Dress Like You Mean It

As a PTA student in my first clinical experience in a SKN facility, I find that I need to address two things: 1) to represent myself professionally and appropriately, (which is absolutely influenced by the program's expectations); and 2) to be sure that I do not bring home anything that I may be exposed to.

  I attempt to address this by dressing in clothes that I call my "uniform": comfortable and professional looking khakis and shirts, covered by a lab coat.  When I come home, I change IMMEDIATELY, and these clothes are washed separately.

I own and operate a home based practice that includes some Physical Therapy and some Private Exercise.......Obviously the person in the acute care hospital has to wear scrubs.

As for everyone else, Comfort and mobility for us as practitioners is very important but I am more concerned with the impression I give to patients and whether or not they see me as clean and hygenic, and professional.  I wear polo shirts, golf shirts and nicely pleated Khaki shorts in the summer and the same shirts with addidas or Nike exercise type clothing in the winter.  It's a relaxed setting in patient's homes and this seems to work for me.

I WORK IN AN ACUTE HOSPITAL AND DEAL WITH PATIENTS IN ALL KINDS OF ISOLATION ALL DAY; I PUT SCRUBS ON AT THE HOSPITAL,CLEAN EVERY DAY. I TAKE THEM OFF AND LEAVE THEM AT THE HOSPITAL; I WEAR A CLEAN STARCHED WHITE LAB COAT. MOST IMPORTANTLY I WEAR A NAME BADGE. I INTRODUCE MYSELF TO THE PATIENT EVERY TIME I MEET THEM. THE PATIENT KNOWS EXACTLY WHO I AM. AND I LEAVE VRE,MRSA,ESBL AND EVERY OTHER CONTAMINANT AT WORK AND DO NOT BRING IT HOME. THAT IS WHY I WEAR SCRUBS AND A NAME BADGE. NEXT TIME YOU HEAR OF MRSA IN THE COMMUNITY, DID YOU TAKE IT THERE ON THE CLOTHES YOU WORE TO AND FROM THE HOSPITAL,GROCERY STORE,LITTLE LEAGUE GAME,HEALTH CLUB ON YOUR WAY TO AND FROM WORK? IS IT IN YOUR HOME?