Contaminated Clothing

SmilingBluEyes · Feb 10, 2005

the docs I work with don't wear ties when in clinical areas. The women with long hair keep it out of the way/up. They don't wear jewelry either, that can get contaminated. There IS something to all of that, naturally. It's not a stretch to see how. Or why.

vamclouky3 · Feb 12, 2005

the docs I work with don't wear ties when in clinical areas. The women with long hair keep it out of the way/up. They don't wear jewelry either, that can get contaminated. There IS something to all of that, naturally. It's not a stretch to see how. Or why.

In reply to this:

Most or all of the doctors that I work with usually wear ties in or dress semi-casual. As far contamination they as well as you are working around patients with all kinds of diseases like MRSA/VRE/Staph/HIV/HepA-C, etc so if your not wearing your protective (yellow iso gowns) then you know better. Its required. Read all signs to visitors that don't know anything about why their loved one is in a private room or (pos pressure/neg pressure) room.

I make sure that all visitors know why it must be worn, hospital policy, how to wear the N95s (banana face), to wash up using the macrobial soap up to their wrists, and wash clothing in a bit of non-chlorine bleach when get home, spray shoes with disinfectant, keep young children out and why, do your job when required to work in pairs is always best one will remember to do it if your called away to take care of something important.

Keep up with lab order requests, bed transfers or admissions, chart everything unless using CPRS for all functions, watching 1:1s or just sit with them if FP, accucheck verify info on new admissions, diet order changes.

Best of all be good to your patients spend time with them because when its time to chart your brain will kick in and you can get it done faster. Always write down the Oxygen orders if per NC,NRB,BIPAP,RA c Ox supplement, Sterile water inhalation, breathing treatments NOW orders, general info on upcoming tests make sure the NPO patients are not sneaking food if they are then take it away from them and explain why they must not eat....ALRIGHT!!! :balloons:

begalli · Feb 12, 2005

What I don't like is that we are not routinely provided with something to cover our own scrubs while working. Especially on the night shift when we bathe patients. Some end up putting on a patient gown but still those are short sleeved.

My unit tends to be a very "bloody" unit. Lots of fluids and messy patients everywhere and not from the lack of nursing care, that's just the way it is. Sometimes we have to do open chest or some other messy procedure at the bedside. Or we may have a septic patient that is just weeping from every pore in their body. :stone

What I frequently do when I come on, especially nights (even though we're not suppossed to) , is grab a sterile gown and wear it while I'm in my room (all rn's are bedside 24/7 - always in the room excepts for break). If I leave the room, I leave the gown.

I just hate the idea of "stuff" getting on the scrubs that I wear in my car and take off at home. Knowwhatimean?

p.s. our docs usually take off their white coat and leave it at the door when they come into a room. I see ties on occasionally on Monday's (their conference day). Sure is a nice change to see them all cleaned up and in something other than scrubs!!

hey bobnurse - I appreciate the threads you start!

abundantjoy07, RN · Feb 12, 2005

The less stuff to mess with the better. Ties, jewelry, hair, etc. all has a possibilty of being contaminated. I heard that one of the worst things to come around are the stethscope covers that nurses and doctors wear. It is unnecessary (purely decorative) and crawing full of bugs. Less is better. Especially if you do like I do...when I get inside my door I take off the clothes I wear and drop it off in the dirty clothes bin so I don't spread more germs around my house. I even Lysol the bottoms of my shoes! LOL. I'm a dork. But of well, it keeps me healthier.

allnurses Guide · Feb 12, 2005

My stethescope cover is not "purely decorative", the tubing irritates my neck. And they are just as washable as scrubs.

Aneroo, LPN · Feb 12, 2005

Agreed. I saw a tie one time with a design on of what some microbes look like under a microscope (looked pretty, but cannot remember which microbe it was). I get frustrated with staff who do not wear gowns. They ask "Where's the infection?", and if it's blood or something, they don't gown up. I get irritated sometimes. We had a girl this week who had the flu, and she was put on droplet precautions. I will wear stud earrings, but no hoops. I am too afraid of a patient grabbing hold and ripping them off. Any jewelry I wear gets the alcohol treatment later. I am frequently cleaning the stethoscope with alcohol swaps or dispatch. I used to have a cover over mine, but not anymore. I am too afraid of getting stuff on it. -andrea

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Feb 12, 2005

I heard that one of the worst things to come around are the stethscope covers that nurses and doctors wear. It is unnecessary (purely decorative) and crawing full of bugs.

Mine is not "purely decorative", it is to keep my neck from breaking out. I can't use one of those waistclips for it because it never stays on the clip. And i'm not about to leave it lying around, but now it's not even an issue..

We have disposable steths for each room now.

vamclouky3 · Feb 19, 2005

02/18/2005

In firm reply:

You are required to notify your nurse manager of what your unit needs and anything else goes back to your floor supplier, ours do. If your out of Iso gowns, masks, gloves, needle boxes (housekeeping duties), etc all goes back to your Nursing Manager. That is what they are paid to do -- staff the floor and keep the patients safe.

And the bloody scrubs deal get a "red disposable bag" and have a change of clothes with you @EOS and get some surgical socks (slip ons are available ask your linen service to bring up some for your unit.) Its your fault for not making sure your patients are taken care of if you cannot protect yourself first.

Yeah, the body fluids are a pain to deal with Urine, blood, feces (messy, stinky, pungent...), snott, sputum, oozing places on the skin where breakdown is occurring - lots of Camoseptine ordered for most of our Ttl Cares now.

That is all for now.... :balloons:

What I don't like is that we are not routinely provided with
something to cover our own scrubs while working. Especially on the night shift when we bathe patients. Some end up putting on a patient gown but still those are short sleeved.
My unit tends to be a very "bloody" unit. Lots of fluids and messy patients everywhere and not from the lack of nursing care, that's just the way it is. Sometimes we have to do open chest or some other messy procedure at the bedside. Or we may have a septic patient that is just weeping from every pore in their body. :stone
What I frequently do when I come on, especially nights (even though we're not suppossed to) , is grab a sterile gown and wear it while I'm in my room (all rn's are bedside 24/7 - always in the room excepts for break). If I leave the room, I leave the gown.
I just hate the idea of "stuff" getting on the scrubs that I wear in my car and take off at home. Knowwhatimean?
p.s. our docs usually take off their white coat and leave it at the door when they come into a room. I see ties on occasionally on Monday's (their conference day). Sure is a nice change to see them all cleaned up and in something other than scrubs!!
hey bobnurse - I appreciate the threads you start!