Scrubs

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Specializes in Nurse Educator; Family Nursing.

I have been concerned about something that is increasingly common and that is health care providers wearing their scrubs while shopping, exercising or any variety of activities. I know I am old school (when I graduated we wore white and did not shop in our uniforms, wear our caps outside the hospital setting, etc, etc). Now, scrubs are everywhere. With the increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria, I do not like the fact that someone who just got off a machine at Curves was wearing her "uniform" and that it may be contaminated with MRSA or VRE.

Am I being "picky"?

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

Going to the grocery store in my scrubs is something I am completely guilty of. Since moving to Georgia I have done this about two times.

My fiancee and I have one car, so when the TP got low that day I did go to the store between me getting home from night shift and him leaving for work.

I also got my flat tire repaired on the way home and I was in my scrubs.

I have thought many times about bringing clothes to work to change into, and I agree it is something I should do.

I do not think it is necessary to work out in your scrubs at all, that just seems completely lazy to me.

You are correct, we don't know what we drag around on our uniforms, and we should probably all be more conscientious about it.

I have to admit, that a lot of times I am get a rush of pride to be in my scrubs, but I suppose nowadays lots of people wear scrubs and who knows what your job really is.

On a side note, when I was getting my tire fixed the *very* nice young man who helped me urgently asked me if I was "a nurse or something". I responded yes and he asked me if I had any amoxicillian!

In the end I wound up giving him 2 Aleve and a couple Dayquil I had with me to help him with his cold he ad acquired while being back home for the holidays.

I was amused. :)

Tait

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I agree completey. But, I have been guilty of hitting the grocery store on my way home. :uhoh3: I think we are just around the germs so much we get a little too nonchalent about it.

But men without jobs love it. I can attracte every bum for 50 miles when I stop for gas in my scrubs :bugeyes:

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Specializes in LTC, Home Health.
I have been concerned about something that is increasingly common and that is health care providers wearing their scrubs while shopping, exercising or any variety of activities. I know I am old school (when I graduated we wore white and did not shop in our uniforms, wear our caps outside the hospital setting, etc, etc). Now, scrubs are everywhere. With the increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria, I do not like the fact that someone who just got off a machine at Curves was wearing her "uniform" and that it may be contaminated with MRSA or VRE.

Am I being "picky"?

I totally agree with you but I wear my scrubs sometimes to Curves to work out in. They are comfortable and I did not wear them to work that day. Are you sure she wore those to work?

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I'll say scrubs are comfortable to workout in. I never wear the scrubs that I wore to work that day. The scrubs are clean when I'm at the gym. More that healthcare workers wear scrubs, also, I know people who work in daycares who wear them because of the comfort. So It's hard to know if someone just came from work in a hospital, clinic, etc.. or just wear them for comfort.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

And how do you know the person in scrubs at the grocery store isn't on their way to work?

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Specializes in OR, PACU, GI, med-surg, OB, school nursing.

I wear my scrubs to the grocery store after work. What about everyone else who goes into a patient's room? Family, friends, docs, non-patient-care staff? I sure don't see family members change clothes when they leave the hospital.

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Specializes in ER, ICU cath lab, remote med.

On the one hand, I understand the OP's concerns. Your "thing" might be nurses wearing scrubs in public...mine is nurses wearing wrinkled scrubs.

On the other hand, you can't tell what kind of germs a person is carrying on them because of what they're dressed in. That person in scrubs might be front office staff, a vet tech, an optician, a day care employee, a dental assistant, a PT tech, a ward secretary, etc., etc., etc. And what about the people who work at the sewage plant, or teachers, or scientists, or the healthcare workers who wear street clothes? Who knows what kind of germs they're carrying around? And finally, what about the PATIENT with MRSA or the flu or C-diff who's out and about shopping, eating out, on the treadmill (ok...maybe not on the treadmill with flu or C-diff;)),etc.?

I have a healthy fear of germs but with all my exposure (I work ICU and in an outpatient clinic) in 13 years I have yet to contract an infectious disease from a patient. If I can participate in hands on care with infected patients without getting anything, I feel pretty safe I can shop next to someone with germy clothes without getting anything.

Like we all know...handwashing, handwashing, handwashing.

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Specializes in Nurse Educator; Family Nursing.

OK, some of you who are so blase' about uniforms need to read this from the Wall Street Journal.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123137245971962641.html

It doesn't matter if they are on their way to work. I wouldn't want someone caring for me who had just worked out in their scrubs. Yes, they are comfortable. So are pajamas, but I don't see people working out in PJs.

Child care givers can also carry vicious germs that can be hazardous to older people and there are some 70 and 80 year old members at my Curves.

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Specializes in Acute Care, CM, School Nursing.

On the rare occasion, I have stopped into the grocery store after work to pick up a couple of items. That's about as brave as I get. I am too skeeved out by what could possibly be on my clothes or shoes. I won't wear my work shoes into my house. I leave them outside on the stoop until I can spray them with some Lysol. Then I'll bring them into the entryway of my house, but no further inside than that. I also take my scrubs off in the entryway, and make a beeline for the shower. My husband makes fun of me, but I can't help it. I guess I'm a little bit neurotic. ;)

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Specializes in Emergency.

I will frequently stop at the grocery store or Walgreens on the way to work, while in my scrubs. Of course, no one except myself knows that I'm clean... and I will admit that when I see other people out in scrubs, I wonder if they've just gotten of work and are carrying a bunch of nasties around.

After work though, it's straight home. I have a tiled entryway and my work shoes don't go past that point. Scrubs go straight into a special laundry bin.

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I agree just bcus one may have on scrubs doesnt mean they are involved in direct patient care or any dealings with patients at all...

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