Why do nurses clean off their shoes at work?

[BSNbeauty]

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.

[pookyp, LPN]

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??[/quote']

She sounds silly. Maybe she has OCD.

[Adele_Michal7, ASN, RN]

What is a cavi wipe?

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

Same reason you wash your hands between patients.

I usually do it if I've stepped in urine, or the shoes feel sticky or crunchy.

Yes, the shoes will get dirty again, but they are at least clean briefly and contamination to other areas may be decreased

[HeatherGurl84]

I have done it at work if I step in something, or my shoes are sticking to the floor. Some people just like that extra clean feeling

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

The cdiff, mrsa, vre pts are discharged back to the community to touch everything in stores etc. some might even touch your mail, then you touch it, touch something else.......

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

It's not always just about having "clean" shoes to wear home. Working in the OR, I've stepped in blood, had blood drip down my gown onto my shoes when the suction can't keep up, I'm sure you can imagine what else may end up on my shoes. I routinely clean them in between surgeries, sometimes during surgeries if I'm not scrubbed and have stepped in something. That way, I'm not continually tracking something outside the OR into the hall or supply room or having a previous patient's blood on my shoes when starting another surgery. My shoes also never go home; they live at work (one of the perks of the OR- locker to keep them in and dedicated OR shoes negate the need for shoe covers like those worn elsewhere and brought into the OR) and I change clothes and shoes for work.

[klone, MSN, RN]

For me, it's because I have patent leather Danskos and I like to be able to clean the scuff marks off them. Cavi wipes work the best at doing that, so when I'm at work, I will often take a wipe and scrub my shoes off with them.

[Swellz]

Because my shoes are covered in nastiness from my trip into the hospital and my shoes are covered with nastiness from my day in the hospital. No, it does not keep them clean, but it is the best I can do. Would you not wash your hands because you know they are just going to get dirty again anyway? No, you wash them, because that is the best you can do.

[BonnieSc]

Why is it strange that nurses want to start the day clean?

Do you also not clean your stethoscope?

For poster #16, yes, of course those people are walking around in the community, but we are not coming into close/constant contact with MRSA/VRE/Cdiff/acinebacter in the community the way we do in the hospital.

[Biffbradford]

My shoes stay at work, in the locker.

[Savvy20RN, BSN, RN]

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.

This is the only reason why I would wipe my shoes off while at work. I once had a patient pee on the floor beside the bed and I didn't see it until I was standing in it. Other than that I don't see the point.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

I am not sure why they would wipe them off before work....unless they wore them into the hospital from being out in the community and maybe they think they are preventing community cross contamination....I say ask them.

I too had separate shoes for work and to be worn home and my work shoes never ent4ered the house. But washing them before they start work....at the start of their day........I have no idea.