Nurses in uniform on public transport

[sea74]

This is something that makes me crazy.
They talk about nosocomial infections, millions of pounds are spent per year to supply hospitals with hand gel, and then on the way home, you see dozens of nurses on the tube, trains, buses, trams and buses wearing their own uniform from and to work!

Don't they know it should not wore before they arrive in the hospital?

Also midwives do that.

I just cant stand it! They really show they dont care!!!

The "nurse" that you see wondering around Tesco could well be a community m/w who has gone round peoples' houses - checked the women are feeling well, weighed some babies, had a chat about b/f. It all depends on what you've been doing.

For the people who wonder why nurses don't like washing their uniforms in their own washing machines with their own clothes:

Scenario 1, patient vomits all over nurses uniform.

Scenario 2, patient coughs up green sputum all over nurses uniform.

Scenario 3, patient bleeds out all over nurses uniform.

You get the picture?

I would prefer to put a clean uniform on in the hospital. Unfortunately, no laundry/changing facilities are available in the hospital I work in.

Also, uniforms these days are made from materials that should be washed at 40, but they are not effectively washed unless they are washed at 60 degrees. So I wash mine at 60 (wash all uniforms by themselves). Then get moaned at for ruining my uniforms.

You can get a tax rebate (probably a few pence a year) for washing your own uniforms.

i have nowhere to change, and often leave my bag and coat in the sister office, but i have not got a set place to work so i cover the whole hospital.

wishes i did have a place to change

I believe I am right in saying that when visitors go to hospital to see patients they wear home clothes they have worn on the bus. Well I did last time I visited DW anyway. Goodness knows what I took in with me.

On the other hand when I was in the Tropical Diseases unit as a patient the nurses there wore full NBC suits and wellingtons but I was there in my jim-jams and slippers that I later took home to wash in our washing machine.

Unless someone is doing barrier nursing or in A&E I suspect wearing uniform to work makes no difference.

Where are you OP?

With all that you've read, can you understand that is a bit of a contentious issue? Genuinely interested as you have now had many HCP's on here explaining why YABU - although I think it's provoked the response due to the 'They really show they don't care' line.

Yep, that's what pissed me off.

It is a disciplinary at the hospital I work in asit is an infection control no no. In theatres we leave our scrubs in skipbags they are laundered and we get fresh 'clean' ones to wear the next shift. Only problem with that is getting the right size is hit and miss and the fact that an ODP I work with admitted to 'going commando' this ODP also had questionable hygiene, he bent over in front of me once and I was knocked for six by the overwhelming stench of sweaty butt crack.

Like others have said - I would be happy to change into my uniform at work and out of it before going home (am a midwife), but there are no facilities in which to do this!! It has been raised on several occasions, but nothing is ever done.

Why can't all HCP's wear scrubs then?? Is it only A&E/Delivery/AMU units???

Doctors wearing their own clothes don't get changed though do they??

1. What on earth is the issue with scrubs???
2. If hospitals were less like shopping malls I bet that would reduce infection levels.

There is no money in the NHS to provide scrubs daily or to provide any clean uniform daily to all staff.

There is NO evidence to support the theory that infections are passed on hcp's uniforms. Trust's are against uniforms in public due to issues of professionalism.

All hcp's wear gloves aprons and or masks when caring for infectious patients. This is more than adequate to prevent the spread of infections. That and hand washing of course.

Patients who have ebola like infections are cared for by staff wearing disposable clothing.

Everyone can calm down.

Scrubs are washed in the hospital aren't they?? Isn't that the point?

I am a domiciliary carer but if you saw me you may think i was a nurse.

It would be unpractical for me to change after every visit (visits range from 30 mins to 7 hour)as it would be for any health care professional that works in the community.

Prehaps this lady was a Distric nurse or HCA?

I also do school pick up in my uniform if I have had to work extra hours..

I do though use disposable aprons and gloves on every visit..

ps also wear covers on my shoes and masks

My apostrophes are all over the place.

balloonballs Thanks for answering scrubs question. At my local hospital A&E/Delivery/AMU/NICU units wear scrubs.

What would happen to a nurse/doctor if they got covered in sick then?? The uniform I mean!

They'd change into a pair os scrubs they'd nicked borrowed from theatres and wash their clothes/uniform at home.

marypoppins - we get scrubs from theatre and everyone knows we've been peed/shat/vommed on That's sort of my point though, do people really think that if we got something minging on our uniforms or hands we would WANT to leave it on us? Never mind infection control, you could tell me it was sterile and I'd still run off to the sink!

I'm an OT and when I worked as a hospital we weren't even allowed onto the street outside with our uniform on. Bit annoying if you wanted to pop out and get a sandwhich! But this was more to do with professionalism, and not being identified out on the street. I'm pretty sure this isn't true, but I've been told a few times that if we're out on the street in uniform and someone has, say, a cardiac arrest and we don't help, we can be sued. Must be rubbish, sounds rubbish!

lol iambadger that one sentence sums up this whole thing brilliantly:

really think that if we got something minging on our uniforms or hands we would WANT to leave it on us? Never mind infection control, you could tell me it was sterile and I'd still run off to the sink!

Nurses just looove running around, doing their Tesco shop whilst covered in blood and vomit

I suggest the germ-brigade put down their Daily Mail and read this entire thread and take on board what all the HCP's have said.

:)

Tis rubbish. Everyone O.T. Dr, Nurse is only expected to do what they can if they can when off duty, in or out of uniform.

They can only be held accountable if they are in a professional capacity.

There has been clarification about this recently from a number of unions.

Well said FluffyMuff!

(A nurse could be admonished professionally for not assisting in an emergency whether in uniform or not, the uniform issue is a red herring.)

To clarify, that assistance does not mean medical management but calling for professional assistance i.e. dialing 999.

You have a duty of care to the public at all times whilst registered, whether in uniform or not BUT you are only required to act within your scope of practice. i.e a specialist respiratory nurse would not be expected to do much more than reassure and call for help if they came across a woman giving birth, a midwife would however be judged very differently in that situation.