Nurses (& the like) wearing scrubs outside the workplace.

colin13

a male nurse that stay rounf the corner from me,comes hoime with hius uniform on,he jumps in a shower,and hangs his uniform on the inside door of the toilet,,surley that aint the right place to hand a nurses uniform

brook2jack

DomRavioli wrote: »

maxillofacial units/dentistry units have a higher level of cleanliness due to the risk of severe complications. General nursing staff don't have the same level of risk on a day to day basis, most nurses are overworked, paid a pittance, and do not have time to arrive early due to childcare, transport and financial issues.

The majority of bacterial infections in hospital are caused either by the bacterium being on the patient already, or it being brought in usually from friends and family. A tiny percentage across the whole NHS is caused by a health care professional.

Perhaps if certain healthcare professionals (HCAs, nurses etc) were paid a living wage they would be able to afford to do these things. Where I live, the average nurse earns 18k per annum for a 66 hour working week, and could get more money in an office job, so leave nurses alone!

Dental nurses get paid even less and have just the same issues. It takes 10 minutes to change.

Dentistry is a far lower risk than alot of other medical/nursing proceedures, and there is no problem with mrsa in dentistry for many reasons.Likewise many other of the common medical infections are not applicable in dentistry.

Are you seriously suggesting that nursing a patient with open ulcers eg bedsores or surgical wounds or in a dialysis unit or on iv drips or just an elderly/immunocompromised/sick patient is less high risk than having a filling at a dentists?
How is dentistry a higher risk when the statistics fail to bear that out? How is a dental nurse a higher risk than a general nurse when they don't even do any proceedures on a patient? How is dentistry a higher risk when we are working on a healthier population by definition than those being nursed in hospital?
No one is blaming nurses just the systems that allow practices that are not allowed in other less risky healthcare settings.

Nine_Lives

I understand some of the points being put against this

However nobody seems to be addressing the smoking whilst wearing the uniform ... and then going back into the hospital stinking worse than a toilet whilst having to deal with patients.

DomRavioli wrote: »

18k per annum for a 66 hour working week,

Same as myself then.

I'm not saying they're overpaid or even paid what i believe they should be. If you read up, you'll see i said they are underpaid. Still, being underpaid isn't an excuse.

I'd have sympathy if they went into the job, was told they'd be getting 36k for 33 hours, but are actually getting 18k for 66 hours, but that very likely isn't the case.
I know with my job, when i took it on, i knew i'd be doing those sort of hours for that sort of pay. I could've turned it down.

fluffnutter

K_P83 wrote: »

I understand some of the points being put against this

However nobody seems to be addressing the smoking whilst wearing the uniform ... and then going back into the hospital stinking worse than a toilet whilst having to deal with patients.

Grim, admittedly. But probably not an infection risk. It's amazing how many of the medical profession do smoke. Sillies!

I think I'd deal with that by calmly saying to whomever was treating me 'You smell really bad. Would you mind having a wash?'.

Nine_Lives

Oh don't get me confused - i'm not implying that it's an infection risk.

But when you're not in tip top condition & some ashtray is leaning over you, it's not really what you're wanting is it (unless you're a smoker yourself &/or don't really care).

I'd rather smell B.O.!

brook2jack

fluffnutter wrote: »

If it's about hygiene, then surely it won't matter if they're wearing scrubs or normal attire? If you go outside, then come back, then I guess there's a risk of contamination whatever you're wearing.

TBH, humans aren't very sterile at the best of times. Scrubs or normal clothes, inside or out, we're all pretty grubby.

The point is if you have clothes and shoes you only wear in the surgery /hospital then you are not trailing contaminants from your working clothes over the fruit and veg in the supermarket or over your children when they hug you at the end of the day. It's part of a culture that says crossinfection control is not tailored to how much time is available or how much someone is paid, it is a fact of working life.

It also means that if you choose to do something like smoking etc in your off time not everyone is subjected to it.

Azari

I would have thought the answer is obvious.

Dental nurses are, by and large, assisting dental surgeons. They will be handling things that are going to be put in the patient's mouth when blood vessels may well be exposed (i.e. there is some bleeding).

I'll bet a pound to a penny that you will not find that theatre nursing staff wear clothing they have worn outside whilst working.

Of course, the same should apply to A&E staff and any others who may be dealing with open wounds.

fluffnutter

brook2jack wrote: »

The point is if you have clothes and shoes you only wear in the surgery /hospital then you are not trailing contaminants from your working clothes over the fruit and veg in the supermarket or over your children when they hug you at the end of the day. It's part of a culture that says crossinfection control is not tailored to how much time is available or how much someone is paid, it is a fact of working life.

It also means that if you choose to do something like smoking etc in your off time not everyone is subjected to it.

I see your point, and I'm not disagreeing with it. As an aside, I wonder if figures are available for the number of people who get ill each year as a direct result of infections being transferred from clothes worn in a hospital via some fruit and veg in Sainsbury's.

Infections do get transferred, of course, but mainly via our hands, not our clothes. And if you don't wash your fruit and veg then more fool you anyway.

brook2jack

Azari wrote: »

I would have thought the answer is obvious.

Dental nurses are, by and large, assisting dental surgeons. They will be handling things that are going to be put in the patient's mouth when blood vessels may well be exposed (i.e. there is some bleeding).

I'll bet a pound to a penny that you will not find that theatre nursing staff wear clothing they have worn outside whilst working.

Of course, the same should apply to A&E staff and any others who may be dealing with open wounds.

What about geriatric nursing where many folks have open ulcers/bedsores or diabetic nursing ditto the same or nursing on a general surgery ward where there are surgical wounds or nursing immunocompromised patients due to illness or medication. Virtually all nurses /medical staff will come into contact with high risk patients and/or do high risk proceedures.Most hospital acquired infections are not caught in theatre but in the days that follow surgery.

Of course we are not just talking nurses but cleaners,doctors,radiographers etc anyone who comes into physical contact with a patient or clinical waste.

Surprisingly very,very little general dentistry involves blood. The mouth is a place where many of the problems with wounds elsewhere do not occur .MRSA for instance . As said before the level of risk in a dental surgery is no higher than somewhere where
ill and vulnerable people are treated. Blood is not the only thing that carries disease, all body fluids/secretions do as does touch.

I am surprised that anyone would feel comfortable going home, and cuddling children, in their workclothes after a hard days shift in a healthcare setting.

brook2jack

fluffnutter wrote: »

I see your point, and I'm not disagreeing with it. As an aside, I wonder if figures are available for the number of people who get ill each year as a direct result of infections being transferred from clothes worn in a hospital via some fruit and veg in Sainsbury's.

Infections do get transferred, of course, but mainly via our hands, not our clothes. And if you don't wash your fruit and veg then more fool you anyway.

I have seen research on doctors ties but to give you an idea 60% of healthcare workers clothes are infected with pathogens(nasty bugs) that can live several hours on clothes http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44334682/ns/health-infectious_diseases/t/hospital-garb-harbors-nasty-bacteria-new-study-says/#.T1o7lIHtuSo