Why do nurses clean off their shoes at work?

Nurses General Nursing

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I work with a nurse that wipes off her shoes with cavi wipes at the beginning and end of shift. Ive seen other nurses do this as well at other facilities I have worked at. I just do not understand it. You are cleaning your shoes only to walk on the same dirty floor again? Then you clean your shoes after work to walk on the street with the same shoes you just cleaned??? If you are that paranoid about germs then how about wearing shoe covers at work or changing your shoes before getting in your car. Idk. This whole concept just seems ludacris to me.

Specializes in ER.
I work with a nurse that wipes off her shoes with cavi wipes at the beginning and end of shift. Ive seen other nurses do this as well at other facilities I have worked at. I just do not understand it. You are cleaning your shoes only to walk on the same dirty floor again? Then you clean your shoes after work to walk on the street with the same shoes you just cleaned??? If you are that paranoid about germs then how about wearing shoe covers at work or changing your shoes before getting in your car. Idk. This whole concept just seems ludacris to me.

MRSA and VRE. I do it too. Sometimes. Though I do have a "work shoe" container in my garage so my work stuff never interferes with my home stuff. Well, shoes, anyway, since they are on the ground and we walk in and out of places where we wear gloves, wash our hands, etc, but never our shoes. Think about that.

MRSA and VRE. I do it too. Sometimes. Though I do have a "work shoe" container in my garage so my work stuff never interferes with my home stuff. Well, shoes, anyway, since they are on the ground and we walk in and out of places where we wear gloves, wash our hands, etc, but never our shoes. Think about that.

Oh so true! I would always take off my shoes at the front door and then clean them. They would NEVER touch my home floor due to god only knows what being tracked in. MRSA, VRE, Staph....I am not taking any chances ;)

I would rather not bring c-diff, VRE, poop, pee, vomit, pus, other body fluid, MRSA and everything else into my home. I immediately clean my shoes and place them in a box and place my scrubs into the hamper that I only use for scrubs. Then I head to the shower. There are so many germs floating around that I would rather not have all that in my living environment. So yes I'm one of those nurses who love cavi wipes.

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If you catch me cleaning off my shoes it's because I stepped in something heinous or it's making a stick stick sticking noise when I walk. I'm not particularly concerned about what lives on the bottom of any of my shoes. It's a buggy world. I do take my work shoes off in the garage, though.

Specializes in Pulmonary, Lung Transplant, Med/Surg.

I get your point. The responders didn't seem to notice that they all clean their shoes once they're home while your post was regarding those who clean them while still at work. I had coworkers who did this also and I never understood it. I, too, took my shoes off before entering the house but cleaning them while you're still working was strange to me.

Specializes in Cath Lab & Interventional Radiology.

We have shoe cubbies in the break room. Most people on my unit don't wear their work shoes home. I do clean them from time to time. One of the reasons I wear sanitas is they are easy to clean off. Also they don't have laces to harbor germs.

KittyRN, It is obvious that none of the PP read my post. My original question was: what is the point of cleaning your shoes WHILE at work (when not visibly soiled) only to walk on the SAME dirty floor again? I remove my shoes before coming home but why in the heck would I wipe them down at work then walk around in the same shoes??

I would rather not bring c-diff, VRE, poop, pee, vomit, pus, other body fluid, MRSA and everything else into my home. I immediately clean my shoes and place them in a box and place my scrubs into the hamper that I only use for scrubs. Then I head to the shower. There are so many germs floating around that I would rather not have all that in my living environment. So yes I'm one of those nurses who love cavi wipes.

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Re read my op please. Why would you use cavi wipes for your shoes prior to your shift or mid shift and continue to walk on the same floor in the same shoes? Are you not re-contaminating your shoes shoes by doing this?

When I worked the street (retired cop not the other job ) I always took my boots off in the garage not to track anything in the house. I always had an extra pair in case I was at a particular nasty call. Same thing with nursing, I know nurses who do tje wipes and I know nurses that leave a pair of shoes at work to change onto and out of to keep the nasties there. With all the resistant bugs out there it's a good thing to do.

Never mind-

Re read my op please. Why would you use cavi wipes for your shoes prior to your shift or mid shift and continue to walk on the same floor in the same shoes? Are you not re-contaminating your shoes shoes by doing this?

If I step in bm or urine I am going to clean off my shoes at work. I will also clean my shoes prior to entering my house. Yesterday we coded a patient and there was blood on the floor. I stepped in blood while bringing in the code cart. I cleaned off my shoes with cavi wipes so I wouldn't track blood all over the unit I worked in.

The day before that I had a code brown and some of it got on my shoes. I cleaned them off. And during shift report the patient's 3 year old daughter was walking around on the floor barefoot...... So guess what I did? I gave the father a wash cloth with soap to clean off the little girl's feet and I gave him a cavi wipe to clean off their shoes when they leave. Were they going to walk outside and in the hallway leading out of the hospital? Well yes but they won't be tracking stool all over the hospital either.

The coworkers that are doing this may feel their shoes are dirty so they are cleaning them off.

Did you not say they clean their shoes off prior to leaving work? Some of us gave a reason why your coworkers may be doing this. At least this part of your question.

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