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.

The London nurses and posiatrists often have to do their rounds on buses so where on earth are they supposed to change?
Of course I don't wear it to work when I am in the clinic, I put it on when I get there and take it off and bag it before I drive home.

District nurses tend to keep their uniform on but from my experience in hospital and care homes we change before we go home, unless we're walking home. We're encouraged to cover our uniforms with a long coat if we pop in a shop on our way home.

@SimonJT

Why is it always the way that if someone doesn't have the right facilities, the policy then gets thrown out of the window due to "inconvenience".

There's surely an obvious alternative to getting changed in the car here, but you need me to say it?

How therefore am I being unreasonable?

Go out to your car Gin Daddy wearing a uniform, go and see a friend for 10 minutes, get changed in your car afterwards into normal clothes including your trousers, drive for 10 minutes to see another friend reverse the process into your uniform, get changed again in your mini sized car after coming back out again. Drive 10 mins to your next friend, Repeat this 15 times all day and then tell me if I'm being unreasonable.

As said above it depends on the job - generally those in hospital are expected to take of the uniform before going home because of infection risk. I often see people in uniform going in and out of local bungalows where a lot of older people live locally who are clearly district nurses or carers going from person to person who could not practically change on their rounds and presumably some may be midwives going into houses of people women who have just had a baby, house to house all day.

it is quite a difficult issue never mind hygiene. Boys at a local private school regularly are told to dress down and not in uniform if shopping in town to prevent being beaten up by those who dislike private schools. We live near an army base place and those rules change from time to time over whether you should be out in the uniform - I think they can walk the 10 minutes from the tube in uniform nowadays as I sometimes see them. The issue for them is anti army people might attack them if they are out in uniform to and from work I suppose.

Your assumed infection control nightmare is incorrect.

'It is best practice to change into and out of uniforms, or dedicated work
clothing, at work and not wear them when travelling; this is based on public
perception rather than evidence of an infection risk'. This is from PHE.

What else have you assumed that is incorrect?

I'm a carer/support worker. I don't wear a uniform, go to work in jeans most days.

Anyone could be carrying germs.

If people are following infection control procedures it really shouldn't be a problem.

The official hospital policy is that we are allowed to wear the same uniform all day if doing home visits, because there is nowhere to change.
We put on masks, aprons or PPE etc before going into the house and take it off and bag it on the way out.
I always have a spare full uniform in the car so any nasty accidents, or exudate on my clothes I can change if I need to. But this normally means changing in public which is pretty awful when you are 58.

I wear mine in public
I work on community - most people when seeing community staff between calls assume we work in hospital and therefore shouldn't be wearing uniform in public

You go to work in your own clothes, change in the building and then at the end of your shift, go back into your own clothes.
This is to reduce spread of infection. All uniform is washed at 60' for the same reason.
During shifts you can be arms deep in all kinds of bodily fluids and whilst you have gloves and aprons on, you can't guarantee it isn't on your uniform too.
Community staff also know not to wear their uniforms when not on duty so no one should be wearing uniform in the supermarket unless they are working on behalf of or with their patients.
People have been reported by colleagues and given a warning for this.

1. not all NHS nurses work in hospitals. Have you heard about District Nurses, community nurses and practice nurses who care for patients who are housebound and shielding?

2. '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' - I think the kindest thing I can say about this is that I wouldn't expect any reasonable person to agree with you though I'm sure I will be disappointed.

As pp’s have pointed out, it’s not as simple as whether they should be in public places in uniform or not. It seems to me that the fact they are in uniform would highlight them as it’s something that makes them stand out from the masses. The individual who reached over you for the cheese was wrong, whether they were wearing uniform or not. Likewise, so was the individual who reached past you at the frozen peas but you didn’t remember them or form an opinion on a group of people because they were dressed in smart casual non uniform.
If it was indeed a shift worker it is unlikely considering a typical shift pattern that they were at the end of a shift when you were.
Healthcare workers are more likely to know if patients they have been treating are likely to have been in contact with Covid, and would therefore take additional precautions, unlike some other professions where firstly, they would not have an inkling of any customers Covid status, and secondly, are not provided with equipment/ facilities or trained to perform effective hand hygiene and other infection control methods. Many people you will see in the supermarket will have come from a people facing role and not had this head start.
Most people working for the NHS in inpatient settings will have been told to change out of their uniform but those in community settings have no means of doing so and may be collecting shopping or prescriptions for those in their care.
I’m sure there are people out there who would use their uniform for glory seeking purposes or do not follow procedures (the mask wearer you mentioned) but most will be trying to carry out a demanding job, as well as is practically possible in the circumstances.

Carers, district nurses, physios, OTs all work in the community so will be out and about in uniform. Many bases have been cut over the years by NHS /councils and staff work remotely.
When I was a community nurse I'd often fetch shopping for patients because it wasn't part of my job I'd go at the end of my shift, I needed to wear a uniform because I was then going back to these people's houses.
I'm sure the majority you see out will be doing their role or going the extra mile.

It’s a fair point and that’s why washable uniform bags were being made.

Goodness op. I've always seen people wandering around in their uniforms. They work long shifts and perhaps have to rush off somewhere, to their kids or to get food or whatever. If they are working in an area, or time as now, when the infection risk is heightened I expect their own colleagues or line managers will be aware. Not something to get het up about, and I have some skill at doing that.

Hoping for freebies in the shop possibly. Definitely screams of attention seeking.

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.

The reason is clear - they are on their way to work or on their way home. You don't know who they are dealing with, might be nothing to do with COVID. Does anyone who goes to work have to change clothes before they do other things in public?

Could be a care worker doing shopping for one of their clients.

@madcatladyforever could try a phone box... If it's good enough for superman... Oh wait, no phone boxes anymore. Damn.

When I am community nursing I have a full cover up to go over the top of my uniform if I need to stop at the petrol station or chemist so you can't tell I work for the NHS.
This is mostly to avoid the typical why are you wearing your uniform in public comments and sour looks from everybody - I have explained why I'm wearing a uniform out in public above.
Its exhausting and bloody hot at this time of year and my clothing is probably cleaner and more gern free that the general publics normal clothes.
One poster was correct, NHS staff hatred is back in full. This is why I refused to go outside when all that clapping was going on because I knew it was a load of hypocritical shit.

I think this is the fifth time I’ve responded to one of these goady threads from fuckwits without the brains to think it through.

I wear scrubs as do all of my workmates. We wear a clean pair into work and then change into A CLEAN PAIR TO GO HOME. As we’re going home to our families after 12 - 16 hrs keeping strangers alive. Once I get home both pairs go straight in the wash and my shoes stay on the porch whilst I jump in the shower before I hug my family.

As for the idea that we have a lunch break in which we might pop to the shops......😂😂😂😂😂😂

I work in care although we’re not provided with uniforms so you wouldn’t know it but I often go to the supermarket on my way home from work as I drive past it. I work long shifts and don’t always have time to go home, get changed and then go back out to the supermarket afterwards.

If people are working with people suspected of having COVID they will likely be provided with disposable PPE to wear over their clothing or have been given scrubs or similar to change into. It’s also worth noting many care homes and hospital wards are COVID-free, so there’s nothing to say that person has been working in a high-risk area. Some managers won’t have much client contact at all, for all you know the person in uniform was in the office for the whole day.

Very unreasonable to judge when you have no idea of the persons circumstances.

@BreatheAndFocus has it right btw when suggesting many places don't have the changing facilities any more - which is wrong

I remember when I did work in the hospital one ward had changing facilities - everyone came in and went home in normal clothes and got changed, the one that didn't and if you wanted to change you had to use the one single staff toilet cubicle between all of you and wasn't lockers etc to leave your clothes, the vast majority didn't

As I mentioned earlier I work on community but if I do go into a shop then will wear a jacket or cardi over the top - most will still recognise the hem of the tunic (I'd called into a tesco local the other day as needed soemthing to drink and a woman was very clear to her son that he needed to especially social distance from me due to my job)

Normally we can wear our uniform to and from work ( covered up and not to go shopping pre or post work etc) since March we have been changing in work, we've no Changing areas so yes using spare rooms/offices/toilets etc. It's absolutely right now to do so. But is adding more unpaid time onto my shifts too .( might only be 5-10mins but it adds up!)

However lots of other professionals wear uniform similar, nursery workers for one. Also community staff. You can't police people though they have to take some personal responsibility for their own actions and if hospital/care staff are doing so they should have a think about it!

I would have thought they are home carers or community staff?
At every NHS hospital I have worked at we have to get changed on site on arrival and at the end of our shift.