Hospital Scrubs

[nicunursem10]

Just curious,

How many of you are required to wear hospital issued scrubs? It's a new thing at my hospital and we're not too happy about it.

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

We wear our own. There have been studies done and the infection rate for wearing your own scrubs weren't a factor.

Unless maybe you ride the NYC subway to work.....

[preemieRNkate, RN]

We wear our own. There have been studies done and the infection rate for wearing your own scrubs weren't a factor.

That's what they said in our hospital. We also did away with cover gowns after those studies for both us and parents. The push to get all the nurses wearing one color has more to do with patient satisfaction than infection control anyway.

[littleneoRN]

People in this thread and past threads have mentioned wearing hospital sterile scrubs but being able to wear personal scrub jackets over them when they are not doing patient care. This seems to defeat the supposed purpose of sterile scrubs if those scrubs in direct contact with home laundered scrubs, where germs can be passed back and forth! That said, there are studies that show that certain of our big, bad bacteria stay alive on cloth, but I haven't seen any studies showing personal scrubs infecting the infection rate. Many/most of the kids who get held by nursing staff have a much lower risk for infection anyway. Your fragile kids with central lines, etc. don't tend to be held as much and keep their holding time for parents. At least where I work. So I guess I'm not convinced that hospital scrubs are worth the incredible cost. Plus, although they are "uniform" in color, etc., they definitely are not uniform in proper fit. I think poorly fitting, cheap hospital scrubs take away from the professional image that most of us want to convey. They may fit a subset of well-proportioned people, but I know I don't fit in that category! :)

[preemieRNkate, RN]

People in this thread and past threads have mentioned wearing hospital sterile scrubs but being able to wear personal scrub jackets over them when they are not doing patient care. This seems to defeat the supposed purpose of sterile scrubs if those scrubs in direct contact with home laundered scrubs, where germs can be passed back and forth! That said, there are studies that show that certain of our big, bad bacteria stay alive on cloth, but I haven't seen any studies showing personal scrubs infecting the infection rate. Many/most of the kids who get held by nursing staff have a much lower risk for infection anyway. Your fragile kids with central lines, etc. don't tend to be held as much and keep their holding time for parents. At least where I work. So I guess I'm not convinced that hospital scrubs are worth the incredible cost. Plus, although they are "uniform" in color, etc., they definitely are not uniform in proper fit. I think poorly fitting, cheap hospital scrubs take away from the professional image that most of us want to convey. They may fit a subset of well-proportioned people, but I know I don't fit in that category! :)

Well, the scrubs provided by the hospital aren't sterile. The idea behind infections being reduced by wearing hospital provided scrubs is that the staff changes into them at the hospital, thus reducing the chance of bringing in germs from outside. It's not like you can go and do a sterile procedure just wearing those scrubs. You would have to have a sterile cover gown on. Some of our docs and NNPs wear hospital scrubs, and some wear their own. Either way, if they are putting in umbilical lines, they still don the gown.

Most of the time, I wear hospital provided scrubs to work from home. I usually like to wash them myself before wearing them cause I don't like the way they look from the machine. They're usually pretty wrinkly.

[WDWpixieRN, RN]

The hospital where I am currently a tech is getting ready to switch to hospital-required scrubs. Techs will wear one color, RNs another color, and secretaries, and other staff, other colors.

The rationale of doing this is supposedly so pts can distinguish between the different types of employees.

Personally, I'd be surprised if most clients will be able to keep track of the different colors; and I know the staff is heartbroken. So much for years of scrub "wardrobes" that include special homemade tops, holiday wear, etc. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

My daughter got me a Scrubs gift certificate for Christmas. I had to explain that what I could do with it would depend on where I ended up getting hired post-graduation, lol. Each hospital around here has its own rules!!

[EmilyUSFRN, RN]

our nicu--

hospital issued scrubs, full 3 min surgical scrub prior to pt care and upon returning from lunch break or somewhere else not the nicu. each baby has their own stethoscope and thermometer. you don the overcoat for each different baby for feeds. no drinks allowed at all, even covered water bottles, no watches, rings, etc.

hooking a baby up to anything-- IVs, central lines, connecting HAL requires full sterile procedure-- hat, gown gloves, certain curtain shield thing...

i work in pediatrics, so when floating to the nicu, it's like a whole 'nother world, but there were some infection issues a few years back i suppose. definitely a different environment.

[ScammRNC]

We are able to wear are own scrubs, but have hospital scrubs available if someone wishes to wear them instead and for backup.

[wensday, MSN, RN, APN, NP]

Our whole hospital is changing to scrubs this year, with lighter shades for nursing assistants and darker through staff nurses, sisters, managers, ANNPs etc. They are currently deciding whether to have every ward have the same colour or different. I would love pink or purple scrubs but the male nurses would probably have something to say! Currently we wear 'proper' nurse uniforms and they are so impractical. We cover up when going to theatre with big gowns and wear plastic aprons when handling our own babies.

[RNFAj]

I am wondering if anyone has an article on the pros and cons of wearing personal scrub jackets in the OR

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

I am wondering if anyone has an article on the pros and cons of wearing personal scrub jackets in the OR

Are you referring to NICU nurses wearing personal scrubs in the OR for deliveries, or are you talking about OR surgical staff wearing their personal scrubs?

[dawnebeth]

We've always worn our own uniforms--usually in bright patterns and color--only the OR has hospital scrubs.

[RNFAj]

I am refering to OR Surgical scrubs Jackets laundered at home.