Wearing Scrubs Outside of the Workplace

[NewGradRN114]

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!

[VANurse2010]

I am not one for BS. The fact is no matter how well we know our patients or their risks, there are always unknown factors. Apparently, you have never been part of a STAT TB screening , for the entire unit staff...on a discharged patient, now diagnosed with TB.

No matter how well you know YOUR patients, you come in contact with many other patients.

There are always unknown factors when going out in public. Still BS

[DeeAngel]

Until the hospital provides me with a secured, changing room with my own full size private locker I will continue wearing scrubs everywhere after and before work.

[Julius Seizure]

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.

Also day care workers, primary care front desk workers, and various other jobs.

Apparently, you have never been part of a STAT TB screening , for the entire unit staff...on a discharged patient, now diagnosed with TB.

Taken from a similar thread in 2006, posted by "Kasper1014":

"I am an infectious disease nurse. You can NOT spread TB through your scrubs!!! LOL TB is spread through airborne droplets. And UV light and sunlight DOES kill TB. It is also harder than you think to spread TB."

[Julius Seizure]

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.

So....where are these freebies at, and do they include donuts?

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Meh, I'm sure the Wal Mart shopping cart is way dirtier than my scrubs.

That's my take on it, too.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

If you have a job that doesn't get cooties on your scrubs, it doesn't bother me. They are no dirtier than the clothes of other people in the store. However, if you've been working with germs all day and probably have some on you, please don't spread them throughout the produce section of your local supermarket -- or anywhere else for that matter.

I'm pretty sure that I'm no dirtier than the visitors who sit in the patient room all day, allow their children to crawl all over the floor, hold said children on their laps after the child has crawled all over the floor, and then go grocery shopping on the way home from the visit.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Now a days, I prefer not to do it if I can avoid it. Mostly because I get tired of people stopping me in the middle of shopping to ask what is wrong with them

Then you just say "I got these scrubs at Goodwill, man. My I was evicted and don't have nothing else to wear." Or "Contact your PCP." Or "I work in the morgue."

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

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.

The line for our employee restroom is at least 4 deep at change of shift. I'd have to take a change of clothes, leave it in my car, run out to my car to get them (.4 miles), run back inside to change (.4 miles) and then find a public bathroom in which to change. Too much work. If I need to run an errand on the way home from work, I'll run an errand on the way home from work while wearing my disgusting scrubs. Those who really have a problem with it can just not look.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

We are not talking about patients and visitors going shopping , we are talking about PROFESSIONALS shopping with contaminated scrubs.

I was working the scenario. The first thing I do is hit the produce aisle. I could see me leaning over the peaches to get the the best ones. My scrubs are going to brush against a boat load of peaches.

Realistic or not, paranoid or not...I do NOT want to risk contamination of anything with funky scrubs.

You know how many folks who live in truly filthy homes have leaned up against those same peaches, right?

[Ashxo]

...Tacky to wear your scrubs in public? What?

I work in a school office with little to no contact with students. I run errands after work regularly, because it's easy and convenient on my way home. The thought never crossed my mind that I could be making have a wave of nausea.”

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

You know how many folks who live in truly filthy homes have leaned up against those same peaches, right?

Yes, thanks. I scrub the peaches very well. Again, we are not talking about lay people. We are talking about hospital scrubs contaminated with a blend of MRSA, VRE, VRS, and who knows WHAT drug resistant organism yet to be discovered.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

The line for our employee restroom is at least 4 deep at change of shift. I'd have to take a change of clothes, leave it in my car, run out to my car to get them (.4 miles), run back inside to change (.4 miles) and then find a public bathroom in which to change. Too much work. If I need to run an errand on the way home from work, I'll run an errand on the way home from work while wearing my disgusting scrubs. Those who really have a problem with it can just not look.

Inadequate facilities for the staff would be another issue.

Working from home might be a solution. Never a line. I have been known to wear the same jammies for 3 days in a row though, talk about disgusting.