Scrubs or Street Clothes

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Specializes in L&D, OR, ICU, Management, QA-UR, HHC.

What do you all wear for visits? Scrubs or Street clothes? Lab coats? Lately I've been wearing long underwear under jeans and boots.:p

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Specializes in LTC/hospital, home health (VNA).

scrubs - in the agency colors. thankfully - we used to have street clothes and I appreciate the ease and comfort of the scrubs. Lately have been wearing the long sleeves under the scrub top too!! Be glad to see spring arrive - too bad Phil saw his shadow today:rolleyes:

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Specializes in Med Surg, ICU, home&pub health, pvt duty.

When I was doing home health and especially public health visits, we were told to not wear scrubs or lab coat. Rationale: HIPPA--wearing scrubs or lab coat identifies you as a medical person to the neighbors and gives them a little to much info about your client. However, I also do private duty and the agency insists we wear scrubs. Go figure.... Best to everyone

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Specializes in LTC/hospital, home health (VNA).

I have heard that HIPAA argument too. But if I don't share any health information about my patient I am not violating HIPAA. Most of our patients have commented on how professional we look - noone has complained. But those nosy neighbors can be a problem...scrubs or not. :)

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One agency tried to crack down on the wearing of jeans. People were extending the "jeans are ok (who's going to see you?) on night shift" attitude to the other shifts during the day. I've just been wearing scrubs all along. On some occasions I have worn jeans at night, had to do with my safety at night, or rather my thoughts about my safety. Scrubs are easier to move around in to do patient care. However, if I were doing supervisory visits or SOCs, I would wear business casual with the lab coat like the other RNs do.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

Most home care agencies that I am familiar with request their nurses wear scrubs. The hospices in the area mostly prefer street clothes on the nurses and only require lab coats if the staff are visiting in a hospital. It seems that the hospital affiliated hospices are more likely to require scrubs, IMHO.

I am not aware of any CHC or hospice which allows the field staff to wear jeans.

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Specializes in Psych, LTC, Home Health.

We are allowed to wear either scrubs or street clothes but no jeans. I do know of another agency that does allow denim but not blue...they are allowed to wear scrubs if they wish as well. I do genearally wear scrubs unless I go out after hours or I'm on call or something then I have work street clothes.

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Specializes in COS-C, Risk Management.

Scrubs all the way. Easier to work and move around in, far more comfy than jeans. I've never done visits in street clothes, even after hours and don't ever plan on it.

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Specializes in L&D, OR, ICU, Management, QA-UR, HHC.

When the weather was nicer I was wearing scrubs, in solid colors, either navy or maroon, with tennis shoes but now that winter is in full swing I've taken to jeans, sweaters and boots. We're a rural HH agency and most of our patients live "up on a ridge" or "down a holler" and you need 4 wheel drive to get to them. Yesterday I had to walk in and out of a "driveway" about a quarter mile in ankle deep mud cause my Blazer couldn't make it. Even the local ambulance service won't go to this house. So I was glad I had on jeans, long underwear and boots. I guess it's not as professional but I have a couple of houses where I have to dodge flogging chickens and traipse over a llama pen to get to the front door. so I guess professional is relative.

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Specializes in COS-C, Risk Management.

I did home care in rural Missouri years ago, directions like "turn left at the third cattle guard," so I hear you. Still, never went out in street clothes, but I can see the benefits. I did often wear snow boots and about fifty layers under my scrubs, though! Now I'm in Florida, no need for long johns, thankfully, although I did break out the pantyhose a couple weeks ago when it got down in to the 20s for about a 10-day stretch. Stay warm!

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

omg...rural hospice and home health nursing is soooo much different than urban...you dodge chickens and we worry about gunmen and gangs...

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scrubs here, just easier to launder etc.....and don't forget the roaches!!! opened a front door this week and they came down, from the looks of the outside, i had an idea what the inside looked like and it was a good thing i had waited a couple of seconds between when the door opened and i stepped in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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