Scrubs in public ..........does it bother you?

[npmommie]

This is something that bothers me, yes I admit it. and yes I have done it

but I do cringe when I see a medical worker in scrubs in the grocery store, walmart etc.

Just today, I encountered someone in scrubs at the apple farm store, and later in the evening another person in scrubs at walmart.

just about every time I go to the grocery I see someone in scrubs.

so what do you think? there is no study to say it causes germs to pass, but common sense would tell you if you are wearing scrubs after a long shift in the hospital your clothes are carrying something. so it is a potential risk factor.
and yes, I have in the past stopped off at the store after work in my scrubs.........I don't wear scrubs at my current job, but I still consider my clothes to potentially harbor some germs after work.

here is a piece from the NYT that talks about this
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/health/23well.html?_r=1

 

[LuvLDM]

Doesn't bother me at all.

 

[Buckeye Princess]

My husband is a med student and has done several plastic surgery rotations at different hospitals. In all but one they were not allowed to leave the hospital in their scrubs. It's odd though because in a few the surgeons had this policy, but not other fields. Surgeons scrubs are probably cleaner than most since they are covered during surgery and many don't have as much contact with contagious patients as say internal medicine.

 

[jdisnut]

Funny you mention this point. I never had an issue with it and still don't, but my girlfriend, who comes from a medical family, is disgusted by it! We went to college adjacent to a hospital. Students and medical professionals both frequented the primary lunch hangout right off campus. Nurses were in there eating every single day in their scrubs. It always bothered her.

I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to germs. I never even would have had that thought.

 

[Junebugwv]

Interesting article. It just seems common sense to me to change out of scrubs if you wear the scrubs in a medical setting. I know my husband has never worn them out of the hospital.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

I work in a child care center (hospital affilited) and scrubs are our uniform. I dont often change after work (unless Ive kid stained). It dosnet bother me in the least. Not to mention I wear scrub pants most weekends since there so confortable.

 

[npmommie]

Funny you mention this point. I never had an issue with it and still don't, but my girlfriend, who comes from a medical family, is disgusted by it! We went to college adjacent to a hospital. Students and medical professionals both frequented the primary lunch hangout right off campus. Nurses were in there eating every single day in their scrubs. It always bothered her.

I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to germs. I never even would have had that thought.

LOL, its probably a case of thinking about what we encounter on a daily basis that could get on our clothes
thats what I think about when I see it LOL

 

[pennymom]

DMom and I were just talking about this the other day, but from a different angle. She grew up in Philly and hated to see nurses or anyone else in scrubs riding public transportation into work, and then possibly sharing anything they picked up on the bus/train with already ill people in the hospital. She feels that they should put the scrubs on at work, and then leave them there after their shift. I guess she thinks the hospital should be responsible for laundering.

I'd never thought about it until it came up the other day.

 

[npmommie]

DMom and I were just talking about this the other day, but from a different angle. She grew up in Philly and hated to see nurses or anyone else in scrubs riding public transportation into work, and then possibly sharing anything they picked up on the bus/train with already ill people in the hospital. She feels that they should put the scrubs on at work, and then leave them there after their shift. I guess she thinks the hospital should be responsible for laundering.

I'd never thought about it until it came up the other day.

good point, especially immuno compromised patients like those receiving chemo
when I worked in Oncology, the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit nurses did not wear scrubs in and out, they changed into them when they arrived and took them off when they left. the hospital laundered the scrubs

 

[Princess Nancy]

Dh has one scrubs shirt he owns. I HATE when he wears it and brings it home to me to wash...ewwww gross, leave all that crap at the hospital and not to my house!!!!!!!!

He thinks I am ridiculous!

That said, he is an Ophthalmologist so in people's face ALL the time. He is the healthiest of all of us! Maybe he has just built up sooooo much immunity.

 

[lsyorke]

Big point to remember is that everyone wears scrubs these days, not just nurses. Dental receptionists, medical sales, daycare workers etc... You never know what the person next to you has been exposed to, regardless of what they're wearing.

 

[Stacerita]

I worked in a records room and never had patient contact, and wore scrubs. And since I worked second shift would often run my errands prior to work in my scrubs. Doesnt' bother me.

 

[Squirrel!!!]

Okay, it never did before, but now having read this thread, it kind of skeeves me out a bit.

I know a lot of people wear scrubs who go nowhere near disease or contagion, but I will now keep a wary eye out!!

 

[PixieDust32]

It doesn't bother me how other people dress!

 

[kacaju]

I used to work as a Veterinary Tech. I always wore my scrubs home and commomly stopped at the grocery store to shop before heading home. I never thought I would be bothering people with how I was dressed.

Now... what I thought was *icky* was people used to ask me if I slept in them. Everyone seems to think they would make great pj's. Since I worked in them all day, there was no way i'd want to sleep in them!!

 

[mhsjax]

I wore scrubs for 12 years and went out after work in them all the time, grocery store, drug store, that type of thing.

I worked in the business office, I had no patient contact, really doesn't bother me. I know way more people now that wear scrubs that aren't nurses and have no patient contact than I do actual nurses.

So for that reason I really never thought of it. It will look a little closer now especially at the grocery store. YUCK.

 

[mhsjax]

It doesn't bother me how other people dress!

It isn't "how" they are dressed that concerns the OP. Many people have direct patient contact and they are wearing germs on those scrubs and then being out in public.

 

[scrapquitler]

It isn't "how" they are dressed that concerns the OP. Many people have direct patient contact and they are wearing germs on those scrubs and then being out in public.

It doesn't bother me because I'm certainly not touching their clothes, scrubs or regular.

As to worrying about germs being on the scrubs:
When I was at training for my work (in a group home) we had this video we had to watch, and they told us to sneeze into our sleeve...because the fabric doesn't provide an environment that the germs/virus can live on...so that makes me think that germs/viruses on scrubs aren't going to jump off the scrubs and onto you in the grocery store.

However, I just found this: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123137245971962641.html Now maybe I'm going to cringe every time I see someone in scrubs.

 

[Carly_Roach]

Nope. Scrubs in public don't bother me.

 

[DawnCt1]

This is something that bothers me, yes I admit it. and yes I have done it

but I do cringe when I see a medical worker in scrubs in the grocery store, walmart etc.

Just today, I encountered someone in scrubs at the apple farm store, and later in the evening another person in scrubs at walmart.

just about every time I go to the grocery I see someone in scrubs.

so what do you think? there is no study to say it causes germs to pass, but common sense would tell you if you are wearing scrubs after a long shift in the hospital your clothes are carrying something. so it is a potential risk factor.
and yes, I have in the past stopped off at the store after work in my scrubs.........I don't wear scrubs at my current job, but I still consider my clothes to potentially harbor some germs after work.

here is a piece from the NYT that talks about this
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/health/23well.html?_r=1

I don't like it, not because what is carried out of the hospital but what is carried in. When I worked in the OR years ago, scrubs were to stay in the OR and not come in from the street. Anyone leaving the OR suite was to have a lab coat. When I see OR workers walking outside of the hospital to get their lunch and they still have their OR booties on, it bothers me. It makes me wonder if they change them once they get back inside.