Whats with the scrubs?

Nurses General Nursing

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Why do I keep seeing hospital workers out and about wearing their scrubs? I saw a nurse the other day(she had her name badge on) eating with her scrubs on in Subway and a doctor (same story) in a bar!!!! Whats with that. Has no-one ever heard of infection control? :barf01:

Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.
{{{{{{Kell}}}}}}

Just wanted to add mine for ya, kell.

(((((((((((KELL)))))))))))))

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Oh, to be so young and nieve again!

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You know, convicts CAN'T be nurses, don't you?

If only I WAS in prison -- at least I would have a toilet and I could stop peeing in a jar so my kids don't find out I'm out in the garage studying.

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Did you think that you could judge a seasoned nurse like this and not be set srtaight? Where do you--someone with ZERO nursing experience, get off judging someone like that? Seriously.

The poster never said that s/he goes out for drinks after every single shift, or that s/he needed alcohol to function, or that every day is torture.

I work in antepartum and I generally love my job. But I can tell you, that after a 12 hour shift (know what that's like?) and caring for a woman who just found out that her full term baby died in utero(know what that's like?) as well as a woman with borderline personality disorder that just told her if you don't sneak her an extra percocet, she'll tell the ADN that you molested her (know what that's like?) plus a woman receiving 2 units of blood after an emergency c-section (know what that's like?) and a woman in labor writhing in pain who can't take meds because of prior addiction(know what that's like?) then be chewed out by L&D over a stupid incomplete form(know what that's like?), then as you leave your shift, run into a favorite ex-Pt in the hall from a few months ago who tells you that her NICU baby coded last night and now she has to make funeral arrangements (know what that's like?--are you catching a theme here?) YEAH-sometimes I'd like a friggin drink or two (or 5). And this is coming from someone who drinks maybe once every 2-3 mos.

You know, I wasn't judging anyone. I was expressing concern. I'm not naive. I'm in my 40s, I used to work a high pressure job on Wall Street (this is a second career for me) and I used to drink quite a bit because of it. After a while I realized drinking was making things far worse and I had to find another way to deal with stress.

Maybe I was reading too much into the post, but sounded like she was saying she was go eager for alcohol after a shift that she could't change her clothes?!?!?

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I have gone out to Breakfast after a night's work in my scrubs! What's wrong with that, Dear God, isn't there more to worry about?

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The people that work in my dentist's office making apts even wear scrubs. I'm sure they don't change clothes before they go grab lunch at Subway. I don't see a real infection control issue with this. When there is an infectious person at our facility they require extra contact precautions in an attempt to contain the MRSA or whatever. Wearing scrubs out in the community shouldn't expose the world to any greater risk of infection that any other garb. Personally I prefer to get out of my work clothes as soon as possible after I get off work, just because I feel like I'm not clean. :uhoh3:

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You know, I wasn't judging anyone. I was expressing concern. I'm not naive. I'm in my 40s, I used to work a high pressure job on Wall Street (this is a second career for me) and I used to drink quite a bit because of it. After a while I realized drinking was making things far worse and I had to find another way to deal with stress.

Maybe I was reading too much into the post, but sounded like she was saying she was go eager for alcohol after a shift that she could't change her clothes?!?!?

You really were reading too much into the post.

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Maybe I was reading too much into the post, but sounded like she was saying she was go eager for alcohol after a shift that she could't change her clothes?!?!?

Sooooo.....because she was so eager to have a drink she didn't change out of her scrubs, she's got a drinking problem???

You may be used to a high stress job and be on a second career, but Wall Street ain't nothin' like nursing. If you screw up on Wall Street, you didn't kill anyone. On Wall Street you don't bust your butt trying to save a life and ship them out, only to find out later that your pt died anyway. Whole different world.

We are not trying to sound patronizing, but as a student with no nursing experience, please don't pass judgement on us.

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.

moderator note:

ladies and gentlemen,

discuss the thread topic - not each other please!

cheers,

roy

allnurses.com moderator

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If nursing is a uniquely and highly stressful career, then isn't it all the more important to look out for signs of inability to cope and alcoholism in nurses (as opposed to ignoring them or excusing them)?

Alcoholism isn't a moral judgement, it's a disease, right?

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Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.

I haven't seen anyone display any s/s of alcoholism. If I were to go out for a drink after work (read: if I didn't get off work at 0730!), i'd go to a certain bar I like that I pass on my way home. If I were to go home, that's a 25min drive, then to change, then head 20 minutes in the direction I came from....that's not worth it to me to not be judged for wearing scrubs. Thankfully I've come a LONG way since junior high that it doensn't chap my butt if someone doesn't like what I'm wearing.

I usually just want to get where I'm going, do what i need to do, and go home (usually to sleep or see my little guy), whether that's to get a drink, get a burger, get some groceries, buy some stamps, whatever. I guess that's my point.

Sometimes I want to just leave and go somewhere with my coworkers who can relate to me as a spouse or friend or 1st year nursing student would not be able to. It doesn't mean that I'm desperate for that muffin I grab at the local deli with a coworker after my shift. It doesn't mean that I'm addicted to food or need counseling or that I hate my job so much I should leave nursing.

Alcohol isnt a moral judgement, no. (and I don't remember anyone implying that it was) But reading one post that mentions someone wanting a drink after a hard day at work, and gathering from that that someone has major issues is judgemental, no matter how you slice it.

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If nursing is a uniquely and highly stressful career, then isn't it all the more important to look out for signs of inability to cope and alcoholism in nurses (as opposed to ignoring them or excusing them)?

Alcoholism isn't a moral judgement, it's a disease, right?

I think you're missing the point.

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