EBME Forums Forums Free discussion Free discussion dress code

Is the risk of infection from Technician's ties (especially the garish Bart Simpson ones) greater than that from the hands of all the clinicians involved, directly, with patient contact? Or is there a higher-risk from equipment that moves all around the hospital, picking up flora left, right and centre, handled by every TDH, between patients and is eventually cleaned, just before it gets to EBME?

What about the NHS biro that Nursey nibbles at after tea and toast whilst noting the patient's vital signs taken using the ward NBP-cuff having done the rounds for the thousandth-time or the thermometer (oral or tympanic) used without a cover? Hmm; surely the research was aimed at Clinicians involved in direct patient contact, at risk of their clothing coming into contact with infection and then, subsequently, other patients wasn't it? The risk being to subsequent patients that are immuno-compromised, coming into contact with said ties? Yawwwwn.

Heh, Heh. Perhaps someday a clever person will do some research into the risks associated with contaminated equipment and Clinicians (with an aversion to soap and water) and decide their use (like the tie) is inappropriate in a hospital due to the risk of infection

Those individuals who want to wear a boiler suit and flat-cap, doffing it to other professionals and public, who are generally smartly-dressed, are welcome to it. It is a fact that dressing inappropriately in a given situation can make some people feel uncomfortable. Whatever makes you comfortable in your surroundings is appropriate, eh? I've always fancied the idea of a smart black boiler-suit with a white-stripe down the back.

P. lePeu.

The answers quite simple.

Tie your tie so that the wide bit is nice and long - and tuck it down the front of your underpants.

Hey Don't you know that your Tie is constantly dangling between yourself and any peice of equipment you might be working on and requires that your dirty, grubby, grime coated, infected hands have to constantly push it out of the way. Then when you go to the toilet to wash your aforementioned grubby hands, dry them, return to your area and again push the disease garden dangling from your neck out of the way to find that you have now wasted your time washing your hands as your Tie coats them again.
I wouldn't feel comfy if I was in a hospital bed and a Flora coated Bart was dangling in my face.
RL, you didn't by any chance contribute to the invention of the tie?

Pushing it into my groinal region would not be an option.

Ban The Tie!!!

I have an excelent collection of cartoon ties, especially the simpsons variety (I'm working on the Homer look, losing hair and increasing my girth ). Long live the tie!!!!


Clean lab coats keep those nasty ties from coming into contact with other objects/people. Smart dress gives a professional impression to the patient. Next thing will be someone with a report to say T shirts are the most hygeinic form of upper body apparral - Whatever next?

Surely Guy's the simplest answer of all is too wear a " Dicky Bow" ??

Or a tie clip?
Yet another place where one can express ones personallity.
I have a motorbike on mine.
But it does look rather odd going across Daffy Duck's beak.

Robert

I have never worn a tie to work and no one has ever even commented.
The black boiler suit with with stripe now that sounds a winner and if it keeps the ostrich feathers clean it's got my vote.

The additional of a lily-colour around the liver area, yellow around the belly and the feather-boa would set the white-striped black boiler-suit off nicely. Lily-livered, yellow-bellied, skunk-wear is just what we need to avoid the spread of disease and promote the profession - forget all this smart-dress rubbish!

Gentlemen,

Some of your replies are absolutely hilarious (genuinely) .

However I must point out to RL that the article
I read was not aimed at any group in particular, it was aimed at identifying key sources of MRSA and other superbugs that are killing patients in hospitals the length and breadth of this country.

I have to agree with RL in the fact that it would be a good idea to carry out further research into what can be done to stamp out other obvious source of infection within the hospital that we see on a daily basis.

Maybe it would be a good idea for each EBME department to appoint a technician as their Infection Control "Champion". The first thing to do is hold a meeting with the infection control manager for the hospital to outline the concerns we have as a profession. PS If you do decide to have a meeting, ensure you turn up without your tie just to reinforce the fact that you are treating this matter in a serious and professional manner.

Its a bit of a blow to read that there are particular infection risks from ties.

At present my manager is trying to get us Techs into property maintenance man uniforms.
I've been telling him how lovely and "professional" we all look in our ties.
Does anyone else out there wear uniform. The prospect of wandering about looking like a plumber doesn't apeal to me (no offence intended to plumbers. They are lovely people who have twice flooded my house).

Techs used to wear white coats. These were eliminated because we were supposedly cross contaminating areas and patients.

We then progressed to cross contaminating areas with our nice smart casual personal clothing. This had the bonus of conveying all the dirt onto public transport in the evening, then back home to contaminate the wife & kids.

Going over to uniforms surely brings back the problems as white coats.

Marc