, but the only time people use it is because of big contaminations. No one uses it after a shift.. We just high tail it out of there.

Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

Ewww...communal showers give me the heeby jeebies. Our burn unit has a locker room for changing into hospital-issued scrubs, but it's coed so heck no even if there was a shower and even if it was clean, I wouldn't be using it. Nope, not showering w/ men, unless it's the Mr. ;)

EEEwww I would never, ever, never shower at the nh. Change my clothes and shoes there, hell yeah. Shower, oh hell-to-the-no.

However, I shower every day at my present job; nice and clean shower and changing area. Nice and clean locker room, (with two full-size lockers per employee; one for work clothing and one for personal clothing, etc.) and I've worked in a couple plants like this. I get a bit dirty and greasy, and it's hot in the summer, and it's a real nice perk (one of many) to get a nice shower and go home clean. But even if I didn't shower, I still feel wayyy cleaner than I ever did at the nh. The company even provides and launders our work clothing and supplies our work shoes.

Specializes in retired LTC.

Anybody remember when hospitals had associated nsg schools with on-campus living accommodations?

If you had to, you could go over to the dorms and shower.

1 Votes
Specializes in Trauma, Orthopedics.

I can't imagine a communal shower being any cleaner than what's on my scrubs. Gross.

Specializes in Cardiac, ER.

We have a very nice locker room with showers for the nursing staff in the ED where I work,...but honestly, they are rarely used. We have a few people who run to work or stop at the gym and prefer our showers to the ones at the gym, or we have the occasional nasty mess,.....I'd rather wait until I get home personally.

Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
Hi I was wondering if most employers have locker rooms with showers so staff can shower after shift and then go home. Well clock out, shower then go home.

It is not an uncommon practice here in AK where some workers use the running hot water of the employer rather than haul and heat their own at home.

1 Votes
Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.
It is not an uncommon practice here in AK where some workers use the running hot water of the employer rather than haul and heat their own at home.

If taking a shower involved more than turning a knob, I'd probably do it at work too.

2 Votes

I have never worked anywhere that you could shower before going home. Even if there were I'd still probably go home first.

1 Votes
Specializes in Home Health Care.

Question: Do any of you who choose to shower at Home after a shift at work ever think about how contaminated and dangerous a breeding ground for bacteria your cars are becoming?

Wouldn't this put those whom you allow to ride in these cars at risk of bacterial infections in addition to yourself especially if you have vulnerable children or elderly to take care of?

You are aware of the reality of transference of bacteria from one surface to the next?

This is how people catch colds, they touch their face, then touch a doorknob and then someone else touches that doorknob and the still living virus on that doorknob gets on their hand and they rub their eye and that gives the virus access into their body to grow and replicate.

Do you take any appropriate actions in regard to this like spraying and wiping down everything on the inside and outside of your cars every day or regularly?

Also taking all this into consideration, your shoes really should be cleaned every day as well.

I am really surprised by all these replies by Professional Health Care Workers.

I have only worked as a Home Health Aide and am going into my CNA Schooling soon, but even I know these basic health rules.

Thank you for sharing your responses as I now know to never get into someone else's vehicle or get any where near them without first asking: 

1. Are they a Health Care worker?

2. Regardless of their job, what disinfection protocals do they use for themselves and their vehicles?

This will help tremendously as I start my CNA Schooling and be extra cautious around people even with COVID19 Protocals in place.

As for myself: 

I will as a future CNA refuse to work anywhere without a working and appropiately regularly cleaned and maintained shower at work.

I will first take off all my clothes in the lockerroom, place them in the facility laundry or in a disposable hazardous waste bag to take home and wash at home.

Walk into the shower with my shoes and wash myself along with my shoes scrubbed throughly or place them in the bag with the rest of my contaminated clothing to wash later.

Then after showering, drying off and change into a new set of clothing with my off-work shoes.

Then get into my car and go home.

Unless a co-worker has done all of these things as well, and I have witnessed it myself, they will not be allowed to come near me or my vehicle, assuming the COVID19 danger decreases enough to allow such things.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
33 minutes ago, ChristopherGllardoJr. said:

Question: Do any of you who choose to shower at Home after a shift at work ever think about how contaminated and dangerous a breeding ground for bacteria your cars are becoming?

Wouldn't this put those whom you allow to ride in these cars at risk of bacterial infections in addition to yourself especially if you have vulnerable children or elderly to take care of?

You are aware of the reality of transference of bacteria from one surface to the next?

This is how people catch colds, they touch their face, then touch a doorknob and then someone else touches that doorknob and the still living virus on that doorknob gets on their hand and they rub their eye and that gives the virus access into their body to grow and replicate.

Do you take any appropriate actions in regard to this like spraying and wiping down everything on the inside and outside of your cars every day or regularly?

Also taking all this into consideration, your shoes really should be cleaned every day as well.

I am really surprised by all these replies by Professional Health Care Workers.

I have only worked as a Home Health Aide and am going into my CNA Schooling soon, but even I know these basic health rules.

Thank you for sharing your responses as I now know to never get into someone else's vehicle or get any where near them without first asking: 

1. Are they a Health Care worker?

2. Regardless of their job, what disinfection protocals do they use for themselves and their vehicles?

This will help tremendously as I start my CNA Schooling and be extra cautious around people even with COVID19 Protocals in place.

As for myself: 

I will as a future CNA refuse to work anywhere without a working and appropiately regularly cleaned and maintained shower at work.

I will first take off all my clothes in the lockerroom, place them in the facility laundry or in a disposable hazardous waste bag to take home and wash at home.

Walk into the shower with my shoes and wash myself along with my shoes scrubbed throughly or place them in the bag with the rest of my contaminated clothing to wash later.

Then after showering, drying off and change into a new set of clothing with my off-work shoes.

Then get into my car and go home.

Unless a co-worker has done all of these things as well, and I have witnessed it myself, they will not be allowed to come near me or my vehicle, assuming the COVID19 danger decreases enough to allow such things.

Well welcome to AllNurses, and to the healthcare profession as a whole. This thread is from 2014, it’s interesting that you dug it up and then criticized responses as a whole for your very first post since you know the “basic health rules” better than others.

All of the nurses who posted had to go through numerous classes which did in fact discuss bacteria and spreading of germs. We also know that if we utilize our PPE appropriately, we aren’t harboring as much bacteria as you seem to think we are. You are more likely to encounter someone more “germy” at the grocery store rather than a nurse simply because they just left the hospital.

Good luck with your CNA schooling, and good luck working only at facilities that have showers available and maintained. 

6 Votes
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