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!!!

1. I believe studies have shown that wearing uniforms outside of work does not actually present risk to patients/the general public (will try to find some references for that when can be bothered) however HCPs aren't supposed to because the public tends to get all hysterical and Daily Mail-ish about things that they may not always be terribly well informed about.

1. As lots of people have pointed out, can you be sure that you're looking at a nurse and not a beautician, a vetinary/dental nurse etc?

1. How do you expect a community nurse or midwife to stick to that rule? Change into their own clothes in a patient's front garden, drive to next patient's house, change back into uniform etc? Not going to work is it?

Which is why it's not a "good idea" to wear a uniform in public.

There's a few rather harsh posters on here who might be tempted to complain strongly if a person who identified themselves as a doctor was unable to provide life saving care.

I know many a consultant who hasn't been at in an acute setting for a very long time.

Icoulddoitbetter - think that applies to nurses and doctors, not OTs, that isn't even in your remit inside the hospital never mind on the street.
Why thank you fluffymuff and wipes old lady vomit out of eye

what about the doctors? afaik there are quite strict washing guidelines for nurses uniform bu doctors get to wear what they like and wash it how they like.

Not slagging OTs by the way! sure you'll agree that resuscitation is not your strong point

Super I've never heard of anyone being given guidance on how to wash their uniform/clothes.Strict or otherwise.

Unless you mean their mothers?

Only read first few posts.

I'm a doctor and I wear the clothes to work that I stay in all day. Not entirely sure it is any different to that?!

Hopefully none of you are treating your children's illnesses while wearing normal clothes.

I work in catering and I'm not allowed to wear my uniform out of work ,I have to get changed in a cupboard tiny office ..it seems odd to me that I have to do it but nurses don't

Yeah they are wankers

Not the same thing Beta... Chefs where whites to keep the food clean, yet we don't change to make dinner at home. Changing facilities should surely be provided?

wear

Yep another one here that works in hospital kitchens and we are not allowed to wear our uniforms out of work, We have changing rooms and have to change, even the workers that go out for break (fags) have to change first. We always think it odd that we do and medical staff dont.

There is a lady on the bus in the mornings that works in a supermarket cafe and she has her uniform on including her apron which i think is bad. You wear the apron to protect the food your handling from your germs not to keep your clothes clean.

My Mum is a district nurse. So she is often to be found in public wearing her uniform (not sure how she could do her job without doing that )

Chefs whites are a traditional uniform as much to protect the persons clothes as anything.

They do not magically keep the food clean.

Gloves, gloves for the love of God gloves and or hand washing, will protect you from passing germs when "handling" food or another person.

I don't mind .my uniform is dire I wouldn't want to be seen in public wearing it ..but I have to change for hygiene purposes

also the doctor / OT / nurse comparison thing doesn't work because some people are less likely to be dealing with poo/wee/puke/placentas than others.

until hospitals provide changing rooms and/or laundry facilities people will wear their uniform to work.

I do think you're being unreasonable. I am a nurse and when I worked in a hospital I changed at the start and end of each shift.

Now I work in the community. I am one of 20 nurses covering a an area with approx ten mile radius. In any one day you could see all of us around and about town in our uniform as that is our job. On top of this you could also see any number of care assistants who are employed by social services but where similar uniforms to ours.

Our patients prescriptions for dressings are sent to Sainsburys who have kindly placed their pharmacy at the back of the store which reults in my being heckled for shopping in my uniform every time I go to collect a prescription.

I work in a London suburb but colleagues in the city rely on public transport to get around their patients so you will likely often see them on buses.

bobbetybob - bet one of the hecklers at Sainsbury's is the OP.

Where is she by the way.

We have 2 loos (shared by men and women)to change in.....not very hygenic at all.
Also to keep everything as clean as poss we should really change between each patient we see....some of them are really scummy.
It's not our fault and please dont say that that we dont care.

OP's busy reading her DM.

i can't beLIEVE nurses are not provided with lockers.
That is an utterly moronic thing to have instituted.
I bet the people who make decisions like that are office based and do normal working hours.

I bet most of them are men.
No wonder our last few governments and their tribes of hospital managers have led to a culture where people die from something they've caught in hospital.

We are all going to Hell in a Handcart.

Longstocking - each ward has its own budget. So the ward manager has to vie with supplying nurses lockers against buying new BP machines etc.

So if you were the ward manager, where would you spend your money?

Plus the areas that used to house the nurses changing rooms have been annexed to provide side rooms etc.