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

[scottishduffy]

This used to be a major pet peeve of mine! I hated going to the grocery store on my days off and seeing people in scrubs.

If it was close to shift end, maybe I understood. I still thought it was nasty. But around here it seems like some people just wear their scrubs *everywhere* because they think it is some sort of status symbol. When I see people at odd times (not close to any shift change), those people bug me. Don't know why, I just used to complain to DH about it. God knows what you have on your scrubs.

Then I was forced to eat my words. When I worked 3 12-hr shifts I never went anywhere in my scrubs! Just work and home and did all my errands in my days off. Then I went to Grad school.... then I got a 5 days per week 12-hr day schedule. Then I started rotating nights and weekend as well. Suddenly I was picking things up or doing errands on the way home in my scrubs. I didn't have days off anymore, even weekends were busy with school (if I even had a weekend!). DH of course teased me and I hated not having any other time to do errands except when I was on the way home from the hospital. Add to those shifts the hospital is 45 minutes from my home. DH helped a bunch, but sometimes we needed something quick that night.

Now, the slave labor thing is pretty much done and I am down to 3 days a week. No more shopping in surgical scrubs! I *loathe* wearing scrubs in public. It just seems so gross....

 

[tink1969]

YES, IT BOTHERS ME!!!!!
I don't get it and it shouldn't be allowed. Who knows what they have on those scrubs at the end of a workday and then they are out grocery shopping leaning over apples....GROSS!

 

[laurie31]

How are scrubs any grosser than whatever other clothes a health-care worker has worn to work?

I'm old enough to remember when scrubs were only for the OR; no one else wore them. Now, everyone wears them. Not only nurses and doctors, but cafeteria workers, housekeeping, office workers, etc. My dentist office staff all wear them, even the desk clerks who have no patient contact other than xeroxing insurance cards, and so does everyone at my vet's and opthamologist's offices. So I don't see them a a badge of germiness.

Before scrubs were "for the masses" and nurses wore other things, did it bother people for them to be out in public in their work clothes? Just a thought.

 

[npmommie]

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.

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.

oh yes the booties, that bothers me so much, why oh why are they walking outside with the booties on?? and when you see them smoking outside with the booties and the hair covering on too, yuck yuck

Yup.....eewww! This is coming from a nurse. When I wore scrubs, I would undress in the garage, throw my scrubs in the wash and shower immediately. I also sprayed Lysol on my shoes, purse and the seat of my car.

If I had to go somewhere right after work, I would shower and change at work before I left.

LOL, this is me too!

How many of you change your clothes before leaving work?

I don't change because I now were street clothes no scrubs, but I am still exposed to germs. I still leave my shoes at the door and take my germy clothes off right away

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I don't care. When I was younger, I had worked as a receptionist in a Dr's office and had to wear scrubs. It wasn't an office that dealt with any communicable diseases, other than what any staff member was carrying at the time, so I'm not even sure why the office folk had to wear scrubs. So.. long story short, I don't automatically assume someone is germy when they're in scrubs.

Edited to add that I hated scrubs despite having the 'cute' ones. I never did anything in them other than drive to work, work, and drive home in them.

 

[Deb in IA]

Yes.

Our hospital had a major campaign to keep scrubs in the hospital.

If you are working in an environment where there can be clothing contamination and thus the need for scrubs, the scrubs should stay in that enviroment.

In addition, anyone with scrubs can get into sterile settings. Think about it - do you really want your surgeon or nurse to be doing your surgery in clothes they may have been wearing when they were out working in their garden or playing with their dog?


And finally, the hospital costs for lost scrubs as astounding. Where do those costs get passed on to? Patient billings.

So change your scrubs before you leave. And if you want comfort, wear some sweatpants.

 

[npmommie]

I don't care. When I was younger, I had worked as a receptionist in a Dr's office and had to wear scrubs. It wasn't an office that dealt with any communicable diseases, other than what any staff member was carrying at the time, so I'm not even sure why the office folk had to wear scrubs. So.. long story short, I don't automatically assume someone is germy when they're in scrubs.

What kind of doctor's office?

 

[4greatboys]

Considering how many people sneeze and cough without covering their mouths I doubt the people in scrubs pass more germs on than those other nasty people. Also not everyone in scrubs has patient contact. I used to work in insurance verification. We had no patient contact except by phone and many of the girls wore scrubs.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

What kind of doctor's office?

It was a wound care center. I didn't even touch a patient!

 

[tlbwriter]

And finally, the hospital costs for lost scrubs as astounding. Where do those costs get passed on to? Patient billings.

Hmm... every health care worker I know would tell you the cost gets passed on to the employee, because they have to buy their own scrubs.

 

[castleview]

It never bothered me. Most people have to hit the store on the way home from work - it's just life. It must be anti-uniform week. Just the other day, a friend told me it bothers her to see soldiers dressed in uniform in public. I can't figure that one out either.

 

[luvsJack]

I worked in a clinic for a a short while in data processing and we had to wear scrubs. Every person in every dept. in that clinic is required to wear scrubs except for the managers of each dept who have to dress professionally.

I never even SAW a patient much less had one cough on me. We were responsible, as were the nurses, to purchase our own scrubs. I don't think I could have gotten them to wash my personal clothes, and I am pretty sure they didn't want me to leave them there.

Now our hospital (which was right next door to the clinic) had a different type of scrubs that the doctors use and the nurses and techs in OR, ICU, etc. (many departments bought their own and did not use these) They are green and have the intials for the hospital on the leg and one arm. Those do stay in the hospital, some get worn home from time to time but are not allowed back in the hospital. I have never seen those scubs in a public places.


had to laugh about the person being bothered about seeing soilders in uniform. That person should never come here! Living this close to Camp Shelby, you never go anywhere with out seeing LARGE groups of soilders, all in uniform.

 

[MichelleVW]

Doesn't bother me. SOoooooo many people wear scrubs who have nothing to do with hospitals, patients or germs.

Exactly, I don't see the big deal.

It never bothered me. Most people have to hit the store on the way home from work - it's just life. It must be anti-uniform week. Just the other day, a friend told me it bothers her to see soldiers dressed in uniform in public. I can't figure that one out either.

Now that's just ridiculous...

 

[castleview]

Exactly, I don't see the big deal.



Now that's just ridiculous...

Yeah, but my friend is rather in a bubble. When those four contractors were killed in Iraq and hung from a bridge, she called the newspaper and chided them for running the picture on the front page because "she didn't need to see that early in the morning" while she drank her coffee.

 

[DawnCt1]

Hmm... every health care worker I know would tell you the cost gets passed on to the employee, because they have to buy their own scrubs.

If you work in the OR. the scrubs are usually provided just so you don't take them home and wear them in. That is probably true of NICU, etc.

 

[dis-happy]

As long as they weren't covered it blood it wouldn't/doesn't bother me!!!


My dd interned with a vet this summer and had to wear scrubs. I'm sure she also wore them to the store on her way home, as she thought they were rather cute (they had animals on them).

 

[phorsenuf]

There are plenty of Drs and nurses out there that see patients in regular clothes. What about them? If you saw them in a store after hours you would have no idea they just dealt with sick people all day.
Point is, we have no idea where anyone has been, or what they have been doing when we see them in public.

 

[shortbun]

We live very near two large hospitals. There are scrub clad folks all around. I don't judge and I guess one could assume the scrub clad person was on their way to work rather than having just left work.

 

[MommaSnowwhite]

The scrubs do somewhat bother me, but what really gets me is when I see Drs. in their white coats in the stores!

 

[SunnyP4Disney]

It never bothered me. Most people have to hit the store on the way home from work - it's just life. It must be anti-uniform week. Just the other day, a friend told me it bothers her to see soldiers dressed in uniform in public. I can't figure that one out either.

My DH is Coast Guard and they are not supposed to wear their uniform anywhere outside of CG business. He either changes at work or comes straight home. EVen when we go out to lunch together he changes before we leave the station.

You can tell the ones that like to wear their uniform out as a "status" thing, especially the ones at the mall that have their uniform on at the movies.