Medical Workers wearing scrubs to and from work, outside the Hospital, etc..

Galvatron1 · Oct 27, 2006

I'm glad this topic has gotten a lot of you stirred up, that's awesome that we got such a wide spectrum of viewpoints on this topic! I never new that some of you guys and gals don't have locker rooms to change, like we do here in NYC, that poses an interesting problem.

However, I am a little concerned that some of you would only change if the issue was whether the hospital brought your scrubs or whether you had to buy them. This is not an issue about the money, it's about doing the right thing and thinking about exposing innocent children, elderly, immunosuppressed, etc. ppl of the public, to the germs we face daily in our respective hospitals or doctor's office.

Let's face it, there are a lot more diseases we are exposed to in our profession, than that are out there in the general public areas...if ppl weren't ill or afflicted, they wouldn't need our care or be in a hospital to get our scrubs dirty!! LoLz!! :idea:

hogan4736, BSN, RN · Oct 27, 2006

...However, I am a little concerned that some of you would only change if the issue was whether the hospital brought your scrubs or whether you had to buy them. This is not an issue about the money, it's about doing the right thing and thinking about exposing innocent children, elderly, immunosuppressed, etc. ppl of the public, to the germs we face daily in our respective hospitals or doctor's office.
Let's face it, there are a lot more diseases we are exposed to in our profession, than that are out there in the general public areas...if ppl weren't ill or afflicted, they wouldn't need our care or be in a hospital to get our scrubs dirty!! LoLz!!

A few germs clinging on to my scrubs after work, at the grocery store, is the least of our problems...

The overprescribed (and over-asked for) antibiotics that we (USA) give at the drop of a hat, are the REAL problem...

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Oct 27, 2006

Wasnt there some research that found more MRSA was found growing in gyms and other public places than in the hospital.??

BSNtobe2009 · Oct 27, 2006

Not to mention that there is question as to the last time that the lab coat was washed and not just hung on the back of the office door at the end of the day.
I think that the public is often just unaware of many factors this discussion involves. I could just see all 15 floor staff for my evening shift trying to change in the bathrooms before the shift starts.
~Jen

I couldn't agree with you more. My father always kept 7 lab coats and wore a clean one to work every day and kept an extra one at the office that was always clean. He was fanatical about germs and was constantly reminding me of ways to contaminate things. He never wore anything to work that couldn't be laundered, not dry cleaned, laundered. He never wore ties unless it was a meeting for that very reason

Ever noticed the light at the dentist's office? They start feeling around in your mouth, reach up, adjust the light, and then try to put their hands BACK in your mouth. I always bust them on this and tell them to go back and wash, irritates them, but then again, it's my mouth.

I've also noticed how often men touch their ties. It's almost like a nervous "tick". Ties are nasty things. Think about how many things that a doctor touches in a hospital, and then turns around and touches their tie.

babynurselsa, RN · Oct 27, 2006

Galvatron,

Fact it many of the things that we encounter during a shift in the hospital are not necesarily transmitted by contact.

Most of the things that the patients in the hospital are ill with WERE NOT contracted in teh hospital.

I will venture that there are about as many chances to contract something in Walmart. I guarantee that I am more cautious about washing my hands frequently, and keeping myself clean through the course of a shift than the average person on the street. I am aware of what I could potentially come into contact in the course of a shift and proceed accordingly. I cannot say the same about the clerk who sneezed on her hand then reached into a cash drawer to hand me back my change.......

This is food for thought, but I think you had better look elsewhere for your vectors elsewhere. Thanks for making us think.

Indy, LPN, LVN · Oct 27, 2006

Oh for the love of pete. Another way for people to yammer about our clothes. OOh, we should wear white. Ooh, we should not wear scrubs in public. I wish the media would get that doggone excited over our ratios and leave our dogflabbit clothes alone!

miko014 · Oct 27, 2006

...it's about doing the right thing and thinking about exposing innocent children, elderly, immunosuppressed, etc. ppl of the public, to the germs we face daily in our respective hospitals or doctor's office.

I'm more afraid of them than they are of me...And I'm still probably cleaner than they are! Kids are covered with germs and are on the floor EVERYWHERE (including hospitals)! How many times have you seen a little kid come to visit Great Auntie Myrtle only to end up crawling around on the floor? Don't get me wrong, I love kids!! I'm just pointing out that crawling behind the toilet in a public bathroom is not something that I routinely do. When I'm at work, I wear gloves and gowns when necessary, and I wash my hands all the time. I am very careful about geting dirty, and if I feel like I might have something on my scrubs, I don't go out in public in them. I doubt there are many RNs out there who would wear scrubs that are obviously soiled in public.

I have a friend who recently got a cut on his foot (I can't remember what he stepped on, glass or something). Anyway, he got stitches, and everything was fine. But he didn't want to take the time to go back to the MD office to get the stitches out, so he did it himself. Now he's got himself a new pet - an MRSA farm. It's out there in the environment, and frankly, we're probably all carriers anyway. If it's not on my clothes, it's probably in my nose! And current research has shown that many infections acquired by immunosuppressed pts are opportunistic from something they were already carrying. Don't ask me for sources, my CNS just happened to tell me that the other day (and she is one smart cookie - I don't know how many articles she has written!)

And, how do you know that someone isn't running an errand BEFORE they go to work? Maybe they needed to pick up some toilet paper or soemthing, and wouldn't have time after their shift. Just a thought.

Halinja, BSN, RN · Oct 28, 2006

Just to toss this in, I don't think anyone's mentioned it yet. If the patient has a highly communicable disease and is on contact or droplet protection, then we wear that "cute" little disposable gown in, and toss it on the way out. So, in general, my scrubs do not contact the worst of the germs.

onlyhope · Oct 30, 2006

just to make this discussion a little more interesting... :) what about the nurses that are working the old school weekend option of two 16 hour shifts back to back and want to stop for a pop or something on their way home... what are they going to do?

smk1, LPN · Oct 31, 2006

What is so gross about scrubs? Unless you are laying all over the patient or the patients bed then what is the issue? It is no different then wearing the same clothes to sit in the urgent care clinic/grocery store/workplace and not changing. You are still around people with illnesses and germs. People must think we are bathing in pee/poop and vomit and just calmly walking around like that all day. Somebody should do a reasearch study and culture a random sample of scrub wearing hospital employees along with teachers, police officers, paramedics, waiters, business men etc.. and see what the results show. Now if we want to think about truly gross things, think about the SaO2 sat finger clip and how many people dig in there noses, bottoms and don't wash their hands and then think about how many rooms and fingers those things go on all throughout the day without being cleaned. Same with the B/P cuffs etc...

Moneypitt · Oct 31, 2006

I work in the land of C-diff and sputum. I remove my shoes before I leave and take my scrubs off directly when I get home. I know how some of those little splatters go unoticed to the naked and busy eye. I just have to get those nasty things off of me and put some cozy pajamas on.

I don't like to see a nurse or any healthcare worker in scrubs out of the hospital or medical office. But I don't make an issue of it. Just kind of gross to me.

bethin · Oct 31, 2006

I'm guilty. I wear them if I do errands after work. With living 12 miles from the nearest town and gas at $2.50 in our area it's a waste of money not to do the basic shopping while I'm in town.

Most of the time I end up going to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. Now, why would I drive home, shower and change, drive another 12 miles just to pick up a prescription?

A few nurses went out after a shift to a local restaurant/bar in their scrubs to drink. I didn't go because I didn't think it was professional to be drinking while in scrubs. How does the public know that I'm not going to work?