COVID-19: infection prevention and control advice for all Nurses after end shift

[Kunle Emmanuel]

Steps you should take when you finish your shift

• Use antibacterial wipes or soap and water to clean your phone

• Wash hands and forearms with soap and water and dry them

• Remove uniform and change into your own clothes

• Give uniform to work laundry (if available)

• If not, put uniform in a plastic bag

When you arrive home

• Wash your hands again

• Put your washing in the machine and wash by itself in the highest temperature that the fabric can tolerate. Then iron or tumble dry

• Throw away the plastic bag that you carried your uniform in

Wipe down your phone


‘Nurses shouldn’t be wearing their uniforms home, that has always been the advice. ‘It is good practice, and people need to be more rigorous than normal about it.

Fundamental thing is to wash your hands thoroughly when leaving work, and after your journey, especially if you use public transport.

[Kunle Emmanuel]

WEARING OF UNIFORM OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL
I have observed over time and especially in this era of Covid-19 pandemic that nurses wear their uniforms in public places other than the hospital. Aside the fact that it is unethical, it's also not healthy for you, the people you come in contact with and your family.

We now find ourselves in a situation where we have to take the threat of infection from viruses/germs very seriously. It is, therefore, very disturbing to see health care workers especially nurses and CHEWs out and about among us in their fashionable uniforms/after dress, comfortably spreading germs on food items in market places.

When we wear these uniforms/scrubs to and from work, lunch breaks and to stores or markets, restaurants, it seems we are bringing germs out of clinics or hospitals and taking other germs in which could make our vulnerable patients at risk of contracting infectious diseases from us.

WAY FORWARD
Many hospitals have instituted policies on 'use of uniform only within the hospital' as a means of infection prevention and control. Other hospitals need to key into this and also enforce it.

-Each ward should have a changing room
-Wear mufti from home, change into your uniform/scrub, then change back to your mufti after your shift
-If possible, the uniform should be washed, ironed and kept in the hospital
-Please do not re-use uniform for our own good.

[Kunle Emmanuel]

WEARING OF UNIFORM OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL
I have observed over time and especially in this era of Covid-19 pandemic that nurses wear their uniforms in public places other than the hospital. Aside the fact that it is unethical, it's also not healthy for you, the people you come in contact with and your family.

We now find ourselves in a situation where we have to take the threat of infection from viruses/germs very seriously. It is, therefore, very disturbing to see health care workers especially nurses and CHEWs out and about among us in their fashionable uniforms/after dress, comfortably spreading germs on food items in market places.

When we wear these uniforms/scrubs to and from work, lunch breaks and to stores or markets, restaurants, it seems we are bringing germs out of clinics or hospitals and taking other germs in which could make our vulnerable patients at risk of contracting infectious diseases from us.

WAY FORWARD
Many hospitals have instituted policies on 'use of uniform only within the hospital' as a means of infection prevention and control. Other hospitals need to key into this and also enforce it.

-Each ward should have a changing room
-Wear mufti from home, change into your uniform/scrub, then change back to your mufti after your shift
-If possible, the uniform should be washed, ironed and kept in the hospital
-Please do not re-use uniform for our own good.

Omotee Adeleke write:

WELL SAID, GOD BLESS U.
Meanwhile, we need to educate other health care givers too who do not wear uniform but mufti and still have contact with patients to please henceforth come with spare cloth to the hospital. So that at the close of work they change the clothe they wear while attending to patients thus reducing spread of infection to innocent people and preventing contamination of food items in case such worker enters market to buy food items.