Published
One of the last things my DON did before she resigned was ban Crocs at our little LTC. Why? She was working in her garden one weekend (wearing her Crocs) and the next day, she felt horrible pain in her great toe. About a week later when it was red, swollen, and draining green goo, she went to the doctor. He I&Dd it and found a tiny rock and a piece of blue rubber that is consistent with the Crocs she was wearing. She threw her Crocs away and gave ua all 30 days to find new shoes. Crocs had technically been banned long before this, but no one ever bothered to enforce it.
Crocs have been banned in one major UK hospital already - as a health and safety risk. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6979400.stm
... Apparently if we injure ourselves at work, while wearing this type of shoe, we are not covered by workers compensation.
Yet there are a lot of hospital workers using them. It is true that they are comfortable, but why expose yourself like that? The exposure is not only to injuries but also to coming into contact with body fluids. A few months ago, a nurse and I were working with a patient with a rectal tube, the tube came out and there was brown stuff all over the floor. THe nurse was wearing those crocs with holes on them, and she stepped on it, got it all over her foot, additionally she let go of the tube and it fell on her feet. SHe had to continue working like that.
Where did common sense go?
Almost all the Nicu nurses in our unit are wearing Crocs at the moment, although not the ones with the holes on top, not allowed. We got a good deal on them, buying them in bulk!!! They are comfy to wear, but the Croc stop thing! Have experienced that a few times when I'm rushing around! Otherwise, they are fab!
Poor kid.
I love mine, but I have to be very careful when the tread on the bottoms/soles wear thin.
They can be so slippery. I was walking outside and stepped into a small splash of water and went down like the splits (one leg shot out from under me, the other bent in front). Kind of like the finale in an ice skating competition. :wink2:
Nice.
EmmaG, RN
2,999 Posts
http://www.nbc4.com/news/14026136/detail.html
OuchThis really isn't "nursing news" so I put it in here, but so many are wearing these now... just something to be mindful of.
(older story here: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/story?id=2530368&page=1 )