Do you shower when you get off work???

Published

I'm just curious if those of you who have nurse-to-patient contact... Do you shower when you get home from work??

I'm kind of a freak when it comes to showering... I have to shower in the morning and then before bed each night... So I know once I start working in the field, I will be showering when I get home anyway, but I'm curious if I wasn't this way to begin with if I would still shower or not...

Just curious...

Specializes in LTC.

Depends on what kind of night I've had. If I'm sweaty and smell funky I'll shower. If I spent the night cleaning up vomit, I'll shower. Otherwise working in assisted living I'm not really exposed to many sick people.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The Good Lord must have been looking out for me all these years. If doing all some people are doing--bagging shoes, clothes etc-- were really necessary I would have been dead a long time ago. I feel worse walking out of a public bathroom not knowing what was on the last persons hands than I do coming home from work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg.

I usually do not shower when I get home. I do however leave my shoes at work-the thought of wearing them home makes me cringe! yuk!:uhoh21:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in midwifery, gen surgical, community.

Always shower before work. When I come home I start filling the bath for a hot deep bath. Whilst the bath is filling, I take a very quick shower to get rid of sweat.

Could not ever imagine going to bed without taking a shower or bath. How do you get rid of that hot sticky feeling?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CCU/CVICU, Hemodialysis, ER, PALS Inst..

YES YES YES! I shower and wash my hair before I go to work and the first thing I do when I get home is come out of my clothes, take a shower and wash my hair again..too many creepy cruddy bugs running around!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in critical care.

i take a bath before going to work & bath & scrub as soon as i come home.i have kids at home & there's no way i want them to get any traces of the bacteria/viruses that are from the hospital.i don't mix my work shoes w/ the rest of our shoes either.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

YES!!! I lose my shoes before I go inside...I have to take a shower before I even sit down to eat breakfast. I am so sweaty and funky at the end of my shift I can't imagine going to bed without showering!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in acute care and geriatric.
usually before and after.. i have also been known to shower in the middle of my shift as well...

absolutely especially in the good ol days when our unit wasn't airconditioned. i still can manage a 5 minute shpritz off if the need arises. never more as i need to be on call....

showering after each shift is recommended- i also wipe all surfaces with alcohol or chlorhexidine esp telephones (12% of which carry mrsa!!!among the doctor and nurse population)

but what bugs me are the long fake nails with stud stuck on-that so many young nurses insist on sporting- how can u work with those and keep them clean!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
But what bugs me are the long fake nails with stud stuck on-that so many young nurses insist on sporting- how can u work with those and keep them clean!!!

Most facilities in the US prohibit artificial nails for that very reason. Studies showed that the grossest little buggers like to hide out under those nails, no matter how much/hard the wearer scrubs. No longer allowed. :nono:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The only time I don't shower after work is when I get home at midnight and have to be awake again at 4:15 to go back to work. On those days, the morning shower will have to do. I do change the sheets after my two back-to-back doubles tho, and wash the quilt too.

Otherwise, right after I close the garage door, I strip down to my tighty-whiteys, leave the shoes in the garage, and drop the uniform in the washer on my way thru to the kitchen. Then off to shower and put on a t-shirt and boxers. Clothes worn to work never make it in my house further than the laundry room, which is right off the garage, and shoes for work NEVER get worn for anything else.

I'm not so germ-phobic that I bag my shoes for the ride home tho, but I do detail my truck once every two weeks anyway.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Before work

Afterwork

If I could arrange it, I would rather have a shower break rather than a lunch break.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

YES---ALWAYS. Before and after shift. A few times during some shifts thanks to a floor full of c-diff at the time:trout:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion