Skirts in the OR

RNOTODAY, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2006

Am I understanding this to mean they're afraid something might fall out from underneath the skirt? OMG, that is terrible... and kind of funny to my odd sense of humor! Maybe it's just the term!
To me, though it seems logical, I would think that someone who wears only skirts for religious reasons could feasibly have a discrimination case with this. There are quite a few nurses in my hospital who do only wear skirts, and though I know of none who work OR, I assume they did some observation during nursing school. Wonder how they got around with that?

No. "fallout" is referring to shedding....as in, your arn, hands, face, all the skin that is exposed "sheds".... thus contamination that we wouldnt have to worry about if everybody wore pants. The only 2 nurses I saw wearing skirts, were both in their 70's, been nurses for 50 something years, and STILL wore their nursing muffin tin caps.:uhoh21: :uhoh3: They didnt work in the OR.

RNOTODAY, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2006

I wonder if OR would be ok with me bringing my own skirt? I didn't think that would be ok, even if I was ok with wearing pants under the skirt. By the way I have bought panty hose with the crotch.
Sorry for all of the questions. I don't think I could call HR about this because I would probably not be offered a job with this many odd questions.

I think we all believe you that your panty hose has a crotch, and all, but the HOSPITAL has no way of verifying that, aside from looking up your skirt. Understand? Thus, no skirts allowed in the OR. Its a pt safety thing. You might have a hard time fighting that.

cadillac05 · Mar 4, 2006

It's their policy, not mine, so i'm not going to argue about, i just follow it. Nowhere did i say that underwear was being checked for.

No one is arguing. That's why I noted that you were referring to your hospital's policy. And your first post mentioned the checking.

Don't get yours in a bunch, please. :smackingf There are no accusations here, just comments on the subject.

MissJoRN, RN · Mar 4, 2006

The last OR I was in provided scrub dresses as an option. The one I'm in now does not. As long as the hospital has access to the dresses- either does their own laundry or uses a service that supplies dresses I don't see it as a problem, either over pants or without, depending on the hospital's policy. I miss the dresses a little, I like support hose but can't stand hose and pants, so now I get achy legs (the pattern was also flattering, I wore them when I worked the floor, too). Hospitals also have varying policies on warm-up jackets- some issue one for you, some let you bring their own but wash for you, and others (despite what AORN's guideline is) let you bring your own and wash at home. Maybe if you bring your own you could wear a longer jacket over pants? Sometimes ORs have cover gowns that are also a below knee length that might be acceptable to you? Many ORs will let you wear the jacket/gown anytime you're in the OR and not scrubbed (if you were scrubbed you would have time just before the case and after the case where you would no be in either your own jacket or the disposable gown) Some ORs will have times during the case where you may not wear a jacket (sometimes also against AORN guidelines) Also, I assume it's not an option... but, what about extra baggy pants? Like I said I liked the dresses for comfort, but when it comes to modesty scrub pants hide a lot more than scrub dresses (usually cut just to knee length) especially when you're crawling under the OR table for foot pedals and cords!

RNOTODAY, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2006

Just a question.... If your wearing pants under the skirt, doesnt that make wearing the skirt a moot point? Or, for religious reasons, does it just matter that you have the skirt on , regardless of pants?

JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 5, 2006

Not speaking for the OP, but as someone who wears skirts, I would be OK wearing pants under the skirt. The point of wearing a skirt is not to show the split in the legs, so if you're wearing a skirt on top of pants the split wouldn't show.

In any event, wearing a skirt with no pantyhose underneath would be just as immodest to me as wearing pants.

cer · Mar 5, 2006

I have never seen an absolute rule on this, however pants are preferred. We do have a nurse that wears dresses for religious reasons and we furnish her scrub dresses.

I follow that we require hose for wear with dresses. We also require warm up jackets buttoned for circulators to cover thier arms,

It is aslo safer to have as mcu skin as possible covered, less chance of exposure.

Nutmeg5575 · Mar 6, 2006

I hate dresses/skirts. I have just always been a pants person. Plus it is too cold in the OR to wear skirts imo hehe.

I think you should bring this up in the interview, b/c it is an issue and you are not at fault for your religious beliefs. No one can blame you, they can help you come up with solutions though.

And LOL @ all of the Va-J-J fallout comments! :eek:

nellie_nurse812 · Mar 6, 2006

Heck, We have to tuck our shirts in for "fallout" can you imagine the "fallout" with a skirt? LOL

MoriahRoseRN · Mar 7, 2006

Good info and entertaining comments posted here. For GP I will post the reason for me wearing skirts; I am not posting this for a debate. I wear skirts according to Deuteronomy 22:5. Also I do this because of my desire to please the Lord.

DNRme · Mar 11, 2006

Many moons ago I worked in an OR where the female staff was not provided w/pants. We had to wear dresses. It was a real joy to try to not provide entertainment while crawling on the floor for cords and climbing up on a stool to hang to bags of saline near the ceiling (b4 arthroscopy pumps). I can't imagine circulating in a dress anymore.

subee, MSN, CRNA · Mar 11, 2006

What stupid policies - the law of gravity applies to perineal droppings as well as to feathers. Wearing pants isn't going to make once iota of difference unless you wrap the pants right on the ankles. A skirt with pantyhose will keep a lot less material from the floor than pants.