Scrubs / Shadowing

[nugang]

Stupid question, but the surgeon I'm shadowing for the first time told me to wear scrubs coming into the OR. When asked if I should wear my own or if theyll be provided, he said to wear my own.

Now, should i wear them straight to the hospital? Or is it better to dress in professional attire and find a place to change there? I'm just a little unsure of the protocol here. Also he didnt mention a specific color. Any advise would be great

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[Hospitalized]

You can do either. When I was a hospital employee, I changed into scrubs at work. Now I'm a scribe, contracted, and I wear my scrubs (non-hospital set) in and out of the hospital. If I were you, I would just wear them the whole time. Less stuff to carry around.

Ideally you would have already been in this hospital before and seen what color the nurses and such wear, try to be as close to that as possible. If that's not an option, go as conservative --Blues are usually safe. Try to blend in; you're shadowing, nothing more.

 

[allantois]

Why would you wear a professional attire?

 

[Hospitalized]

Sorry, should've clarified. I didn't wear professional attire. I wore my normal everyday clothes into work and then I would change into scrubs in the locker room. My recommendation still stands though-- just go in scrubs.

 

[darkjedi]

You can wear them to work, but you should avoid wearing the same ones back if you can. Some hospitals have stricter regulations than others and many don't allow you to wear scrubs at all outside the hospital. Color doesn't matter, different hospitals use their own colors. The tough part is getting your hands on scrubs if you're not affiliated with the hospital in a clinical capacity.

Other pro-tips, put on a hairnet/scrubcap before entering the surgical floor, and ALWAYS wear a mask before entering the OR.

 

[2010houston]

Wear them to the hospital, much easier than trying to change! If he's not getting you hospital scrubs then color prob doesn't matter, but blue or green (or in between) is usually the safest OR bet.

 

[Mr Roboto]

You can wear them to work, but you should avoid wearing the same ones back if you can. Some hospitals have stricter regulations than others and many don't allow you to wear scrubs at all outside the hospital. Color doesn't matter, different hospitals use their own colors. The tough part is getting your hands on scrubs if you're not affiliated with the hospital in a clinical capacity.

Other pro-tips, put on a hairnet/scrubcap before entering the surgical floor, and ALWAYS wear a mask before entering the OR.

You're depriving a scrub nurse somewhere of fun.

 

[NickNaylor]

You can wear them to work, but you should avoid wearing the same ones back if you can. Some hospitals have stricter regulations than others and many don't allow you to wear scrubs at all outside the hospital. Color doesn't matter, different hospitals use their own colors. The tough part is getting your hands on scrubs if you're not affiliated with the hospital in a clinical capacity.

Other pro-tips, put on a hairnet/scrubcap before entering the surgical floor, and ALWAYS wear a mask before entering the OR.

Yeah, I would avoid wearing them into the hospital unless you talk to someone first. Not only does it kind of defeat the purpose, but many hospitals have strict policies that don't want scrubs coming into or out of the hospital while being worn.

Obviously this is a bit different, and it really depends on the environment you're going into. But to be on the safe side, I would bring them with you and change at the hospital until you hear otherwise.

 

[nugang]

well to add to some confusion although the surgeon told me to wear scrubs, the person i just spoke to at the hospital said they dont generally allow wearing outside scrubs. She said I would be donning some sort of suit given to me at the front desk?

Would the safest bet be to wear a shirt, pants, tie into the hospital and bring a small bag with my scrubs in them to change into, just in case? Just sort of confused because of the conflicting info im getting from the doctor himself and the OR.

 

[allantois]

Wear whatever to the hospital, then change into scrubs.

Resolved.

 

[tymont12]

My general understanding and experience has been that outside scrubs (from outside the hospital or even outside of the surgery department within the hospital) are not allowed into the OR. I've had this experience at a local hospital and also a local surgery center. I'm in the Northwest.

I just wore business casual (no tie...probably also region dependent) and then changed into scrubs in the surgical floor changing room. Scrubs were provided freely. I assume this is because the surgical floor is 'controlled' compared to the wards.

The hospital system mandated someone change into new scrubs every time they left the hospital. Ironically, I was shadowing the head of the thoracic surgery department at this hospital and he just freely drove between hospitals without changing into fresh scrubs and stored pairs at home...so he could show up to work, 'dressed and ready to go.' 😕

 

[whatbout2morrow]

The hospital I worked for issued OR staff scrubs to use for the day to keep things in the OR as sterile as possible (going into the OR in scrubs that you wore outside defeats this purpose). OP, I'd wear casual clothes and check with the front desk early tomorrow. But have a clean pair of scrubs with you just in case.

 

[nugang]

i called the OR desk directly and they said outside scrubs would be fine. Since im not scrubbing in, they would give me a gown to wear into the OR. I guess the surgeon wanted me to wear scrubs to look somewhat like i belong in the OR? for the patients sake possibly, to make them more comfortable?

 

[tymont12]

i called the OR desk directly and they said outside scrubs would be fine. Since im not scrubbing in, they would give me a gown to wear into the OR. I guess the surgeon wanted me to wear scrubs to look somewhat like i belong in the OR? for the patients sake possibly, to make them more comfortable?

Makes sense, I had a hospitalist who wanted me to wear a stethoscope, white coat and tell patients I was a med student...it was hard to embrace as I felt like an imposter of sorts.

 

[allantois]

Makes sense, I had a hospitalist who wanted me to wear a stethoscope, white coat and tell patients I was a med student...it was hard to embrace as I felt like an imposter of sorts.

A premed wearing a crappy (compared to what med schools issue) lab coat, and a $20 stethoscope trying to pass on as a med student 😀

I wouldn't want to be treated by that hospitalist.

 

[tymont12]

A premed wearing a crappy (compared to what med schools issue) lab coat, and a $20 stethoscope trying to pass on as a med student 😀

I wouldn't want to be treated by that hospitalist.

In retrospect, I should have pushed back a little bit but I didn't feel like I had anything reasonable to argue. Luckily, med students didn't round with him so I didn't stand out too much...I hope.

 

[mehc012]

A premed wearing a crappy (compared to what med schools issue) lab coat, and a $20 stethoscope trying to pass on as a med student 😀

I wouldn't want to be treated by that hospitalist.

I don't know which short coats you've seen, but I've seen several which I would freely qualify as 'crappy'.

 

[Dentista777]

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