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.

District nurses and domiciliary care workers will be wearing PPE over their uniforms, it would be impractical to change in between.

Hearhooves - Oh dear, your one of those ex nurses. Ok. Of course it was never as bad as when you where nursing. We don't have it anywhere near as bad. And nursing care is not the same as the good old days. You win. My 18yrs nursing experience counts for nothing🙄

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?

I can have up to 23 calls in a day. You want me to change 23 times a day? I’m a carer. Not fucking Beyoncé

I want - lol 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Uniform or not, covered in PPE or not, can those of you working in healthcare at least go home and wash before you go into shops in the middle of a pandemic? Christ it’s no wonder people get annoyed

People need to differentiate between community care staff and registered nurses.
Different jobs, different roles, different settings, different policies and protocols but frustratingly similar uniforms.

I agree with you op and I’m a frontline NHS worker in the community. Sometimes it’s a pain as I have to drive home and get changed before shopping but I do not think shopping in work clothes is acceptable from an infection control point of view. My mum was a nurse back in the sixties and seventies when there were strict rules in place and you would be punished if rules were flouted.

@LetItGoHome

Hearhooves - Oh dear, your one of those ex nurses. Ok. Of course it was never as bad as when you where nursing. We don't have it anywhere near as bad. And nursing care is not the same as the good old days. You win. My 18yrs nursing experience counts for nothing🙄

Nope, never said that but there are a lot of good practices that have been ignored, to the detriment of patient care imo. Infection control and nutrition/hydration being two.

Just because something is "old fashioned" doesn't mean it doesn't work - take hand washing for example. Can't get much more old fashioned can you?

And informs are no longer as clear as loads are wearing scrubs now whether they are caters , doctors or domestic workers .

You're right. It's an infection control issue. Not allowed where I live (Belgium). Hospital uniforms stay in hospitals and are laudered by the hospital following proper hygiene protocols. You change into uniform when you arrive at work and change out of it before you leave.

I trained as a Nurse in the 1980's (pre MRSA et al) one of the issues most drummed into us was to never our uniforms outside of the hospital or to and from the hospital due to risk of cross infection.We were told and would have lost our position straight away if caught.It still makes me wince when i see medical staff out and about in scrubs and uniform.

"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."

You utter wanker. My family includes NHS workers. They are risking their lives going to work and YOU have the audacity of accusing them of attention seeking.
THERE IS NO WHERE FOR THEM TO CHANGE CLOTHES. HOSPITALS ARE ZONED.
Fuck off with your shit stirring uneducated ignorant pathetic manly wisdom.

I work near the local hospital and get the same bus to and from work as lots of the hospital staff do, a lot more are wearing their uniforms with nothing covering them than usually would, and are keeping their lanyards on where usually they'd shove them in their handbags. Some of these are people I've got the same bus as for 5+ years and know well enough to say good morning to, so its not even that I'm noticing more.

I know that 1 reason is that the bus can only take 11 passengers at the moment, route and time I travel is busy and our local bus drivers are known to give priority if they know you are trying to get to work (I make sure my work clothes are noticeable for the same reason)

Is nobody actually reading the replies?
Community carers don't have a base
They are likely to be shopping for service users
No, they can't change between calls
They wear aprons and PPE at each call

When you have 5/10 mins travel time between calls and it's a 15 min drive, the times don't add up and you can't change between 15/20/25 people a day

" 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."
Oh shut up. I'm a district nurse and if I have to nip into the shop for a drink then I will. I couldn't care less about being at the front of the queue or getting a round of applause. We are not going to base at the moment, my home is 40 minutes away from my area of work and surprisingly I might need to eat and drink during the day!

Absolutely agree OP. It's poor infection control and people saying it's fine have no notions of hygiene. It's now seen as unacceptable to challenge it or think it. Obviously clothes worn to help with bodily functions should not be in the supermarket...it's insane

can have up to 23 calls in a day. You want me to change 23 times a day? I’m a carer. Not fucking Beyoncé

HA !

To add- a friend of mine is a district nurse in another area. She was spat at a few weeks ago whilst filling up her car during her working day. She'd been to an end of life patient and had been there for 3.5hours as he died, trying to get his agitation and pain under control. It's disgusting and vitriolic statements like yours OP which has led to incidents like this.

Its amazing how many infection control experts are on here today. I should pass all your details on to the trusts infection control team and the policy writers. They might learn a thing or two. They will be mightily embarrassed that they have got it so wrong all this time 😭🙄

what people seem to forget - there are assholes everywhere. including the NHS.
I really, really don’t like this current “everyone who works for the NHS is an angel” sentiment. There is plenty of bullying, ignoring rules and incompetence, just like in any other organisation.
Forbidding people to question things means approving of it. Yes, tgere might be a good reason. there might also be a dangerous breach of protocol. Or just somebody being an attention seeking idiot (yes, they also exist in every organisation). but forbidding people to ask means approving misconduct.

@Dominicgoings

People need to differentiate between community care staff and registered nurses. Different jobs, different roles, different settings, different policies and protocols but frustratingly similar uniforms.

Yep.

it's now seen as unacceptable to challenge it or think it

No it isn't, but what did OP do that was constructive? Did she speak to them? Address their employer? No, she came on to MN to rant about how young carers are only wearing their uniforms out and about for free stuff and public adoration. If the thread had been genuine concerns about cross contamination without the frothing then the responses would have been constructive and supportive I imagine.

@sandybval Mumsnet is a place to express opinions. It is unhygeniec - end of story. There is a reason carers etc. wear uniform. People can get outraged but educated people can see it's not clean to be wearing uniforms in the shops. I used to work in a huge food chain in the 90s. We had to arrive at work in normal clothes, change to uniform, change again at lunchtime and back in the uniform at end lunch. Back to normal clothes on way home. It was mandatory for hygiene. We changed in the toilet/ cupboard. Before entering the supermarket, carers/ NHS staff should be wearing non-uniform. Do you have any idea what sort of jobs are done in care homes? Cleaning of poo, pee, sick etc. A flimsy plastic apron is not going to protect all the clothes of the staff. And then those same clothes are on the buses, in the supermarket? I thought this before Coronavirus and agree some people are just showing off. What about the carer who went crying to the papers because she was told off for wearing her uniform in a supermarket? Then it turned out it was a senior intensive care nurse who had told her off and who was unrepentant.

I’m a carer and was on my way home from work when I really had to use the bathroom (pregnant) so went to the local supermarket. I was mortified walking in in my uniform but what else do you want me to do? We don’t touch the patients without spit shield, gloves, mask, apron, and we even have crocs that we only wear within the Care Home so there is no risk unless I start brushing my calves against surfaces...

Just to point out by the way, a lot of people who wouldn't usually wear scrubs/tunics have them now too, a sewing group near me made some for pre-school and primary school staff for example, so like our lunchtime supervisor is wearing one but may actually have been on the field with 15 children socially distanced and be less of a risk than someone who was on their third shop off the day.