Best clothing to wear when the wind chill is in the teens!

[YogaloverRN]

Hey everyone, I am still a newbie to HH nursing and this is my first winter seeing patients. Tomorrow with the wind chill they expect temp in the teens, geesh, what can I wear, to stay within dress code and yet stay warm, I have a warm baselayer, but scrubs are toooo thin. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[dusky1228]

first of all, welcome to hh! i have been in home health since 1991, and i love it! the weather can be an issue, and especially when it's cold outside. if you dress too warm, then you suffocate in some of the clients' homes. if you don't dress warm enough, you suffer. here's what i do. i found silk-like long underwear at the jockey store. they come in great colors, so i coordinate them to my scrubs. if i am wearing long sleeves, they are thin, but warm-yet i don't overheat if it's warm in a house. regular long underwear is bulky and makes you look like you're wearing diapers. if you don't have a jockey store nearby, they have them online, or find silk long underwear. that's almost the same, but without the colors available. you can find those at land's end or ll bean. good luck!

[netglow, ASN, RN]

I have heard from people who ski, that cotton kills. It absorbs moisture and stays wet, so there is your hypothermia. Don't wear all cotton socks, get a blend with a little synthetic and wool.

Hope this helps!

[GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN]

I don't have a 'dress code' per say, really just no jeans. I usually wear brown, black or such khaki type pants with whatever, sweater, fuzzy lined clogs/crocs, and hate jackets with the changes in temps from car to home etc., I always wear a down-type vest and scarf. That really works well to keep you warm, can leave it on in the home without getting overheated and no bulk.

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

Silk underwear. Always a good choice.

I wear a coat that is knee length in a water resistant material....down if it gets cold enough.

Gloves, of course.

I also make sure that I get an extra-wide scarf. Wide enough to where you can drape your head and shield most of your face.

[YogaloverRN]

Thanks for the great ideas! I did get some Patagonia underwear, it's synthetic and thin it worked pretty good, I wore some black denim pants like casual pants not jeans, but they were stiff to move in. I think I will try the vest and a wide scarf. Thanks again for the wonderful advice!!

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

Our agency allows jeans/sweaters, etc. on cold or icy/snowy days.

Agree with the vests and scarves.. way better than bulky coats or jackets when driving! :)

Earmuffs are great, too !