Wearing scrubs home??

Bijou-Spice · Jun 23, 2006

Here's what I do....
After a long twelve hour night shift if I find I have to run to the store, do errands, etc., I simply apply one of those red bio-hazard stickers from my unit onto the front of my scrub top which allows me to get what i need done while giving fair warning to fellow citizens that I am a germ covered, guaranteed infectious, RN.
Works for me....

Too funny! Thanks for the laugh after a looooong day!

Yarra · Aug 2, 2006

What has me confused are the people that take great precautions to wipe, disinfect, bleach, their shoes which they remove outside, in the garage or a mudroom.

I understand that shoes might as well be the most contaminated thing to come out of a hospital while be worn by a healthcare worker. But what about your drive home? Can't those micro-organism live on your brake/gas/clutch petal or floor mat as easily and as long as they could in your carpet? So, when you get in your car with your flip flops, or other shoes, aren't you contaminating those by simply operating the pedals?

Just a thought, I could be way off here.

jschut, BSN, RN · Aug 2, 2006

Personally, I don't change when I get home. I work on a dementia unit, and get soiled rarely. I suppose if I did, then I would change and shower immediately. None of us. (children, husband or myself) are sick very often at all.

kellyo, LPN · Aug 3, 2006

I found this very strange today--I observed a CABG surgery as part of my orientation to a stepdown unit. Yesterday, before I left work, my supervisor gave me a set of surgical scrubs to wear. I was to come up to the floor this morning and change. After surgery, I found out that I have to take them home to launder myself. What's the point??? :uhoh3:

JessicRN · Aug 3, 2006

That's what I wanna know...:chair:

Heck no not in any hospitals I have worked at and I have been in alot of hospitals. The doctors have though. surprise surprise;)

CHATSDALE · Aug 3, 2006

KELLY most hospitals that i have been in you are forbidden to take a hospital scrub home..too many of them wound up on a one=way trip i guess but no i have never heqrd of nurse being required to take one home to launder

antibiotic soaps are making stronger more resilient bugs rather than comprising the humans using them

use good sense. if you have a young child or an adult who would be more suspectible take extra precautions.

but if most of the people you will encounter are healthy and if you have washed your hands and lower arms and if your scrubs or uniform is not visibily contaminated you can probably get by w/o endangering anyone

one thing about changing to street clothes if you get stopped for speeding a uniform will get you out of a ticket better than denims..just a rumor not that i would ever speed

boomerfriend · Aug 4, 2006

I too am a student who strips in her garage. I leave my shoes out there and spray them with Lysol. I wash all my scrubs in the same load in hot water. However, after one semester, they've faded because of the hot water. Who knows how bad they'll look after I'm through in a year and half of this.

How does everyone else launder their scrubs they take home? All in one load? In hot water? What about those great colored ones....don't they fade? My top is teal blue and pants are white. I wash them together now (since the top's so faded any how). Do you use bleach? I'm looking forward to the day I can purchase the pretty matching outfits. However, if I'm going to have to wash them this way, how will they last?

What do ya'll do?

Danianne · Aug 4, 2006

I am a nursing student and I work in Long term care. I wear my scrubs out on errands yes even grocery shopping ACK! I even give my kids hugs after work :icon_hug: BEFORE I change. BUGS DON'T live long after they leave their warm hiding places and any warm snugh hiding places they have found on My body surely will NOt be shared with the general public. Wash your hands and arms and stop worryiing about it because we contact a million bugs a day and never know it there is better things to do with your time than to worry about germs.

dano · Aug 4, 2006

I'm a firm believer in leaving the scrubs at the hospital, ever since I was in a vocational medical class in high school. We had to change into our street clothes from our scrubs and bag the scrubs before we could come back to the classroom. If you were found sitting in the classroom with your scrubs on, you were in for a world of trouble.

It's not that you transfer bacteria, it's that you COULD. It's a common sense practice. It's really not that hard to do, plus you look like an idiot with a RN badge dangling around your neck and clothes that say 'Do not remove from hospital' on them. I work in retail and I see doctors/nurses come in all the time with the don't remove scrubs on and I just have to laugh at them.

Irishgirl · Aug 4, 2006

How come we're not all dead yet? I licked my finger to turn a page today after touching a patient's sheet, and couldn't remember if I used antiseptic foam afterwards. I was freaking out. Am I really going to die from that, or contract something awful...HIV, Hep C, MRSA? It's scary, but is that one incidence going to lead to my demise?

ANnot4me · Aug 4, 2006

I wear my scrubs home. I wear them to the grocery strore too. When I get home my shoes go under the bed. I read this thread and it seems silly to me. I live in a city where people use the streets as a toilet and spit everywhere. People here are cracked out and methed out and filthy gross nasty. We touch door handles, money etc. Give me a break with the scrubs: if you eat in a restaurant... Must I go on?

Otessa, BSN, RN · Aug 4, 2006

I change my clothes in the bathroom right next to the door from our garage. I put on a robe and take a shower when done with work.My shoes stay out in the garage.