Hospital and cleanliness - or the lack thereof

[lettie]

Originally Posted by Lilly

Good question, Neil.

I believe that nurses uniforms used to be washed at the hospital to kill all germs. They were washed at a very high temperature I am told.

Nurses uniforms have not been washed at the hospital for donkey's years. I started 21 years ago and they didn't wash them then, we had to do our own. The only thing that they would wash was the hats. I used to send mine for washing and starching but they repeatedly came back to me with dirty marks on, I even had a footprint on one of my hats at one point, so I refused to send them to laundry again and started washing and starching my own.
The laundry is no longer big enough to do uniforms (Nette will confirm this). The new uniforms are to be washed at 60 degrees at home, rather than 40 degrees.

Margaret, I think that when they took the Gaberdines off us, it became more obvious that people wore uniform outside. At least the uniform was completely covered with a Gaberdine.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by lettie

Nurses uniforms have not been washed at the hospital for donkey's years. I started 21 years ago and they didn't wash them then, we had to do our own. The only thing that they would wash was the hats. I used to send mine for washing and starching but they repeatedly came back to me with dirty marks on, I even had a footprint on one of my hats at one point, so I refused to send them to laundry again and started washing and starching my own.
The laundry is no longer big enough to do uniforms (Nette will confirm this). The new uniforms are to be washed at 60 degrees at home, rather than 40 degrees.

Margaret, I think that when they took the Gaberdines off us, it became more obvious that people wore uniform outside. At least the uniform was completely covered with a Gaberdine.

Is it normal practise for nurses to change their uniform every day lettie, i've spent more than my fair share of time in hospital and never noticed if this happens

[lettie]

I can only speak for myself Jaysay but I wear a clean uniform every day.

When I trained, it was drummed in that you wear clean uniform every day, shower every day and don't come to work looking dishevelled or smelling of BO or strong perfume. I don't know if these values are the same now that nurses are trained at universities.

I do remember a couple of nurses being pulled up about their appearance when I was a student and believe me, this used to be a public bollocking in front of other staff......... It meant that they were only told off once.

I have spoken to junior staff myself but usually to get them to remove jewellery, false nails etc. I have never had to tell someone twice,

[Margaret Pilkington]

I also wore a clean uniform every day...and if that uniform got soiled I would go to the sewing room and beg a spare until I could get another clean uniform...failing that i would use theatre uniform...anything rather than wear a uniform that was soiled.
And I remember sending uniforms to the hospital laundry...the caps and collars were. immaculate, but the dresses never looked as if they had been pressed.
I remember them taking the gaberdine off me when I qualified, but I always wore a full length coat when travelling by public transport...the only time I ever went without my coat was when i drove to work...but I always had a coat in the back of my car.

[Margaret Pilkington]

[quote=WillowTheWhisp;599317]Hang on a minute who is blaming the nursing staff?


Willow, I think that the thread broadly criticises any member of NHS staff.......my answers are based on my own experience as part of the nursing team.....nothing more or less.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Willow, I think that the thread broadly criticises any member of NHS staff.......my answers are based on my own experience as part of the nursing team.....nothing more or less.

Unfortuneately, like with anything, when you see people doing wrong, the majority tend to get the blame.

I am sure there are many dedicated hard working people in the NHS.
I believe they are let down by a poor management structure.

[Margaret Pilkington]

and unfortunately this reflects on the conscientious workforce who bear the brunt of the complaints.
Unfortunately it is all down to money...how much can be saved..which corners can be cut...etc

[pussycat]

well still stuck in bed , still got infection, wound keeps openin , god when will this end , if i didn,t have my laptop , id be goin mad , do try and get out of the house now and again ,

[Margaret Pilkington]

Sorry to hear that Pussycat...hope you get better soon.

[BERNADETTE]

Hope things improve soon Pussycat, you just take it easy till you are right

[WillowTheWhisp]

[quote=Margaret Pilkington;599563]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Hang on a minute who is blaming the nursing staff?


Willow, I think that the thread broadly criticises any member of NHS staff.......my answers are based on my own experience as part of the nursing team.....nothing more or less.

I started the thread and it was aimed at the lack of cleanliness which as far as I am aware is the responsibility of the cleaners.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Maybe some of the responsibility lies with cleaners, but I think that some people expect nursing staff to direct cleaners or perhaps monitor their work. In truth, the cleaners used to have supervisors to do this.
Cleaners are not allowed to clean up bodily fluids either(or they weren't when I worked in the NHS) so I think that again, nurses were called into question.

I think that we all have a responsibility to ensure cleanliness. If we find that an area in hospital is not as clean as it should be then it should be reported to who ever is in charge of that area...and if nothing is done about it then take it further and put it in writing.

[WillowTheWhisp]

So who cleans the loo? Is it left because the cleaners don't feel it's their responsibility? Does a spoon which has been used count as having bodily fluids on it?

[Margaret Pilkington]

No, Willow...the spoon should have been cleared up by the cleaner...but if a nurse spotted it...she could quite easily have picked it up(and If I were her manager I would expect her to do that)...the toilets are cleaned in general by the cleaners....except in the case where there has been a spillage of blood or other bodily fluids...the it would have been down to nursing staff to clean it up.

[polly]

Did Florence Nightingale have cleaners?