Uniform Confusion

[aanurse]

I work at a doctor's office and my physician boss insists that all nurses wear long sleeve tops under their scrubs or a lab coat. It's been a practice for several years. When I questioned this (as a new employee to the facility) she said it's a OSHA requirement. I am not buying this and did some research, but could not find any information on the long sleeve requirements. Hospital nurses wear regular scrub tops and have the highest potential to come into contact with every possible bodily fluid. At the office we don't even draw blood - just allergy testing. One of our nurses just had a colonoscopy and came back and told everyone in a joking manner, " those nurses in the hospital are practically running around naked in their little scrub tops". :)

Does anyone have any information on dress codes for nurses ? Something official so i can take it to her.Thanks !

On a side note, i work with many old timer nurses who do not even wear gloves while giving shots for immunotherapy or doing intra-dermal testing. My boss is ok with that but insists on long sleeves :)

[Gold_SJ]

Personally I think it's worse to have long sleeves as spills/bugs will hitch a ride. You can wash your hands and arms (especially for sterile procedures) with short sleeves easily, but it's much harder to wash if you have sleeves covering your arms all the time. You'd be forever pushing them up and they'd probably carry lots of little extras from patient contact.

Of course I could be wrong, but my logic anyway. Will be interesting to see everyone elses opinions. In my facility we 'cannot' wear long sleeves unless a facility jumper at the desk and have to take it off for patient care.

[Mommy&RN, BSN, RN]

Is the doc of a culture that requires women to be covered?

If a RN/tech on our floor tends to be cold, they will wear long sleeves, but it is by no means required.

[Lynx25, LPN]

If was OSHA required, then scrubs would come with long sleeves.

[klone, MSN, RN]

No, it's not an OSHA requirement. So it's hard to provide something to you that proves something doesn't exist. :)

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

It sounds like the doctor believes that women should have their arms covered at all times. Are there any males working in your office? Are they also required to wear long sleeves?

This certainly isn't an OSHA requirement in a doctor's office, and I agree with Gold_SJ that it's a lot easier to get germs on long sleeves then it is short sleeves. I'd almost guarantee that this policy was put in place due to the beliefs/traditions of the physician that oversees the practice.

[RNKPCE]

Our OR and PACU staff aren't allowed to wear long sleeve shirts under their scrubs unless always wearing a scrub coat. They don't want street clothes bringing in germs.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

word to the wise: if anyone ever says anything to you like, "it's an osha rule" or "hipaa!" make them show it to you in writing. that will be the end of that.

[VICEDRN, BSN, RN]

Think your boss has it backwards. Pretty sure we aren't supposed to have more than 3/4 sleeves that are snug fitting under our tops...lol. Long sleeves are an infection control risk.

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

long sleeves increase in the possibility of trapping body fluids, although many nurses wear them and it is not prohibited. it is not an osha requirement. neither are gloves for giving a shot btw. gloves are required when there is a

"potential contact with blood, body fluids, mucous membranes, non-intact skin or contaminated equipment" (cdc, 2011). i'm not advocating old timers not using gloves, but sometimes it is ok.

[Patti_RN]

If you wear a lab coat (long sleeves, right?) how on earth does anyone know or care what's under the sleeves? I'd suggest buying a pair of cuffs (you know, like the Chippendales) and wear those cuffs under your lab coat! Voila!

[Daisy_08, BSN, RN]

I remember a girl I went to school with got written up for long sleeves. They were against the dress code as they increase the risk for carrying germs