I know this is a dumb question but we were having a discussion about this at work. I wear clean Crocs but tend to get asked about every day to remove my shoes in at least one house.
Some people I work with are offended and some don't care. I don't care as long as the house is clean, but walking along hardwoods with my white socks always gets them dirty, and thus ashamed of them at the next "please remove shoes" visit.
Probably won't get any replies but was just wondering what other people thought of this..
I, like Silverblitzen and Rudievalentine, work in Canada. At our agency, it is required to wear shoes at all times (and Crocs are not allowed). We are required to carry a spare pair of "house" shoes with us, and we change into them whenever the client requests. Part of this may be that in Canada, it is customary to remove your shoes when entering anyone's home as a guest. I have been here 23 years, (came from Michigan), and remember the first time it was explained to me that NO ONE wears their shoes in the house in Canada (unless they are shoes that are ONLY worn in the house). Different cultures... But, I would never go in just socks...some homes are just too scary for that...you never know what you are stepping in or on.
Specializes in Community Health, Care Coordination and Geriatrics.
Actually it was explained to me that if you suddenly were in an unsafe situation in a home and had to run out quickly, you need to have shoes on. Also part of the health and safety regulations if you were to ever injure yourself (in particular your feet), wearing appropriate footwear is a WSIB regulation (Workplace Safety Insurance Board).
It would be devasting to have a permanent injury from a workplace injury and have your claim denied because you didn't practice safely.
Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.
Someone mentioned the Maytag man- my husband has done service-type work and has had customers, on a few rare occasions, want him to take his shoes off. It was usually done in the context of rich-people-with-white-carpet. They were basically told "no shoes, no service. (He wasn't going to be tracking grease or sewer sludge into the house).
I know this is a dumb question but we were having a discussion about this at work. I wear clean Crocs but tend to get asked about every day to remove my shoes in at least one house.
Some people I work with are offended and some don't care. I don't care as long as the house is clean, but walking along hardwoods with my white socks always gets them dirty, and thus ashamed of them at the next "please remove shoes" visit.
Probably won't get any replies but was just wondering what other people thought of this..
We don't wear shoes in my house, and I notify anyone coming in the house of that. Even the dog doesn't go past the Kitchen, which is the "dirty floor" zone. Especially not to get work shoes anywhere near the inside of a house - that's just gross, can anyone say MRSA, VRE, C-Dif... the list goes on.... just ick!
You could bring along special flip flops, or suggest the patient to have some cheapo "house flip flops" just for visitors.
I do not do home health but found your post interesting.
My take on this is that you are not a guest in their house, but are there to do a job. I think you should not take off your shoes because as a nurse, that is part of your uniform and the shoes do protect you (needles, stubbing toe on furniture, dropping something on foot...).
When asked to take your shoes off, you really should remind them that you are not there for a social visit and the shoes stay on while you are there or you do not come in.
Others may feel differently than I do. It just urks me that someone would really have the nerve to ask that shoes be removed for a person coming to their home to provide professional services. I would bet that if doctors made house calls, they would be allowed to keep the shoes on.
But, it is someone's home regardless if it's work or a social call - many people have that same rule. And to know that they're a nurse and exposed to more than other professionals who might enter a home, it's prudent to remove them. A nurse could wear shoe covers. I can understand if it's a nasty house, in which case, the patient is not likely to request you take off your shoes, but if it's a house where the patient doesn't want any junk in there, then that applies to everyone.
Actually it was explained to me that if you suddenly were in an unsafe situation in a home and had to run out quickly, you need to have shoes on. Also part of the health and safety regulations if you were to ever injure yourself (in particular your feet), wearing appropriate footwear is a WSIB regulation (Workplace Safety Insurance Board).
It would be devasting to have a permanent injury from a workplace injury and have your claim denied because you didn't practice safely.
if it was a dangerous situation, shoes be damned! I would run in whatever (or not) I had on....
If the family asks, yes. I always did. (when doing supervisory visits)
We had one family where it was cultural. Another who offered to buy house shoes for each nurse, she just didnt want shoes in the house.
Also, with private duty, we had mostly trach pts. It really isnt a good idea to go sit and play on the floor with them (pedi here!) and have your shoes on. Thats just gross..
So yeap, I always took them off actually when I was working.
I would only take them off in an extremely clean home for cultural purposes only. Other than that, shoe covers go on, no questions asked. Bet you're surprised as the number of responses, aren't ya?:yelclap:
I would only take them off in an extremely clean home for cultural purposes only. Other than that, shoe covers go on, no questions asked. Bet you're surprised as the number of responses, aren't ya?:yelclap:
Yep! As a matter of fact, today I walked into the uber-clean home an noticed right away that no one was wearing shoes. I didn't ask (thought of this post) and walked right in. BUT the fact that those shoes have been all over other sick people's homes made me think twice, thrice, and I started to think about that one Oprah show when they swabbed the phone, the grocery cart, etc and came up with everything you could imagine. No, I didn't take them off, but felt rotten all the way.
I am now going to go buy home-only-croqs because this has caused me to think too much.
p.s.
I don't wear my own shoes in my house, but never ask anyone to take their's off. My husband always wears his in our house, btw, and he works in a hospital and hh. I do it for comfort.....
Specializes in Community Health, Care Coordination and Geriatrics.
Any shoe covers that I have seen don't have any kind of traction. In my mind they would increase your chances of falls in the home. I'll continue to take a "spare pair" with me.
Ever consider if a state reviewer suddenly joins you on a visit and you are without shoes in a client's home? Looks like it would be a big fine to your home health agency to me.
I was told it was a Public Health issue to wear shoes into a client's home. Perhaps shoe covers are the best alternative.
Kim Valentine, BSN, RN
3 Articles; 22 Posts
We instruct our nurses to bring a change of shoes into the home. It is a health and safety regulation