OB scrubs

SmilingBluEyes · Oct 14, 2005

Ours supplies scrubs because it IS indeed an infection control issue. All the nurses wear the same ones supplied by the hospital and only nurses, not housekeeping, etc.

We do our own csections (scrub/circulate) so again, having no scrubs from outside is a good idea. NO wearing clothes/scrubs from the street in the OR

Also, if we get messy during a delivery, it's easy enough to change clothes very quickly as there are always clean scrubs in the locker room.

It's the only way to go.

JaneyW · Oct 14, 2005

We wear hospital supplied (big university med ctr), but there are some places around here that don't supply and others where you can choose. It also seems that there are always those that take the scrubs home and wash them themselves which I think defeats the purpose. The docs also will come in in whatever thay have around. Sometimes the attendings don't put on gowns over their own clothes. Then you have the NICU people coming in in whatever and throwing on small apron type things. Some of the nurses will freak out if you have a shirt on under the scrubs (it can be cold) and others think nothing of going into the OR with their jackets they've worn all week. Hate to beat a dead horse, but you have the registry/travel people who will wear whatever they want. The housekeeping people are required to change to the scrubs when cleaning the rooms.

I don't know which is best by evidence-based practice, but when you choose one--good luck sticking to it! I know I like the supplied scrubs because then I don't have to pay for them or worry about cleaning them.

babyktchr, BSN, RN · Oct 14, 2005

Many years ago there were hosptial provided scrubs for OB. We wear our own scrubs now, and in any style. We used to wear the same top and same color pants all of the time. We went to any style or color because there was concern that anyone could really go and purchase scrubs and become part of the woodwork, so to speak, and increase the risk for abduction. If we have a section, we change into OR scrubs.

fourbirds4me · Oct 14, 2005

Our units use hospital laundered scrubs... (they are horrible... NO POCKETS!!) However, I believe recent studies have shown no difference in infection in the OB setting. That being said... I believe it is also recommended that common uniforms be worn in OB areas because of infants security.... although OR, Sterile processing and radiology all wear the same scrubs

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/articles/1a1feat4.html

A pilot study was conducted at the University of Central Florida to determine if the practice of hospitals purchasing and laundering scrub clothing was based on ritual or reason. This descriptive pilot study was conducted during a four-year period in order to determine the effect on the perinatal infection rate of wearing home laundered scrub clothing in labor and delivery. Prior to the study the infection rate was 1.7%; at the study's end, it was 1.0%. The conclusions of the study support home laundering of scrubs in that home laundered scrub clothing can be worn safely in labor and delivery units, including operating rooms contained in those units. The practice was found to reduce costs without increasing surgical wound infections.11

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC) created a State of the Art Report (SOAR) designed to assist IC professionals in the development of policies and procedures related to the use of scrubs and similar apparel by HCWs outside controlled environments, such as the surgical suite. Surprisingly, there is little scientific evidence that the utilization of scrubs in the operating room setting is a means of infection control in the healthcare facility.

midwife2b · Oct 15, 2005

We wear our own scrubs, which are color coded to our unit only (other staff in other areas cannot wear these same colors for their scrub pants). Our scrub techs wear hospital scrubs but the circulators wear their own stuff with a cover gown over the top. Studies have shown that there is no difference in infections if personnel wear their own vs. hospital scrubs, and our own infection stats over the last several years have proven that out (actually our infection rate is better than the C/S done in the main OR). We do 90-100 C/S a month plus cerclages and tubals.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Oct 15, 2005

My hospital has the same scrubs for OR, OB, NICU, and the burn unit. They're all laundered by the hospital and there are the male and female tpes - male with drawstring pants and reversable one-pocket v-neck top, female with elastic waist pants and round-neck tops wth two waist pockets. They're all that LOVELY greenish-gray color.

OB and OR wear them for obvious infection control reasons. Our burn unit is a transfer center, so there is quite a large ICU and they feel it's safest to just wear the surgical scrubs as well. We wear them in the NICU because we regularly go to deliveries in OB (including c-sections) and we actually take our babies to and from the OR rather than a transport team.

I can't imagine an OB unit without surgical scrubs!

NurseforPreggers · Oct 15, 2005

We wear our own scrubs, but we also have hospital supplied scrubs. We have a choice.

CRIMSON · Jul 5, 2007

I used to work OB as a tech. Even we wore hospital issued scrubs. They wanted to minimize infection. We had a locker room, scrubs were cleaned by hospital. You wore your clothes and shoes to the locker room, then changed to your clean scrubs AND to your WORK shoes. You couldn't wear your street shoes after shift you changed back. Also, you never had to worry if you were getting someone elses scrubs (I know some people worry about it) because all of our scrubs were embroidered with our name and position. I worked the floor and scrubbed c-sections and there certainly was no time to change for a stat c-section. I loved having the scrubs supplied and cleaned. Made my life alot easier and saved me money.

HappyNurse2005, RN · Jul 6, 2007

Ours supplies scrubs because it IS indeed an infection control issue. All the nurses wear the same ones supplied by the hospital and only nurses, not housekeeping, etc.
We do our own csections (scrub/circulate) so again, having no scrubs from outside is a good idea. NO wearing clothes/scrubs from the street in the OR
Also, if we get messy during a delivery, it's easy enough to change clothes very quickly as there are always clean scrubs in the locker room.
It's the only way to go.

same here. darn nice not to have to pay for scrubs, or wash them, or worry about if you have any clean ones that match or what to do if you get slimed with blood at work.

of course, having the same scrub pattern on the unit for 15 years is a bit of a fashion violation, but oh well. at least we all look outdated together