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.

OP, you could have asked the question without the judgement.

Things are rarely clear cut, as you can see from the answers given.

I'm still waiting for one of the outraged to suggest where community care workers with no base should change. On the train? Public toilet? 🤢🙄

So much ignorance on this thread about community carers. You’re just making yourself a look stupid.

I want freebies? Fuck off.

If I’m in a shop in my uniform it’s usually because families have forgotten that mum/dad need bread, milk or any other basic item. Or I have been working since 6am until 9pm without a break and I haven’t forgotten that my family need bread or milk but I am unwilling to strip in public and will not have time to go home and change before the shop shuts.

Like the attention? Fucking idiot. I just want to get what I went in for and leave. Just as I imagine everyone else in the store is doing.

Changing out of your uniform seems like hygiene 101 to me! Is it really so hard?

I always wear a t shirt or vest top under mine so I can take it off when I pop to the shops.
Not because of infection control particularly (because my trousers, shoes, hair etc haven't been changed plus I wear an apron with patients), just because I don't want to be a target for others for that reason and also would rather be anonymous when I'm out.

Otherwise I'll have people saying they saw a nurse in tesco and she was TOUCHING THINGS, or BREATHING near people.

NHS staff have been mugged for their IDs recently so I doubt anyone but a very small stupid minority is going out in uniform unless they absolutely have to.

Not everywhere has changing rooms. Toilets can be small cubicles and a vector for infection in themselves. Jackets are great unless it's a boiling hot day and now you're sweltering in your uniform and jacket after a 12 hour shift where you may not have had a chance to eat; perfect recipe for people passing out in the queue.

The applause and recognition made most of us feel very uncomfortable. There may be a small percentage doing it for the recognition but the vast majority do it because there's no other option sometimes.

(uniformed NHS but not nursing staff here).

@LetItGoHome

I'm still waiting for one of the outraged to suggest where community care workers with no base should change. On the train? Public toilet? 🤢🙄

You wear a coat, like we had to do for the ten plus years I was nursing.

Home carers don't have a base in which they could get changed. Many of them work split shifts from 8-1 and then 4-9 and during this period many have been working extra hours to cover for colleagues who are shielding . Lots of them are walkers , where would you suggest they change at the start and end of each shift?

@RHRA

If they’re carers shopping for clients, they should be covering their tunics up in public. It’s not difficult.

In this warm weather, I'm glad they're not.

Jaxhog yes if you are a district nurse with no base 🤷 I don't get what you don't understand?

In this warm weather, I'm glad they're not.

You know that we had summers, even heatwaves, in days gone by right? And nurses still had to change at work or wear a coat in the community.

If they are carers, caring for multiple clients - surely they should be changing between each client? It may not be what the rules say, and it may also add to costs/time between visits etc, but isn't that common sense?

I know they wear those little, disposable plastic aprons, but are they sufficient?

@Jaxhog

Changing out of your uniform seems like hygiene 101 to me! Is it really so hard?

As you think its easy can you find somewhere for district nurses and community carers to get changed.

People will be really upset when they discover that paramedics don’t take their uniform off before they leave their ambulance.

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras

In this warm weather, I'm glad they're not.

You know that we had summers, even heatwaves, in days gone by right? And nurses still had to change at work or wear a coat in the community.

Could you perhaps explain how you feel that's relevant to my post? I assume you're aware it's possible for someone to think a policy that existed in the past wasn't a good one, so with that in mind it's not immediately obvious what point you're making.

Hearhooves - Hmmm, in London in the height of summer. Out all day in it. Think you would be picking is off the floor. 🤷 In the cooler months of course we do.

@LetItGoHome

Jaxhog yes if you are a district nurse with no base 🤷 I don't get what you don't understand?

You wear a coat that covers the uniform. That is what we all had to do, district nurses included. They had navy blue macs.

As a hospital nurse I had to change into and out of my uniform, in the staff toilet, on the ward. I also had a cape that I had to wear if walking between hospital buildings.

Infection control was drummed into us.

@WhatWouldDominicDo

If they are carers, caring for multiple clients - surely they should be changing between each client? It may not be what the rules say, and it may also add to costs/time between visits etc, but isn't that common sense? I know they wear those little, disposable plastic aprons, but are they sufficient?

My neighbour has a carer, the carer uses a bicycle to travel between clients.

A few questions.

1. Where does she store enough uniform to have one set per client?
2. Where does she get changed?
3. Where does she store her ‘dirty’ uniforms?

This isn't a new thing, my DM was a nurse in the Olden Days and was horrified by uniforms worn out and about to and from work 😃

@LetItGoHome

Hearhooves - Hmmm, in London in the height of summer. Out all day in it. Think you would be picking is off the floor. 🤷 In the cooler months of course we do.

Do you think summer has only just been invented?

Of course we wore them, in London during the summer.

We also worked on wards inside hospitals built in Victorian times with no air conditioning that were hotter than Hades during the summer.

We somehow survived.

Also worked on 30 bed wards with only one qualified nurse at night or two during the day!!!!

Yep Simon! "hold on while I change before see I to that patient..." but do they change again before getting back in again? We'd better check with all the judgypants!

Could you perhaps explain how you feel that's relevant to my post? I assume you're aware it's possible for someone to think a policy that existed in the past wasn't a good one, so with that in mind it's not immediately obvious what point you're making.

Maybe you can show me whether rates of hospital acquired infections are better now or in the 70s and 80s and then perhaps we can ascertain which policy is better in terms of infection control?

They aren't always provided with a changing room.

Forbidden to wear your uniform out of the clinical setting for DDs trust with the exception of community nurses and midwives.

You can’t even travel to work in your uniform in your own car because of infection control.

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras

Could you perhaps explain how you feel that's relevant to my post? I assume you're aware it's possible for someone to think a policy that existed in the past wasn't a good one, so with that in mind it's not immediately obvious what point you're making.

Maybe you can show me whether rates of hospital acquired infections are better now or in the 70s and 80s and then perhaps we can ascertain which policy is better in terms of infection control?

Perhaps in your haste you didn't notice that my post was in response to one discussing only carers, ie people who do not work in hospitals.