Re: OT-Bennie

[Guest guest]

Peggy O'Connor wrote:

> And from that day on, no more caps, then the uniforms went away and onto

scrubs, which I greatly appreciated as they were so comfortable

And now comfy scrubs are being worn home from the hospital, with stop

offs at grocery stores, restaurants, etc. Only problem is - many of

those comfy scrubs are taking MRSA infection along for the ride and

dropping it off everywhere they go.

At least our white uniforms got bleached and washed in wickedly hot

water. Scrubs just go through the home washer and dryer and come out

with the MRSA still alive on them.

In lots of countries, hospital owned whites are again a must. (in some

countries they never stopped being a must). All staff change into their

own clothes before they leave the premises. Clean uniforms are issued

to the staff for where while in the hospital for work hours. When the

hospital laundry is done properly, in very high heat, and with the

appropriate modern killing agents in the water, MRSA doesn't stand

nearly as much chance of getting a foothold.

The Scandinavian hospitals and the Scandinavian people (especially

Norway) are pretty much free of all forms of staph infection - including

that nasty MRSA. The Scandinavian hospitals and doctors offices, never

went crazy with prescribing stronger and stronger antibiotics for darned

near anything and everything, and they keep their hospitals as scoured

as we used to do.

Lyndi

[Guest guest]

Why can't hospitals use scrubs, but bleach them and wash them on insanely hot

water at the hospital? They wouldn't even need to be white if they were made

with bleach safe fabric. My wife and I bought a bunch of towels at Target that

are bleach safe, even though they are bright colors (they have black and other

dark colors available too). If they can make towels bleach safe, why not scrubs?

Heck, if the hospitals are too cheap for bleach safe colored fabric, why can't

there be white scrubs? (At least they're still scrubs) Although, personally, I

prefer that the hospital staff dress in bright colors, it's cheerier that way.

Steve M in PA, age 21

Married with 3 year old daughter

Duragesic 300mcg/hr

Actiq-600 (4/day)

OxyIR 30mg (6/day)

Grade II DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma)

Fibromyalgia

Probable RSD

> Lyndi wrote:

> many of those comfy scrubs are taking MRSA infection along for the ride and

dropping it off everywhere they go.

[Guest guest]

> Peggy wrote:

> Boy, I remember those days in nursing. I also remember the day when we no

longer had to wear our nursing caps! I was working in SIC, (surgical intensive

care) and one of the surgeons came on to the floor, (this was at night as I

worked nights) and started ripping off all the various nursing caps yelling,

" These things are full of germs and don't wear them any more! "

Peggy,

I also appreciated those " rip off " days of the uniform being comfortable and I

never wore my rings as the " germs " lived there. I also appreciated when the

hospitals did not put up with the " Prima Donna " (sp) Doctors that wanted their

stuff first. I found out the ones that were the worst, I tended to become best

friends with. : )

When I was a ward clerk (at 17), I would go and read to patients, give them gum

they requested, straighten the wrinkles in the bed and put a wash rag on the

rails.

The gruff Doctor said to me " What are you doing to MY patients without my

permissions and orders? " He then softened and said " The small things you do,

mean so much to them " , These doctors were a dying breed that made house calls

and called family members and assured them. So, the gruffness was just an act.

It is eerie when I go back to the first hospital I worked at and there are

plaques on the hospital of those Doctors and I knew them personally. The Heart,

ENT, and Radiology Centers are named after them and today I can see their faces.

I also can remember and bring a picture to mind of ninety per cent of the cancer

patients I treated. I looked forward to the peach, cherry, and lemon merique

pies that they made as " thank yous " . I did not demand them but sure liked them

and shared.

The best part of the uniform change days was when we could wear " pants " . I got

tired of leaning over lifting patients on a pull over from stretcher to bed.

The panty hose always got runners and it was a " pain in the butt " . I am so " old "

now, I remember wearing a girdle to hold my hose up, then if I had a period,

those horrible Kotex belts and when it was " both " at the same time UGH. I am

glad women moved forward in their choice of wear, panty hose was developed, and

other options than the Kotex belts. Thank you for sharing your memories and I

had forgotten how we got to change. Bennie