To ask why all these nursing/care uniforms being worn in public?!

[GinDaddyRedux]

I'm not trying to start a flame war here about the importance of people's contributions or whatever. This is something that is genuinely getting my goat.

Twice in the last week I have gone to a supermarket, first for food, and then latterly for medicine for my DC.

Both times (which is perhaps a coincidence in itself) I have seen someone from a caring profession - one a nurse I think, the other a care home worker, wearing their full uniform out around the shop. At both times it was towards the end of the day (when I finish working from home) so it looked like it was the end of their shift rather than lunchtime.

My question is, why is this allowed and actively encouraged from what I see on social media?

I think the reason is clear - the uniform wearers enjoy the kind public comments and encouragement. It provides a visual identifier that they are one of the people to be clapped or whatever.

What gets me though is surely this is an infection control nightmare? Why are people not being asked by their heads of department to change at work, thereby limiting the chances of infecting the public?

For those who say you don't have "dedicated changing facilities" - do toilet cubicles count? I just am perhaps understandably nervous at the idea that the lady who walked right up next to me, no distancing, in full uniform in the cheese aisle reaching across for cheddar, is wearing the same clothing used to treat people who may have had COVID-19.

If this is unreasonable of me then fair enough, but I really think this is a "look at me" thing. It's a tough profession and it's nice to be thanked in public, but it feels like this is a potentially big price to pay for a bit of congratulation.

You can’t possibly know who is a nurse and who is a carer. Unfortunately, community carers are allowed to wear nurses uniforms, so, nurses often get blamed for this kind of thing.
District nurses and community carers are ( usually ) meticulous in their infection control practices, their clothes are probably carrying less germs than the general public’s. We visit the most vulnerable of people, so do not risk their wellbeing . The people you have seen may be at the start of their shifts, and District nurses have to stop and get petrol, pick up a drink and a sandwich .
No, there is nowhere to change, unless you’re suggesting we change in our cars.
As to your suggestion that we are out in our uniforms as some kind of ego boost......we are knackered, we’re sweating, our faces are sore from wearing masks all bloody day, and when we get home we know there is a couple of hours paper work to do, unpaid. So no, we couldn’t give a toss about being admired or applauded, we just want to get home and shower.
Your post was thoughtless and ridiculous.

Senior

As we are all uneducated according to you do you think you can tell me how to manage over a thousand carers who walk their runs, don't have any travel time, work 12 hour shifts and have no base but can constantly changer their uniform?

Oh and thank you to all the home carers on the thread who have kept the service going through some very difficult times , especially being out their on your own and not knowing what the hell you are going into

@Christinayangtwistedsister

Senior

As we are all uneducated according to you do you think you can tell me how to manage over a thousand carers who walk their runs, don't have any travel time, work 12 hour shifts and have no base but can constantly changer their uniform?

This

@Tighe

This is an infection control issue. It’s possible to take lunch and drinks with you to work.

Some of these posts are really mean. Somebody maybe in an emergency or need chocolate as there blood sugar is low and are about to hypo You can’t assume.......... Honestly mind your own business.

YANBU- I think it is sloppy. I’m a nurse and during my training we were aware that within the trust I trained in it is a disciplinary offence to be off site in uniform- apart from travel between sites, on the shuttle etc. I think it is not good for the profession’s image. I have not worked in the community but if I did I would not be strolling around morrisons in my uniform, I would go home and change first if there were no changing facilities.

Also lots of people who previously weren't in uniform now are. All of our clinical team are now in scrub type uniforms. There will be days where we see no face to face patients. Our uniforms would be no more of an infection risk than your clothing.
Carers may have responsibilities to shop or support with shopping they will be in uniform. Community staff also in uniform.

@Shinebright72 why would I exaggerate? She had a coat on over her scrubs, and I don’t work in the medical industry so didn’t want to patronise her by asking. She didn’t have any colleagues with her, we just met in our city centre right after she finished her shift.

Haven't read the full thread but....

I know carers locally that have exactly the same uniform as me a band 6, a uniform is sadly no distinguisher without ID.

Carers are often shopping etc for clients they do not change each time they go out to the shops etc as a they have no spaces and b. It is just not practical if they are wearing ppe in a patient's home to then nip to their toilet to get changed it just won't work.

Community nurses locally certainly have been instructed that that they should not be going to shops etc in their uniform.

Hope this helps

I think this post says a lot about you OP.

It wouldn't cross my mind to think that people would wear their uniform because they want attention. For your mind to go there, you are clearly someone who needs a lot of attention yourself?

You have been given plenty of reasons why some people don't change out of their uniform, i'm not sure why you can't work that out yourself though.

Finish work, Straight home. Strip at door.
Straight in shower with hair wash...

Surely they should all be doing that

Equally if they are going to work in a care environment of any sort, The uniform should be put on in the building seconds before they start...

What, like gloves, aprons and face masks? Standard practice in my company.

I meant their tunics, trousers, dresses etc. They could wear several, and remove a layer between each patient.
I was being facetious, but it was obviously lost on Iwantcollarbones.

But they maybe shopping as part of there work day or helping someone to shop....

In the above two incidents i would expect them to not wear uniform out but in other circumstances they may have to

Some community workers always wore them, you’re just more aware I think

My husband is a paramedic and he has always told me it is a trust rule that you are not allowed in shops in your uniform. He carries a hoody in his car just in case he has to run an errand on the way home from work or if he gets a chance to run into a garage to grab some lunch.

I am therefore a little sceptical of all these people who have been hugely surprised at having a weeks worth of shopping paid for by a well meaning member of the public at Sainsburys when they were blatantly stood there in full Greens.

Choices are definitely made here.... and I feel uncomfortable with them. I have also seen a lot of posts on social media along the lines of "Can anyone recommend a [Tradesperson/Service], I'm a Keyworker/Frontliner/NHS and need XYZ.... " Why does needing a new tyre need a copy of your CV?

And I speak as someone who massively appreciates all care workers, and especially the NHS (obvs including my own hard working NHS hero), but my concern is that after all the bonhomie and appreciation fades, people will be badged as grabby... quite a few of them look like grabby to me.

(That said though, hubster totally uses his ID card for the 25% NHS discount at the local curry house...)

@RocksOfStone

Finish work, Straight home. Strip at door. Straight in shower with hair wash...

Surely they should all be doing that

Equally if they are going to work in a care environment of any sort, The uniform should be put on in the building seconds before they start...

A lot of them have NOT FINISHED WORK. Do you know how home Care visits work? Some are 15mins only It probably takes longer to travel to the service user at times.

@U2HasTheEdge

I think this post says a lot about you OP.

It wouldn't cross my mind to think that people would wear their uniform because they want attention. For your mind to go there, you are clearly someone who needs a lot of attention yourself?

You have been given plenty of reasons why some people don't change out of their uniform, i'm not sure why you can't work that out yourself though.

Exactly. Couldn’t agree more

Most inpatient units and hospitals are using scrubs at the moment, even mental health where we have historically never had uniforms.

We have to change at work and either leave the scrubs to be washed at a central laundry or taken home and washed separately if your own scrubs. I love the scrubs😍

You likely saw community staff who will have no choice but to wear uniform out. Lots of careers will have to wear uniform but shopping for patients will be part of their role.

Care work

30 min call. Knock 10 mins off that for travel time so we are down to 20 mins

Arrive, say hi, don PPE, check logbook. Give meds, sign meds sheet. Find what they want to eat and cook that, wash up and tidy. Make a drink, close curtains, help them to toilet/change pad, maybe into nightclothes or help to bed. Apply creams, sign for creams. Wash hands of course in between all this, fill in logbook, lock up house, bin PPE. In 20 MINUTES if that
Drive to next call. Repeat x 20 including double calls where you are hoisting people
Add on the times where you go to the shop for cigarettes/food/milk. Or you get there and can't get in or they need an ambulance or you need to ring the office and you are now 20 mins late and need to make the time up so you don't end up way behind

You leave the house in the morning and often don't get home until 10pm at night. I used to do a run of calls 3pm - 11pm. Sometimes you don't know if you have time to go to the toilet, let alone change uniform

Well this is a particularly unpleasant thread! It would never cross my mind that someone in a supermarket in uniform was trying to show off. Far more likely that they are working or on their way to/from work and haven’t had time to change.
Many community carers do shopping for customers or collect prescriptions and would do this in uniform because they are working. These people are no more likely to have Covid than you. The people they visit probably have far fewer social contacts than the average person and they will wear aprons over their uniform when giving care anyway.
I would suggest that there are not more people in uniform around at the moment but that you are just more aware of them. Before Covid these hard working individuals were invisible to you so maybe now, rather than judge them, give them a smile and appreciate their contribution. Far more meaningful than all the clapping!

Did anyone watch the programme The Village that was on TV a few weeks ago? Did anyone notice that the room attendants wore uniforms that you would swear where nurses uniforms?
So if they shopped after work they would be mistaken for hcp.

I'm a community nhs professional. I have to put a jumper over my uniform if I go into a supermarket. It's really pleasant in the hot weather we've had recently. That's because we've had abuse in shops. Not due to infection control.

Remember my uniform is not contagious. I know that cos my trust are perfectly happy for me to use the same car to drive to see my covid positive patients, house to house, that I use to pick my kids in after school following my shift.

I use universal PPE as per protocol in patients house. And sometimes I want to go to the shops after work, during lunch, probably like much of the rest of you do. Even though we're warned not to because of inciting abuse.

Again, not because of infection control. Because of abuse from the public. Thanks guys.

I'm a carer and we get a disciplinary if seen with our uniform on outside of work. We wear out normal clothes there and back and change in the changing rooms in and out of our uniform.

I work in a pharmacy and my uniform could be mistaken i guess however on some of the shifts I do i don't come in contact with any patients (making up medication packs in a separate room) I then have to run straight to pick my kids up from school and I would hate to think every one thought I was infecting them.

Maybe just try and not be so judgemental from now on.

What about healthcare professionals who don’t wear a uniform? They are just as likely to be next to you in the supermarket.