Why Aren't Hospitals Cleaner?

[Bobbie]

http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/ ... 3clean.htm

US News & World Report

See reference to C. diff. in 2nd paragraph.

This was written by Betsy McCaughey, is chairman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths www.hospitalinfection.org a national effort focusing on hospitals. The site is also listed on our site. I've Emailed her numerous times to see if we could combine forces. Someone on her staff usually Emails or calls me back & says she/he will "get back to me" but it never happens.

How many times have you seen people in "scrubs" eating at a restaurant in the grocery store? I think all hospital personel should keep their work clothes at work in a locker & wear "street" clothes out in the public.

[HEATHER28]

Bobbie,
You are exactly right, that is the rule at the hospital that I work at. We have hospital issued scrubs and the rule is that we are not to wear them home. Well you know how it goes nobody listens and they do it anyway. I am not going to lie and say I never do it because from time to time I do but, I will say that when I do I come straight home and put them in the laundry and wash them before I take them back. You will never catch me in a resturant wearing dirty scrubs! Belive me I know how dirty hosptials are, I wouldnt want to put the public at risk.

[Bobbie]

Hope more hospital workers do this. Years ago, my son had surgery (over-night). I never saw anyone wash their hands, but he didn't want me to say anything. The following day, I called the hospital's head of infection control. She told me she'd report this to all the nurses AND the surgeon. About a week later, she told me I could come and "inspect." I never did. About 6 mo. later, I took my mother to ER. (A six-hour wait; she is 90.) When we finally got in, however, the doc. and all the nurses washed their hands - with both soap & water & the alcohol gel. One nurse told me the first thing she did when she got home was take a shower & change her clothes because she had small children & was exposed to "everything." I called the hospital & complimented them.

A couple of months ago I was at KU Med. (a different hospital) & was late for an appointment. I saw a doc. with a group of residents doing rounds & heard the doc. say, "I never want to see any of you enter or leave a patient's room w/o washing your hands." I was in a hurry & didn't get the doc's name but called the head of infection control later, complimented the doc. & gave the time & location where I saw her. The head of infection control told me they used calls like this in staff meetings to emphasize hygiene.

There is more news in the media about the importance of hygiene. It's about time!

Don't be shy. Speak up. A couple of days ago, I was in a restaurant bathroom & saw a server start to leave w/o washing her hands. I said, "Uh, uh, you better wash your hands." She did -- not well, but she did.

We (the general public) are the ones who will suffer if medical personnel & restaurant personnel don't "scrub up."