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.

“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”

I don’t think you understand how shiftS work

Sadly, OP I think you may be right about enjoying the reaction of others or even hoping that someone will pay for their shopping (this has been shown in social media but admittedly not for a few weeks). It is at best lazy and at worst not far from begging.
I say this as a uniformed nurse in the NHS for 18 yrs. It is always against trust policy to wear uniform outside of work.
Yes, community carers are different but their uniform / clothes do not NOT magically carry the virus but I am sure these professionals wear appropriate PPE at appropriate times to limit risk of transmission
Rant over....!!!

I always noticed them. Sometimes shift finished or between house visits/on break.

Even more grim CHEFS who go to toilets with their apron on and dish cloth strapped to their hips

@foamrolling

"As ever with these kinds of threads I just wonder why you would assume the worst of people?"

I don't assume the worst. There are a fair few articles and examples that show that this is becoming an issue.

Following the incident where the senior ICU nurse reprimanded a care worker for wearing her uniform in public in Burton on Trent, the Royal College of Nursing issued this statement:

"Shopping or non-work activities should be avoided whilst in uniform/workwear in the community. If this is unavoidable due to shopping restrictions in the pandemic, cover the uniform as much as possible with a coat.’

‘If you work in a community role, it may be impractical to take off your uniform especially if you are shopping for a client, so some may cover up with a coat.’

How therefore am I being unreasonable?

Maybe because they are proud to be care workers/NHS and currently they are enjoying praise (which they deserve).

I would worry about infection control though.

Good news though OP, seems the tide is turning and everyone will hate NHS and care staff soon, so when you see them probably at the start of a shift shopping, you can be safe in the knowledge it's not for attention or thanks.

[quote GinDaddyRedux]@cardibach

Yes I am well aware of this.

I'm well aware also that because of the criticism some professions get, my fairly reasonable comment is going to get dismissed or criticised by folk who believe all care and NHS staff should get a pass for every kind of behaviour, because they are so beleaguered in this crisis.

I hugely appreciate the work people are doing. I just bemoan a culture of attention - the stuff online I saw before posting this was simply a case of wanting to publicly identify as a carer at this time. And the best way of doing that is wearing a uniform in public.[/quote]
Since you have no evidence that is why they are doing it, this seems an unnecessarily unpleasant thread. Nobody is saying that anyone gets a pass for any kid of behaviour, just that some care workers/medical staff have to Wear uniforms in the community (eg community nurses, care workers in people’s homes) and that others have no reason to champagne at work -either before or after.
Your defence here reads a bit like you are jealous of the regard in which you perceive medical staff to be held.

@Spidey66 I suggested it was the start of their day not the end.

@FromMarch2020

but this is exactly my point.... The person I saw wandering around holding up a phone, is clearly proud to be in their uniform.

The question (answered by the Royal College of Nursing) is whether they should be in that uniform in a public space that sells food, in the first place.

It's just bonkers that someone's self esteem on Instagram or Facebook is more important than their professional bodies' edict at a time of pandemic infection control.

@Spied

I agree OP. I'm always a little There's a carer who lives along my street who sits in her garden on an evening, drinking, wearing her uniform and flaunting herself around making sure everyone can see her. (She sometimes has a mask around her neck).

Fancy flaunting herself in her own garden! The cheek of it!

so some may cover up with a coat.

Some may do, presumably not when it's roasting. You aren't being unreasonable to be concerned about infection control, you are unreasonable to assume they're just doing it for the praise or for attention. Your mention of Instagram stories suggests they might be fairly young, so even if they are then they're doing a horrible job for crap pay, why does it seem to annoy you so much? As people have explained, at that time of day they could be on the way to work.

Surely that just shows there is an issue with people assuming the worst and passing judgement? Not that there's an issue with health care workers in uniform clogging up the aisles of Tesco taking duck face selfies for Instagram likes?

People are being advised to cover up their uniforms because of unfair public perceptions.

Some people are knobs, some people will be carers doing their clients shopping, they will have no changing facilities going in and out of homes. Same as community nurses.

I agree with you. Even pre COVID I didn’t like to see NHS staff out and about in their uniforms.

@cardibach

I'm jealous of the regard that medical staff are held in?!

Wow. Just wow.

I said repeatedly how proud and grateful I am for the role that medical staff have played in my family life.

I have a fantastic career and one I wouldn't swap for any other.

So no...as per many other threads on here where people counter an argument with "you're just jealous"....nope, I'm not jealous.

Sometimes you can wear uniforms outside work. I'm sure noone would do this is putting anyone at risk. It's just a practical option sometimes

I was a student nurse / nurse in the early 80s. In those days we had to wear a long navy blue coat (not any old coat, but a proper hospital-issued coat) AND navy blue hat when we were outside of the hospital. Even in the hot summer days, so YANBU. Ah, those were the days.

@foamrolling

No. Just no. People are not covering up because of negative perception of nurses.

People are being asked to cover up their uniforms by professionals in their field for medical reasons.

Here's a comment from Ellen, a senior staff nurse who was recently quoted in the media:

"The first thing that was installed in us as students was that wherever you are going, if you are in your PPE and you are going out of a clinical setting, you must be covered up, whether that’s a jacket, cardigan or any other form of clothing you can put over the top.

‘As an ex community staff nurse that is what I did because you do not know where an individual carer has been.’

Is that a decent enough explanation from a quoted source?

Many community carers wear uniforms very similar to NHS staff now so it can be hard to distinguish between the two.

Sadly, it’s not a new thing. My DM is an ex-nurse and commented on it more than 20 years ago. She said that when she was nursing, you changed into your uniform when you got to work and out of it before you left. She’s been horrified to see nurses in uniform on buses on their way to work before.

This was all pre-Covid.

So YANBU that it’s a poor thing to do, but you’re being slightly unreasonable to say it’s because they want to ‘show off’. I don’t think they do, they’ve just not had it knocked into them not to travel in uniform.

Perhaps they’re short of space for changing in the hospitals now? If so, that needs sorting. It’s stupid to fuss about pens causing germs (they identified that from doctors moving from patient to patient) while letting nursing staff have a not properly hygienic uniform. That’s not to mention the possibility of them taking germs out of the hospital too.

A neighbour has a carer, parking is awful here (central London) so her carer uses a bicycle. How do you suggest home carers only wear their uniform at work, should they get changed in their car, stood on the street?

Some really stupid comments on here including we like the public recognition. No we don't ff's.
I do community work three days a week and clinic work the rest of the week. When I'm doing community work I see 15 patients a day and spend my time running from one house to another, during the pandemic changing into PPE in the street outside the house.
I am allowed to wear my uniform all day because there is nowhere and no time to change clothes, you try the logistics of taking your uniform off in the car, getting changed, driving to the next house and putting it on again, I'd get nothing done!!
I'm seeing very seriously ill patients because people who would normally be seen at a hospital specialist clinic only are now being seen by us at home because the clinics are shut except for telephone consultations. The workload is huge and stressful and it's almost impossible to see everyone in the time.
And also, if it means no uniforms in public that also includes trousers. Have you ever tried changing your trousers in a car? Then putting them back on again when you reach the next house in 10 minutes time.
If I'm going into a chemist to pick up a prescription for one of my patients I put on a coat or a cardigan over the top of my uniform to hide it as much as possible which is very uncomfortable in hot weather.
Try and think about what you are typing before making stupid comments.

My Aunty is a nurse. You cannot wear your uniform outside of the hospital it’s against the uniform policy. I Had a similar discussion with her a few weeks ago as I noticed too.

OK, how about this for an explanation from a quoted source: metro.co.uk/2020/05/27/woman-who-left-carer-tears-bm-icu-nurse-12762748/

That's a link to the story you quoted where NHS England state there is 'no evidence that wearing a uniform outside of work poses an infection risk'. They advise staff to cover uniform due to 'public perception'.

I'd assume that any carers I see in the shops are shopping for clients. At least 1 was constantly on the phone checking what they should buy instead of out of stock items.

Not sure that wearing a coat over uniform would be sensible just now - it's the kind of hot sticky weather that tends to make you feel unwell if overdressed, and I'd assume far more Covid risk from dealing with fainting than just passing!