Banning Crocs?

Nurses Uniform/Gear

Published

I am an RN in one of the largest LTC facilities in Ontario (320 beds) and I am also the infection control officer.

I have been wearing Crocs, the Professional model and the Relief model, both without top-vents, for some time now, as have many of my colleagues.

Recently, my employer announced it is undertaking a study into the infection control/health & safety aspects of Crocs in the workplace in the hopes of having them banned due to their risks of infection/transmission/injury to workers.

Does anyone have any experience with a similar undertaking at your workplace?

Are there any peer-reviewed studies on Crocs in the workplace?

My belief is that, not only are they beneficial to the health of the worker (comfort), but the inherent anti-microbial properties of the material and the ease of disinfecting the footwear far outweigh any perceived risks of infection, transmission of disease or risk of injury.

Thanks

Specializes in Long Term Care.

I don't understand... I wear Klogs, the professional model and they and the crocs are very similar.... I can't imagine them being any more of a safety/infection control isuue than anyother shoe.

Specializes in ICU;CCU;Telemetry;L&D;Hospice;ER/Trauma;.

To Shark: Lovenox comes in prefilled syringes with reractable needles...

the insulin needle is very very small...I doubt that it would penetrate a shoe like Crocs....it's worth a try....maybe we should set up an evidenced based study....:lol_hitti Again, I am amazed that the focus for nurses by administration isn't about keeping, retaining, or nurturing nurses....it's about CREATING a CRISIS that doesn't exist!

Until there's actual proof that these shoes are a true infection risk, I don't think the time wasted worrying over it is really worth it...

I think administrators ought to be focusing on staffing levels....keeping and retaining nurses.....replenishing the ranks....after all, when they are the ones laying in a hospital bed, do you think that their concern will be what kind of shoes the nurse is wearing, or do you think that safe practice, prompt attention to pain control, and preventative measures to improve their hospital stay just might be the bigger priority?

Sometimes I think the clip board carriers go to a meeting somewhere, and someone there runs around the table like Chicken Little....then they all run screaming from the room, repeating the same clucking sounds! All the while, NO ONE ever stops to think if anything in their clucking has validity! I wonder if anyone takes a step back and thinks about how dumb that is.

I throw mine in the dishwasher! Love them! But I do wear the ones with no holes in the top specifically in relation to potentially dropped needles.

Do you bleach the dishwasher after you do this? I'd hate to eat off a plate that was washed in there . . . or maybe your dishwasher has a sanitizing cycle. Mine doesn't so that is what I'm thinking.

That puddle of urine I stepped into the other day was a bit too gross to even come into my house . . . .

steph;)

edited to add . . . . yesterday I was working out at the gym and two CNA's who work in our LTC came in to work out as well, dressed in their scrubs and I had to wonder what they had on their uniforms as they started on the treadmills and then worked out with the weight machines. Especially working LTC.

There is a thread on here somewhere about whether you wear your scrubs out in public after work . .like the grocery store, etc.

ok - the germaphobe is finished . . .;):monkeydance:

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

When I worked in the hospital, I used to hose down my Crocs outside and let 'em dry on the front porch.........no way was I going to wear them in the house after stepping in God-knows-what at work.:uhoh21:

When I worked in the hospital, I used to hose down my Crocs outside and let 'em dry on the front porch.........no way was I going to wear them in the house after stepping in God-knows-what at work.:uhoh21:

Marla - this is what I would do if I wore Crocs . . . .

germaphobic is back . . .. . just thought of something . . my dh uses the bathroom and then washes his hands in the kitchen. Drives me crazy . . maybe that is why he does it . .loves to "pull my chain".

Have a friend who refuses to let anyone brush their teeth in the kitchen sink.

Ok - back to your regularly scheduled topic . . . .:p:imbar

steph

Specializes in Float.

I wash mine in hot water with my scrubs. To me that makes them cleaner than wearing the same old icky leather shoes that never get the germs off. Just MO of course... no research to back it up :)

I don't wear Crocs but I've thought about it a lot. I just don't like the idea of no ankle support. I don't see how agencies can ban them for being unsanitary though. We have a lounge in emerg where all the nurses store their shoes. It must be CRAWLING with bacteria, but COME ON!!!! They are shoes. You clean them, but them back on and two minutes later you will have all sorts of crud on them from the hospital floor.

Remember the little foot washing pools that they used to have before you got to the big public pool? That's what we need, so everytime we leave a bedside we dip our feet into bleach...would that make everyone happy? I don't know, it all sounds so crazy to me.

Where I work if you wear open (holey) crocs, you waive your compensation for foot related injuries. If you are willing to give that up, go ahead, it's your career not mine. You aren't hurting the patient so why should I be concerned? And frankly, the brighter the better. We need more colour in the hospital. I've taken to wearing orange scrubs just to liven things up. I endure the prisoner and pumpkin comments in good humour...

Damien

Specializes in Utilization Management.

So here's the solution for all you holey-Crocs people: Jibbitz!

Here's the link:

http://www1.jibbitz.com/

PS Not sure I could work without my Crocs. They really fixed my feet when I was having a problem. Do I need a note from my Doc? After all, Crocs are approved by the APA.

I am an RN in one of the largest LTC facilities in Ontario (320 beds) and I am also the infection control officer.

I have been wearing Crocs, the Professional model and the Relief model, both without top-vents, for some time now, as have many of my colleagues.

Recently, my employer announced it is undertaking a study into the infection control/health & safety aspects of Crocs in the workplace in the hopes of having them banned due to their risks of infection/transmission/injury to workers.

Does anyone have any experience with a similar undertaking at your workplace?

Are there any peer-reviewed studies on Crocs in the workplace?

My belief is that, not only are they beneficial to the health of the worker (comfort), but the inherent anti-microbial properties of the material and the ease of disinfecting the footwear far outweigh any perceived risks of infection, transmission of disease or risk of injury.

Thanks

They have banned them at my workplace. Doctors, nurses, lab, etc ALL wore them. Now we will get written up if we wear them.

When I first saw the Crocs with the top vents the first thing that came to mind was "I'm suprised infection control would allow that" I just pictured all the times I've had nasty things end up on my shoes that would've ended up in those holes had I been wearing those shoes!! I am not against anyone else wearing them if they don't mind taking the risk, but I wouldn't wear them. I'm all about the ones without the holes though...they are comfy!!

Specializes in ortho/neuro/general surgery.
I don't think bacteria is discriminating between a pair of Crocs as opposed to a pair of Nike's....

Kinda what I was thinking! ;)

Specializes in Spinal Cord injuries, Emergency+EMS.
What about wearing steel toe boots :lol2: crocs

has been known to see zippy wearing his steel toes magnums with usinform in hospital, usual to see zippy in steel toe magnums in the pre-hospital setting

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