Wearing Scrubs Outside of the Workplace

Nurses General Nursing

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I just wanted to post a question to see what others think of wearing scrubs outside of their place of work. I live in a small town about 30 minutes away from the hospital I work at and sometimes after work I try and get some errands done in the city before driving home. I do this so I don't have to make another trip to the city on my days off. I have a locker at work but it's just big enough to fit a purse so I can't even bring anything to change into after my shift. I would love to hear any opinions people have on this topic!

I usually wear a sweater or jacket over my scrub top after work so I'm less likely to contaminate anything but I agree with what others have mentioned. I'm not rubbing myself on the food in the store and grocery stores are not the cleanest places to begin with. Think of all the people who don't wash their hands after they use the bathroom and then go into the store and pick through the fruit and vegetables. I always try to stay as clean as possible - I wash my hands when I leave the hospital and if I feel that my scrubs are really contaminated then I don't go out after work.

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Gross...to say the carts at Wal Mart are as dirty as clothes with hospital pathogens on them is catchy and hip, but it is just demonstrably false.

I get a wave of nausea seeing people out in public wearing scrubs.

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Specializes in ICU.
Gross...to say the carts at Wal Mart are as dirty as clothes with hospital pathogens on them is catchy and hip, but it is just demonstrably false.

I get a wave of nausea seeing people out in public wearing scrubs.

You are mistaken. How many prostitutes carry all kinds of disease do you think go to Wal-mart? Or IV drug users for that matter? I think my clean scrubs where I may have titrated a couple of drips that day are much, much cleaner.

What about people who pick their nose then get a cart?? But you are worried about scrubs that don't touch it?? :roflmao:

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You are mistaken. How many prostitutes carry all kinds of disease do you think go to Wal-mart? Or IV drug users for that matter? I think my clean scrubs where I may have titrated a couple of drips that day are much, much cleaner.

What about people who pick their nose then get a cart?? But you are worried about scrubs that don't touch it?? :roflmao:

OK, ya got me. Shopping carts are really gross...so are dirty scrubs from the hospital. Its a BOTH/AND type deal.

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Depends. If I have blood all over me or if I dealt with a questionable patient that day, I won't go out. If it was a normal day, I don't mind running to the store. I always say your shopping carts are dirtier than me, to anyone who may question me.

I do work in a specialty where I see everything. Leaving with blood on me is not uncommon. Although the blood may be clean, I know the public would not be comfortable with it.

My ex would always complain about seeing healthcare workers at the store after their shift. I also know some days, I have two vented patients who I barely touched all day. Others, may have all kinds of crap like TB and I won't dare go out in public.

Im smart enough to know. The public can judge all they want, but I would never put anybody in danger.

"or if I dealt with a questionable patient that day" The diagnosis of ANY patient is always questionable and can change in a heart beat. You don't KNOW if the patient will be diagnosed with TB, c-diff, or HIV the next day.

You cannot expect ANY blood to be free of blood borne pathogens.

Universal precautions exist for a reason.

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^ THIS. the comments from those saying they're not putting anyone in harm's way is inexcusable. scrubs belong in the hospital/medical settings.

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I think it's gross and pretty tacky to wear your scrubs in public. Do you really need to show the whole world that you're a nurse? It's like the guys who wear their military uniform for no reason.

It takes two minutes to go in a washroom and change your clothes after work.

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I think it's gross and pretty tacky to wear your scrubs in public. Do you really need to show the whole world that you're a nurse? It's like the guys who wear their military uniform for no reason.

Gross? Maybe. Tacky? I don't get this. I think that if someone is out in their scrubs in public, it is probably more a matter of convenience than the desire to "show the whole world" that they're a nurse. There are many jobs, nursing and non-nursing alike, in which the workers wear scrubs.

And, how can you *possibly* know whether those guys are wearing their military uniforms "for no reason"?

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"or if I dealt with a questionable patient that day" The diagnosis of ANY patient is always questionable and can change in a heart beat. You don't KNOW if the patient will be diagnosed with TB, c-diff, or HIV the next day.

You cannot expect ANY blood to be free of blood borne pathogens.

Universal precautions exist for a reason.

I have to call BS on this. Most of us have a pretty good handle on our patients and their risks.

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Patients don't just teleport to the hospital from alternate realities. They are also out shopping before and after their hospital visits. I'm not a huge fan of going anywhere after work, but sometimes I know the cat is going to be hungry when I get home and I know I'm out of cat food.

Besides, I like the idea of putting fresh produce in my scrub pockets, carrying it around for a while, and then putting it back on the shelf. :cyclops:

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I think it's gross and pretty tacky to wear your scrubs in public. Do you really need to show the whole world that you're a nurse?

Medical assistants, CNAs, unit clerks, telemetry monitors, lab techs, veterinary technicians and even hospital housekeeping staff wear scrubs. Scrubs don't show the "whole world" anything about what you do for a living.

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Yeah I stop to do stuff on the way home all the time. Unless they were visibly soiled I never worry about it.

You are mistaken. How many prostitutes carry all kinds of disease do you think go to Wal-mart? Or IV drug users for that matter? I think my clean scrubs where I may have titrated a couple of drips that day are much, much cleaner.

What about people who pick their nose then get a cart?? But you are worried about scrubs that don't touch it?? :roflmao:

This is why stores now have cleaning canisters at the doors. Wipe the cart down a little especially where your hands will be touching.

The big difference is as health care professionals we are educated to know about pathogens. Just because everyone else is dirty and touching stuff does not mean we have to add to it. We know what we are messing with all day.

Your scrubs also don't have to be visibly dirty to be "dirty". Many of us are around fecal matter and other body substances all day. This could include the nice little lady who touched your scrubs during a transfer and may not have been diagnosed officially with C-diff. Again, your scrubs do not have to be visibly soiled to be dirty.

I have not worn my scrubs to work or out of the hospital in almost 40 years. I have two pairs of shoes dedicated to work and we are fortunate enough to have a locker room to keep shoes.

There are also people who love the attention they get when they wear their uniform. Many glow when asked "are you a nurse"? I have known members of the transport teams who wear their uniforms even on their off days when they go out for the attention and the perks of freebies. The more educated the public is, the more gross or silly it becomes.

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