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).
Just had the thought that instead of of thinking that the woman in the scrubs next to you shouldn't take care of your grandma, or that maybe she'd save Grandma's life one day...maybe she saved it TODAY and was celebrating. Just a random thought.
The yuck factor I guess has never really struck me. I follow all the standard precautions while at work, gown, glove, wash religiously. I even sanitize my equipment and shoes at the beginning and end of every shift. In the rare occurrence I get bodily fluids on me I change my clothes at work. And all my work clothes (underclothes included) are separately washed and sanitized, no repeat scrub wearing.
That being said, I go grocery shopping , pick up dinner and out with my coworkers with no qualms about either my professionalism or potential germs I may be spreading around. I'm a professional at my job, I portray a professional nurse in my work and social life, because that is what I am. If I need bread, milk, or whatever I am going to stop at the grocery on my way home and pick it up in those "YUCK factor" scrubs. I'm not rubbing my scrubs all over the merchandise, Ive washed my hands and people you should really be washing your fruit and veggies ;-)
As for going out to a bar, or for food after work. There is no stopping this RN after a particularly horrid shift when the entire ICU staff heads out for margaritas and Mexican food. Oh and I mean Docs, Rns, RTs.... the ""old" middle aged and 20 somethings. So my basic opinion is get over yourself, if it grosses you out or you think it unprofessional that is your issue. Until I have hospital scrubs provided when I hit the door my attire leaving work will be those scrubs I've been wearing the last 12+ hours. I probably have contact with as much poop/pee as any parent in the establishment I'm in, and I'm confident I'm not spreading too many super bugs around.
lol I guess I'm in complete violation of hygiene rules. After reading through a lot of this I see I'm not supposed to wear my danskos anywhere but work . I really need to share this with my coworkers because a couple weeks ago at a baby shower for a coworker there were a wearing our danskos with jeans. Once those babies are broken in they are so comfy and easy to slip on, they are worn nearly everywhere!
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
This is something I don't get. You wear your scrubs to work and home from work unless you change at the hospital, yes? So how do you know you aren't leaving something on your car seat and then picking it up with the street clothes you wear the next time you drive? How do you know the person at the next table hasn't been shoveling manure for the last eight hours before stopping at the bar? That would probably have some more germs than some of the scrubs people wear.
Some of these people may not ever have patient contact. As others have mentioned, receptionists, unit clerks, and others also wear scrubs. They may actually be out before work rather than after.
If you ask my personal opinion, we are so much more concerned about hand hygiene and proper isolation precautions at the hospital than anywhere else. Those patients with MRSA/VRE/C. diff don't go home with a supply of those lovely yellow gowns. They're out there in the community, just like you and me.
I do this. My desire for a margarita and to socialize with friends is greater than my desire to a) make you feel better about your paranoia, b) drive 15 miles home to change and come back, probably losing 80% of the people who are supposed to go out. Are you....licking your scrubs or something? Do you change clothes to eat lunch at work?
We had that class too, except "Hygiene" was a euphenism for "Sex"... Actually, I think it was "health" class. Generally, very uncomfortable for all involved...
Now I want to find that episode of the Wonder Years... where the coach was trying to draw at uterus on the black board...
Okay health class is one thing but hygiene class? Is this for real? I must have missed that day in school because I would have remembered something so amazingly funny as "hygiene class".
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.
I don't let my patients poop or pee on me, as a general rule
Why wouldn't people just change back into their street clothes, then go out? I don't understand why that's an issue. You've been cleaning up poo, pee, blood, vomit, you've been in isolation rooms....other people don't need to be exposed to that.
Okay health class is one thing but hygiene class? Is this for real? I must have missed that day in school because I would have remembered something so amazingly funny as "hygiene class".
The episode of Glee where Emma creates a pamphlet to fight MRSA on the boys' groins, "Just lift and scrub! Who knew it was that easy?"
. I really need to share this with my coworkers because a couple weeks ago at a baby shower for a coworker there were a wearing our danskos with jeans. Once those babies are broken in they are so comfy and easy to slip on, they are worn nearly everywhere! 
RNsRWe, ASN, RN
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Just had the thought that instead of of thinking that the woman in the scrubs next to you shouldn't take care of your grandma, or that maybe she'd save Grandma's life one day...maybe she saved it TODAY and was celebrating. Just a random thought.