Hair And Nurses/doctors

[jamesnan]

I frequently watch documentary type programmes which involve cameras being in hospitals, quite often A & E wards, and it never ceases to amaze me how many times the nurses touch their hair, either pushing it out their eyes, behind their ears or just running hands through hair. This has also happened when doctors have been followed on ward rounds, and in consultations.

Why on earth don't they either have the hair styled such that it does not fall into their eyes, etc, or else just tie the hair back with a bandana style cloth? It really is not hygenic, especially when most of the time the person doing this is wearing rubber gloves supposed to stop infection.

[ummmm]

Why is hair any different to touching any surface?

[jamesnan]

I would prefer any nurse touching me not to have touched any surface if she was intending to carry out a procedure, irrespective of what it may be. It just is not right pushing hair with a hand which is in the next moment going to be inserting a needle into skin.

My father in law died from causes relating to MRSA so perhaps I am ultra sensitive.

[sherrardk]

Realistically, they would look like idiots if they were all wearing bandanas and the only other solution is that they all have crew cuts. The hospitals obviously don't think it is that big a deal or all staff would be walking around wearing theatre scrubs.

[vakayu]

Many years ago when I was nursing it would never be allowed,just another thing changed in nursing over the years I'm afraid, In my day we wore stiff white hats attached with kirby grips and hair had to be tied back and kept neatly,no jewellery to be worn which might scratch or damage patient or interfere with duties,only thing allowed was a wedding ring,and watch worn attached to dress etc.

[Prudie]

Is hair more germy than the rest of our bodies?

[sherrardk]

Don't they scrub their hands before doing stuff - like injections, touching wounds, etc. Unbroken skin being touched by a gloved hand can't catch anything.

[ummmm]

Surely they take their gloves off after dealing with each patient.

[jamesnan]

There have been instances of rubber gloves being pulled on, hair being pushed/ or touched, and then straight into the procedure , often the person does not even realise they are pushing their hair because it is done so often.

[anneasquith]

I worked with a surgeon once, who would not allow any nurses to wear eye makeup in his ward in case of infection,

[mackfender]

No one has mentioned the amount of hair products people use, hairspray, mousse and the like. Rubber gloves or not..

[jomifl]

The large surface area and greasiness (even if you shampoo every day) of hair means that it traps every bug floating around in the atmosphere and in the dry atmosphere of an air conditioned that is probably a lot. Nurses should wear a hair covering at least as good as those that are compulsory in the food industry.

[jomifl]

When a friend of mine (ex head mistress) was in hospital the consultant came to examine her. ' You aren't touching me 'til you have washed your hands' she said. So he did.

[vakayu]

Quite agree jomifl it is up to everyone of us to say so if anything appears to be unhygenic,in fact there are notices up in a local hospital saying just that,you are positively encouraged to ask medical staff to wash their hands,though I don't see how popular this wouuld be looked upon,but then that is not the point,we are all responsible for ourselves.

[ferlew]

Isn't it about time hospitals banned nurses from traveling to and fro in their uniforms too?
When my mother was nursing, they had to change into and out of uniform in the nurses home, where each had a locker.

[jamesnan]

I totally agree with the reply regarding uniforms being worn out of the hospital, just not necessary when it does not take a moment to change.