Do you shower right after your shift?

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When I was in nursing school I showered as soon as I got home. Now as a nurse I need to just sit down when I get home from work and watch a little TV and have a snack before I shower. I do take off my scrubs as soon as I get home. Some other nurses I know who have been working longer take off their scrubs and go straight to bed without showering and I'm afraid it could one day be me. Just wanted to know peoples opinion on this and if this is sanitary or even dangerous?

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I can not imagine not showering immediately but then again I have 4 kids. Also, scrubs twice in a row :smackingf

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Specializes in ICU, MICU, SICU.

Nope, I don't shower until I wake up the next day (or later in the day, depending on the shift). I also wear my scrubs/shoes inside my house. I'm sorry, but what does everyone think they are coming into contact with at the hospital that they aren't in the general public? MRSA and Cdiff? They are everywhere!! Body fluid? Thats everywhere too!

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
KeechieSan said:
Nope, I don't shower until I wake up the next day (or later in the day, depending on the shift). I also wear my scrubs/shoes inside my house. I'm sorry, but what does everyone think they are coming into contact with at the hospital that they aren't in the general public? MRSA and Cdiff? They are everywhere!! Body fluid? Thats everywhere too!

Yes body fluids are everywhere. That doesnt mean I want to track splattered urine/blood from my scrubs onto the seat of my truck.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I don't have kids and I take a shower right before work. I also wear clean scrubs daily. In the winter, it can be minus 50 where I am....I'm not getting into the shower and sitting there with wet hair after work. UNLESS there is the exception where I am soiled from work. Then, yes, ok. I see nothing wrong with that.

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Specializes in LTC, Acute care.

I take off my scrubs as soon as I get in the house, then I take a shower. I never, ever, ever, go to bed ever from work without showering. Even when I'm so tired I can barely stand, I still drag myself into the shower so I can wash off that hospital smell off me.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Quote
tvccrn,

LOL! I know! :eek: I have been known to lysol EVERYTHING... especially my shoes. :idea: One solution could be to put a towel over the seat and then wash the towel and also, to take my shoes off before getting into my vehicle, maybe bring a change of shoes ...

But I don't think my problem goes that far ;) I was able to function without caring about the truck seat and peddles ?

What do you do?

When I get home I barely get home when my sons attack me!!:lol2: I general have a pair of shoes that I leave at work and change out of my scrubs in the mudroom.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

I shower irregardless of the time the shift ends. I cannot stand going to bed dirty and sweaty, having had to clean pooh and having sick people cough all over me (ever notice how old people cough ON you and don't ever cover their mouths?) And I could not ever, ever sleep next to someone with stinky feet or who didn't shower/wash before bed - even if they'd sat around the house all day.

I like to feel nice and clean and fresh. It also helps me sleep too.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatric, Hospice.

I shower immediately after I get home, shoes left outside and scrubs in the washer. Don't wash my hair every time though. I cannot sleep if I feel sticky and itchy after work.

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For me, it depended on what kind of shift it had been, and the type of nursing I was doing.... work clothes came off asap, regardless.

If I was working drug/alcohol rehab or psych, I usually showered before work. When working in the hospital, and sometimes LTC, I showered after work.

If it had been gross anywhere, I showered after I'd run screaming from the backdoor, ripping my clothes off en route to the bathroom :)

:hpygrp:

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Specializes in future OB/L&D nurse(I hope) or hospice.

Not in nursing school yet, but living in Las Vegas I am soaking when I get home, at least May-September. I go take shoes off at the garage door, walk into the laundry area and strip. Clothes in the washer and high tail it to the shower. Would probably win America's funniest video if I was filmed doing this process. :lol2::lol2:

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