Hospital vs. home laundered scrubs and caps

MamaCheese · Dec 8, 2009

Our facility provides scrubs but we're not required to wear them. We can wear our own scrubs but we must change into them when we arrive. We can wear our own scrub hats.

$fracturenurse$ · Dec 8, 2009

We wear our scrubs from home. We can wear our own scrub hats.

elcue · Dec 8, 2009

Scrubs from home, laundered at home, changed into at the hospital. Any hat/cap is OK.

Editorial Team / Admin · Dec 8, 2009

Scrubs from the hospital, laundered by the hospital, hats from home are ok.

linda2097 · Dec 8, 2009

"AORN does not recommend home laundering of surgical scrubs. Taking surgical scrubs home that were worn in the perioperative area could result in transferring pathogens to the home setting. (1) If surgical scrubs have become wet or contaminated with blood or body fluids, the individual should change scrubs as soon as possible and send the soiled scrubs to the facility laundry or to a health-care approved laundry facility. (2)

Studies performed on contamination of the hands of health care personnel, equipment, and clothing demonstrate that pathogens found in the perioperative setting present risks of transmission during home laundering. Studies indicate the following regarding home laundering:

* More than 95% of laundry is washed in cold water. (3,4)

* Only 15% of laundry is washed with bleach. (5)

* Home dryers may not provide a high enough temperature to kill viruses and bacteria. (4,5)

* Cultures of washing machines grew coliform bacteria (ie, 60%) and Staphylococcus bacteria (ie, 20%). (6)

* A National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health study demonstrated that washing work wear at home poses long-range risks for families and communities. (7)

* Sixty-five percent of nurses caring for patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) had contaminated uniforms. (8)

* Health care-associated infection with MRSA and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci is spread via the hands of health care personnel, equipment, and clothing. (9)"

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FSL/is_4_86/ai_n27434538/

$fracturenurse$ · Dec 9, 2009

"AORN does not recommend home laundering of surgical scrubs. Taking surgical scrubs home that were worn in the perioperative area could result in transferring pathogens to the home setting. (1) If surgical scrubs have become wet or contaminated with blood or body fluids, the individual should change scrubs as soon as possible and send the soiled scrubs to the facility laundry or to a health-care approved laundry facility. (2)
Studies performed on contamination of the hands of health care personnel, equipment, and clothing demonstrate that pathogens found in the perioperative setting present risks of transmission during home laundering. Studies indicate the following regarding home laundering:
* More than 95% of laundry is washed in cold water. (3,4)
* Only 15% of laundry is washed with bleach. (5)
* Home dryers may not provide a high enough temperature to kill viruses and bacteria. (4,5)
* Cultures of washing machines grew coliform bacteria (ie, 60%) and Staphylococcus bacteria (ie, 20%). (6)
* A National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health study demonstrated that washing work wear at home poses long-range risks for families and communities. (7)
* Sixty-five percent of nurses caring for patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) had contaminated uniforms. (8)
* Health care-associated infection with MRSA and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci is spread via the hands of health care personnel, equipment, and clothing. (9)"
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FSL/is_4_86/ai_n27434538/

Yup, I agree with this as well. Management doesn't. I just don't get it. My dog could have been lying on my scrubs before I came to work. Then we go into a OR? I can't do anything about it though. We even showed our bigwigs the AORN standards. Apparently, the other departments were getting mad that we were wearing different colored scrubs then they were. How freaking stupid. I do try and wash my scrubs separate and if I have enough time I put them through the "sanitize" cycle. I don't know something just isn't right about doing a bowel resection and then stopping at the grocery store to pick up dinner. And, seriously, what if my dog slept on my scrubs the night before and I shook them out and went in and did a total hip replacement? I guess the best I can do is have standards with my scrubs and hope others do as well. Just my two cents!

linda2097 · Dec 9, 2009

I don't know something just isn't right about doing a bowel resection and then stopping at the grocery store to pick up dinner. And, seriously, what if my dog slept on my scrubs the night before and I shook them out and went in and did a total hip replacement? I guess the best I can do is have standards with my scrubs and hope others do as well. Just my two cents!

Quite frankly, your hospital is being very cheap and negligent. If I were in your shoes, I would wash my scrubs in hot water and bleach no matter what color they are. I would store a week's worth of clean scrubs in my hospital locker and never wear them outside of the hospital.

MsLeylaBar · Dec 9, 2009

Hospital provided and laundered scrubs for us. We are allowed to wear cloth hats and we don't have to wear bonnets over them.

GadgetRN71, ASN, RN · Dec 9, 2009

We can wear our own scrubs but aren't supposed to wear them in or to go home. We can also wear our own hats and don't have to cover them with the disposable one.

$fracturenurse$ · Dec 10, 2009

Quite frankly, your hospital is being very cheap and negligent. If I were in your shoes, I would wash my scrubs in hot water and bleach no matter what color they are. I would store a week's worth of clean scrubs in my hospital locker and never wear them outside of the hospital.

Exactly, cheap is the word that comes to mind...

Like I said I take care of my scrubs, but, what about others? Do you really want to take those dirty scrubs home to your family? I can tell you my hospital is very cheap and will never change!

SandraCVRN · Dec 25, 2009

I really don't think anything I take home from the OR is any worse than what I brought home when I worked on the floor doing nasty dressing changes. It really doesn't help if "we" do everything by the book, then docs come in wearing whatever they want, boots from the ranch, etc...