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.

So then don't clean your shoes. Why do you care so much if other people want clean shoes? Another one of those things that falls into that category of "who cares what everyone else is doing"

This. It may just be that nurse's preference. If she was taking poo and smearing it all over her shoes, THEN I would complain..

A better question to ask might be why this nurse's preferences annoy you so much? If I've learned anything in my 16 years in this work, it's that from the time you start nursing school, nurses become hyper vigilant about germs. This may be her way of managing this concern. For you to frame this practice in such a negative light in both your OP and replies says more to me about your headspace than it does this nurse's. Take a day for yourself, relax, do something that brings you great joy and see if you don't care a little less about this colleague "wasting" cavi wipes.

I take my shoes off in the garage as well. Prior to this though, I wear the gnar shoes in the car to drive home...

I wonder how much gnar is in my car? Then I wear normal non-gnar shoes, and they come in contact with the car floor or the garage floor and now EVERYTHING is gnar and full of gross.

If I could do it all over, I'd change shoes right before I got into my car and also no shoes in the house.

What do I do now? Burn house and car to get a fresh start?

Ugh.

Ludicrous = ridiculous

Ludacris = rapper/ musician

You're welcome

. Couldn't help but giggle. This certainly reminded me of myself.

I agree Nurses need to wipe shoes regularly just as washing hands regularly. They should also be discouraged from putting their feet up on chairs or desk with their dirty shoes on while on shift. Firstly it does not look professional and secondly you are transmitting germs, viruses and other infectious disease. For example during a regular shift, staff makes multiple trips to staff washroom, patient room etc with their shoes on, they deliver care wash their hands and return to care desk. Unintentionally they raise their feet with their shoes on and sit on the chair. Someone else walks in and sits on the same chair without realizing that pair of dirty shoes was placed on it few minutes back. The cycle is on from shoes to chair and chair to clothes. Why can't Nurses and other allied healthcare staff be mindful not to sit on chairs with their feet up. I do understand that our feet get tired after a long day of work. But that does not permit us to raise our feet with dirty shoes on. Please understand that by doing this we are putting ourselves and our colleagues at higher medical risk. Organizations spend lot of money on hand washing initiatives. But all that effort goes to waste if our health care providers continue to be the transmitting agents of bacteria, germs and different viruses through their dirty shoes. There is enough research available to prove that the shoes carry big time germs. "Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist and professor at the University of Arizona, joined forces with shoemaker Rockport to study what types of microorganisms are transported by footwear. Ten people were given a brand new pair of shoes to use for two weeks before having them tested for bacteria.

After two weeks, more than 420,000 units of bacteria were found on the outside of the test shoes. Of that bacteria, 27% were deadly E. Coli. Also detected was Klebsiella pneumonia, which can cause pneumonia and wound and bloodstream infections and Serratia ficaria, which can lead to infection of the respiratory tract"

I strongly recommend that health care organizations should have a policy in place that reflects no sitting on chairs with feet up while at work especially with your shoes on. Together we can prevent the spread of infections and provide quality care for our patients.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I agree Nurses need to wipe shoes regularly just as washing hands regularly. They should also be discouraged from putting their feet up on chairs or desk with their dirty shoes on while on shift.........

There is enough research available to prove that the shoes carry big time germs. "Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist and professor at the University of Arizona, joined forces with shoemaker Rockport to study what types of microorganisms are transported by footwear. Ten people were given a brand new pair of shoes to use for two weeks before having them tested for bacteria.

After two weeks, more than 420,000 units of bacteria were found on the outside of the test shoes. Of that bacteria, 27% were deadly E. Coli. Also detected was Klebsiella pneumonia, which can cause pneumonia and wound and bloodstream infections and Serratia ficaria, which can lead to infection of the respiratory tract"

I strongly recommend that health care organizations should have a policy in place that reflects no sitting on chairs with feet up while at work especially with your shoes on. Together we can prevent the spread of infections and provide quality care for our patients.

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Interesting....even though this is an old thread....it is important to remind nurses and other healthcare employees about the dangers of infection control issues. I know that nurses and other healthcare workers are aware about how disgusting their work shoes are. I seldom see any nurses or CNA's with their feet propped up on the furniture in acute care we frankly, don't have any sitting down time unless we are in the restroom.

I ALWAYS left my work shoes at work and changed my shoes to go home....then left those in the garage. My uniforms went right in the wash.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I would think it obvious.

Wow, old thread.

Interesting tidbit, in many third world or developing countries such as in Eastern Europe and many parts of Asia the staff will operate barefooted because shoes are seen as unclean and shoe covers are too expensive.

Personal preference I guess. Truth is since I've become a nurse I became more hypervigilant about germs. So honestly I think they are more than likely trying to prevent cross contamination. I don't necessarily wipe my shoes daily unless I am in a heavily soiled room or get something on them. However I have the box my shoes came in, in my car. I get off work and I put my house shoes on and put my work shoes in the box. I prefer not to track whatever I do walk through home so that my 3 year old can crawl through it on our floor. I also strip my scrubs off put them in a designated hamper and shower. It's just preference. If you are okay with not wiping your shoes before work or at all that's your prerogative, but I don't see anything wrong with her doing it. In fact she is doing a pretty good job at not tracking germs everywhere and I say kudos to her.

Specializes in IMCU, Oncology.

I do it when I have potentially stepped in urine or C. diff stool while at work.

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