Question about uniforms

Nurses Uniform/Gear

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Specializes in nursing ethics.

I know this is a minor issue but I am curious when nurses change into their uniforms? At the clinic or hospital, or at home? I assume you don't wear uniforms or scrubs at home?

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I wear mine to and from work. Unless you’ve managed to solid it with someone else’s fluids you aren’t spreading anything.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

I change at work, but that's because I'm OR and required to wear hospital laundered scrubs.

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Specializes in nursing ethics.

Judging from the sporifice replies in this section and my question about where you change uniforms, are these issues too personal or uninteresting to you?

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12 minutes ago, Mywords1 said:

Judging from the sporifice replies in this section and my question about where you change uniforms, are these issues too personal or uninteresting to you?

I think you answered this in your original post:

On 4/12/2020 at 10:18 AM, Mywords1 said:

I know this is a minor issue but I am curious when nurses change into their uniforms? ...

At my facility it is the same as what Rose Queen described, only those nurses required to wear hospital issued scrubs change into and out of them at work.

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15 minutes ago, Mywords1 said:

judging from the sporifice replies in this section and my question about where you change uniforms, are these issues too personal or uninteresting to you?

Neither, they've just been discussed repeatedly. Here's a sampling.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.

I put my scrubs on at home and I take them off at home. I don't do any of that stripping in the garage, wiping my shoes down and throwing everything in the wash before I step foot in the house that I know some nurses do (nothing wrong with it, for the record) just because I'm not a big germophobe.

And yes, this has been discussed over and over again over the years on this forum which is why you might not be getting the replies you were expecting.

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Specializes in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

Because of the current world situation we're in, more of my coworkers are changing at the hospital. They've added chairs and tables to some of the staff restroom to accommodate. Ideally we probably should be changing at work...but I'm too lazy and I always like to bring the minimum to work and hate carrying around bags.

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Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.

In the UK I changed at home and didn't think it was weird. Most nurses did it.

Now I work in France where you would never leave the hospital in your uniform and I think that's correct. For all the infection control reasons under the sun I think it's better. I shudder now when I think of nurses I saw in the UK leaning over a meat counter in the supermarket for example. I've even seen nurses in uniform drinking in pubs in the UK. Make your own judgement.

French hospitals make it easy for us. Uniforms provided and all laundry taken care of in house. Locker room facilities provided to everyone. At my currrent hospital we get two days "journées d'habillage" I.e. two extra days holiday a year that clerical staff don't get to compensate us for the time we spend changing in the locker room before and after a shift. We really have no reason to travel to and from work in uniform, and if you did, the reaction would be utter horror.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.
On 5/28/2020 at 1:14 AM, DavidFR said:

In the UK I changed at home and didn't think it was weird. Most nurses did it.

Now I work in France where you would never leave the hospital in your uniform and I think that's correct. For all the infection control reasons under the sun I think it's better. I shudder now when I think of nurses I saw in the UK leaning over a meat counter in the supermarket for example. I've even seen nurses in uniform drinking in pubs in the UK. Make your own judgement.

French hospitals make it easy for us. Uniforms provided and all laundry taken care of in house. Locker room facilities provided to everyone. At my currrent hospital we get two days "journées d'habillage" I.e. two extra days holiday a year that clerical staff don't get to compensate us for the time we spend changing in the locker room before and after a shift. We really have no reason to travel to and from work in uniform, and if you did, the reaction would be utter horror.

You have obviously not been in UK for a while - or at least Scotland. Wearing your uniform outside work, unless you work in the community, is a disciplinary offence. In the trust I worked for it was a disciplinary offence over 20 years ago and nurses were always told to never go shopping etc unless it was part of their job.

As a student I wore uniform in pubs while taking geriatric patients on trips.

From the NATIONAL UNIFORM POLICY, DRESS CODE AND LAUNDERING POLICY;

"There is a public perception that there is a risk of infection from staff wearing uniform outwith the healthcare setting, this is a perceived risk with no evidence to substantiate it, however this must be considered when offering guidance to staff travelling to and from work in uniform."

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Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.
1 hour ago, GrumpyRN said:

You have obviously not been in UK for a while - or at least Scotland. Wearing your uniform outside work, unless you work in the community, is a disciplinary offence. In the trust I worked for it was a disciplinary offence over 20 years ago and nurses were always told to never go shopping etc unless it was part of their job.

As a student I wore uniform in pubs while taking geriatric patients on trips.

From the NATIONAL UNIFORM POLICY, DRESS CODE AND LAUNDERING POLICY;

"There is a public perception that there is a risk of infection from staff wearing uniform outwith the healthcare setting, this is a perceived risk with no evidence to substantiate it, however this must be considered when offering guidance to staff travelling to and from work in uniform."

I left the UK 20 years ago. So glad it has changed. I get the impression from our American friends that it's normal practice for them to wear their uniform to and from work, as indeed it was once upon a time in the UK. On a visit to England in 2008 I did see a uniformed nurse in a pub, pint and all. That was in Burnley. I realise that's 12 years ago but the years fly at my age, it seems like 10 minutes ago. Glad it doesn't happen in Scotland!

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

I was under the impression that England was the same as Scotland regarding uniforms outside but I did not know for certain so only quoted my own country.

Should add, when I was in the pub with the old guys I was wearing shirt, tie and a white short sleeved 3/4 length jacket. Yes, it was that long ago.

In Scotland until recently the trusts laundered your uniforms so there was more incentive to remove them in the hospital because there was always a clean one available.

I agree with you about our American colleagues, they seem to wear their uniforms everywhere from what I have picked up on this site and other places.

Restez en sécurité.

(I tried to say "Stay safe" but it is late and my French is not that great.)

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