Banning Crocs?

[styRN]

I am an RN in one of the largest LTC facilities in Ontario (320 beds) and I am also the infection control officer.

I have been wearing Crocs, the Professional model and the Relief model, both without top-vents, for some time now, as have many of my colleagues.

Recently, my employer announced it is undertaking a study into the infection control/health & safety aspects of Crocs in the workplace in the hopes of having them banned due to their risks of infection/transmission/injury to workers.

Does anyone have any experience with a similar undertaking at your workplace?

Are there any peer-reviewed studies on Crocs in the workplace?

My belief is that, not only are they beneficial to the health of the worker (comfort), but the inherent anti-microbial properties of the material and the ease of disinfecting the footwear far outweigh any perceived risks of infection, transmission of disease or risk of injury.

Thanks

[nursemommy1971]

Our hospital does not ban Crocs, but my sister is a human resource manager of a hospital, and they ban the crocs with holes. I personally wear my Danskos and leave them in the locker room at the end of the day. Lawd, Lawd, I didn't even think about my badge. Have mercy, its a hard life for a nurse germaphobe!

[morte, LPN, LVN]

could it be that the employer foresees a liability issue? a nurse gets an infection in/on her/his foot, and sues? because, quite frankly, i dont see them caring that much about US......

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I clean my name badge several times a shift and my stethoscope after every use. One of the docs borrows mine all the time - I clean it for him prior and then clean it again after.

I wear New Balance. They get tossed in the wash with bleach about once a week.

steph

[rngreenhorn]

Maybe we should just wrap ourselves in Kevalar saran wrap!!

How about going NEEDLESS??? isn't that a mandate?

As for the infection control?? for feet??? are you kidding me? Anyone who has worked in OR, or other types of environments will tell you that anything below the waist is considered 'unsterile' anyway....so whatEVER you wear on your feet isn't the issue...

I don't think bacteria is discriminating between a pair of Crocs as opposed to a pair of Nike's....

I think there are good arguments for Crocs....so I am not sure where this is coming from.....

since we seem to live in such an 'evidenced based' medical society now.....why not ask that LTC employer/administrator just where the evidence based conclusions are coming from?

Betcha' a Dunkin' Donut she doesn't know...

Make it a Krispy Kream and you're on....

And you think it is a pain dressing and undressing in the paper isolation gowns. Imagine wrapping and unwrapping with Kevalar saran wrap... and what about ours heads? Full kevalar helmets?

[nursebrandie28, BSN, RN]

I personally love crocs!!! If they ban them, I seriously think I would leave that hospital!! JAHCO can kiss my A$$

Plus i love the fact that you can take a sani wipe and wipe them clean!!

[SharkLPN]

Maybe we should just wrap ourselves in Kevalar saran wrap!!

How about going NEEDLESS??? isn't that a mandate?

As for the infection control?? for feet??? are you kidding me? Anyone who has worked in OR, or other types of environments will tell you that anything below the waist is considered 'unsterile' anyway....so whatEVER you wear on your feet isn't the issue...

I don't think bacteria is discriminating between a pair of Crocs as opposed to a pair of Nike's....

I think there are good arguments for Crocs....so I am not sure where this is coming from.....

since we seem to live in such an 'evidenced based' medical society now.....why not ask that LTC employer/administrator just where the evidence based conclusions are coming from?

Betcha' a Dunkin' Donut she doesn't know...

Hmm... It's rather difficult to give SQ insulin or heparin/lovenox without a needle. Same goes for IM injections.

Personally, I think vented Crocs ARE an infection control issue for that reason.

[miko014]

I LOVE my crocs!!!!! I wear the kind with no holes - and you're right, they are harder to find. In fact, I emailed Dick's Sporting Goods (one of the places near me that sells them) and also told a Hallmark employee (where they carry the closed toe variety - but only in kids sizes (???)) - I told both of them that lots of people want the closed variety, and they both said they'd "look into it". So some more people need to tell retailers that instead of the 37 pairs of neon pink holey ones, they could have maybe just 30 pairs of pink holey and throw in a couple black closed toes.

That being said, they SHOULD ban the holey ones. That's a huge infection risk and safety issue. I don't see how they don't count as open toed shoes. Also, I think one of the biggest issues is that people come in wearing purple scrubs and bright pink holey crocs. That's not professional at all. They make them in black, white, tan, navy, etc. Why do you ahve to get orange ones (and wear them with your green scrubs)? Anyway, I really don't see how they can ban crocs alltogether without banning all clogs. In fact, the crocs seem safer as far as falls go, because they have a heel strap (I dont' know how many people actually use it, but it's there!).

[S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN]

The hospital I'm at has not banned crocs (or any other clogs for that matter). The health and safety regulations simply state that any type of clogs someone may wear must have a heel strap being worn too.

My understanding of going against this policy, is that if you are hurt at work (and it has something to do with your footwear), and you have violated the policy, workman's compensation may not cover you for your injuries.

Personally I would see that the heel strap being worn would be a bigger issue than infection control.....so long as the crocs with no holes on top are worn. They are far easier to clean, than say mesh topped running shoes...and probably provide more protection against something like a needledrop.

Good luck to you!

[Lacie, BSN, RN]

I throw mine in the dishwasher! Love them! But I do wear the ones with no holes in the top specifically in relation to potentially dropped needles.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

what about wearing steel toe boots crocs

don't laugh -- dh wears steel toed boots to work! he's on the transport team, and a team member rolled a bed over dh's toes the first week he was there -- now he always wears his steel toes!

[JRapha'sRN]

Don't laugh -- DH wears steel toed boots to work! He's on the transport team, and a team member rolled a bed over DH's toes the first week he was there -- now he always wears his steel toes!

My toe was smashed last week when I got rolled over!

My hospital policy states "no open toe shoes or shoes with holes (ie: crocs)" I still wear the professional crocs and will until they make a big deal about it many times. I'm not going to kill my feet/legs/back over their current policy. I won't wear the ones with holes in the top, though... I've been peed on, puked on and bled on too many times to do that.

[NicoleRN07, RN]

The facility I am currently employed put an end to the vented crocs when they first became popular for the same reasons as discussed above. We can however wear the solid crocs. We are not even supposed to wear tennis shoes with mesh to work. Our shoes are supposed to be "spill resistant", meaning that nothing should be able to soak through. Should we wear all wear vinyl scrubs too? After all, our scrubs are usually the first thing that gets messy.