Socializing after work in your scrubs

[klone, MSN, RN]

Yuck! Who does this? So my husband and I are on a long weekend in Taos, NM. Friday night we were at a local bar listening to a band. In walk a group of women in their mid-twenties. They appeared to have just gotten off work, as they were all wearing scrubs. They hung out at the bar for several hours, drinking, shooting pool, dancing, flirting with men. Wearing their scrubs. Yuck! Of course, after having a couple beers, myself, I was tempted to approach them and ask if they knew how gross and unhygienic that was, but I'm not a big person, and these women were all somewhat large and could have broken me like kindling, and luckily I hadn't had so much to drink that I was that foolish (my husband, of course, bet me $5 to say something to them).

All I could think of all night was fomites!

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Is it your assumption that non-scrub clothing is cleaner?

I read a lot of anger in your post. You don't just make the point that they were wearing scrubs -- you go on to describe their activities in some detail.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

I think it looks really unprofessional. Germs and bodily fluids aside - think about how it looks to see a nurse with a bottle of Corona in his/her hand tearing up the dance floor. I certainly don't want that person taking care of my grandma! Think about how it would look in other professions: Police officer sitting at a bar in full uniform, or sous chef swilling back margaritas in their toque and white coat, lab worker getting down on the dance floor in their white lab coat. Nope - none of it sounds very appealing to me and seems like a cry for attention. If you're going out after work bring a danged change of clothes!

[Hygiene Queen]

I guess we don't really know where they work or what they actually do.

Some jobs aren't dirty.

If their job is nasty and they had a nasty night, well... ewwww.

But I think most people, if they had that kind of night would wash up first.

I hope.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Is it your assumption that non-scrub clothing is cleaner?

I read a lot of anger in your post. You don't just make the point that they were wearing scrubs -- you go on to describe their activities in some detail.

Anger? Laugh! No, I'm not angry. I have a very dry sense of humor that doesn't always translate to message board posts unless you know me well.

Yes, my assumption is that one generally doesn't wear street clothes around poo and pee (SNFs are pretty much all there is around here) and then go out to bars afterwards, so I would say that it's a pretty safe assumption that non-scrub clothes are going to be generally cleaner than scrubs worn after a shift.

[Hygiene Queen]

I think it looks really unprofessional.Think about how it would look in other professions: Police officer sitting at a bar in full uniform, or sous chef swilling back margaritas in their toque and white coat, lab worker getting down on the dance floor in their white lab coat. Nope - none of it sounds very appealing to me and seems like a cry for attention. If you're going out after work bring a danged change of clothes!

Good point.

Though, I think someone "getting down on the dance floor in their white lab coat" would make me laugh... because... really... I would believe that would definitely be attention-seeking. How hard is it to remove a lab coat... and who wears theirs out in public anyway?

[MomRN0913]

I think it looks really unprofessional. Germs and bodily fluids aside - think about how it looks to see a nurse with a bottle of Corona in his/her hand tearing up the dance floor. I certainly don't want that person taking care of my grandma! Think about how it would look in other professions: Police officer sitting at a bar in full uniform, or sous chef swilling back margaritas in their toque and white coat, lab worker getting down on the dance floor in their white lab coat. Nope - none of it sounds very appealing to me and seems like a cry for attention. If you're going out after work bring a danged change of clothes!

it looks like the nurse is being human and enjoying a beer and some socialization after a shift while not caring for patients.

Get over the nurse is holier than thou thing. We are not, we are human and live a human life like everyone else outside of work.

What about the business man in his suit enjoying a corona after work? He doesn't get judged.

Not everyone remembers to bring a change of clothes and they should be judged for doing what the want off shift in their work clothes.

I really hate double standards.

That being said I have done it as my coworkers have. No plans to go out, didn't bring any clothes, had a stressful shift wanted to enjoy dinner and a drink.

Yeah, we really shouldn't be taking care of anyone's grandmothers.

[klone, MSN, RN]

To me it has nothing to do with professionalism and "how it looks" and everything to do with the ick factor, so it's not about some double standard and "holier than thou".

Similarly, it grosses me out to see people grocery shopping in their scrubs after getting off work. I've seen it, it's gross. And having worked in a small town, I KNOW where these people work, so "maybe they work at a clean job" doesn't fly.

[MomRN0913]

I wonder how icky the receptionists are here where I work who come no where near anything dirty in this department from behind their desks. I feel bad if they are shopping and people are ASSumming they are dirty.

And even if they are shopping after a long shift of patient care, they are not coming into contact with anyone, so get over it. They are not quarantined. Sure, if there was an overt accident it's gross if the patient is walking around with blood or poo smeared on them.

I have done all of those gross thing you said above. Luckily, I am not hugging the grocery cashier.

[klone, MSN, RN]

And even if they are shopping after a long shift of patient care, they are not coming into contact with anyone, so get over it.

I don't believe I will. But thanks for the suggestion. :)

[silentRN]

like a bar is any cleaner? Probably have higher chances of getting Hep C sitting at a bar than you do working in a hospital.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Anger? Laugh! No, I'm not angry. I have a very dry sense of humor that doesn't always translate to message board posts unless you know me well.

Yes, my assumption is that one generally doesn't wear street clothes around poo and pee (SNFs are pretty much all there is around here) and then go out to bars afterwards, so I would say that it's a pretty safe assumption that non-scrub clothes are going to be generally cleaner than scrubs worn after a shift.

Parents of infants? Children and grandchildren who take care of grandma who had a stroke and is now incontinent? I don't think these people are gowning and gloving before they change little Timmy's diaper and they're likely in street clothes. Maybe Mommy and Daddy were on their way out the door and little Timmy's diaper needed to be changed before they left. Should they change their clothes before going out because of the yuck factor of being around pee or poo? Not to mention, EVERYONE is around poo and pee in their street clothes every day... you don't only poo or pee when wearing scrubs, do you?

I've worn my scrubs out before. If I worked all day and people are going out afterwards, I'm not taking 2 buses home which will take me at least an hour to change and then meet them out. If someone had vomited, urinated or defecated on me, I would have already changed.