Friday, November 5, 2010

Hit the door running

I wonder sometimes why people come to work and then get ready to work. Shouldn't you be ready to work when you walk in the door? Granted, most days you actually have time to put your belongings in your locker and your lunch in the 'fridge. But haven't you ever walked in to a resident on the floor or someone being combative or whatever?

So I guess this is a post about appropriate dress at work. Having worked in an office for sixteen years, I can tell you that wearing a uniform every day is MUCH easier.

So, here we go:
  • Wear your uniform. Don't wear a regular shirt and your scrub pants. Don't wear regular pants and your scrub shirt. In fact, I would say wear your uniform even on "Casual Day". Why would you want to get the Nursing Center (or wherever you work) all over your jeans and t-shirts that you wear at home or out with your friends?
  • Wear appropriate footwear. These folks that insist on wearing these "Croc" things are just asking to get hurt. I've seen more people fall (including my husband, at home and at work) wearing these things. Yes, they're comfy. Yes, they come in pretty colors. Yes, you can get a pair for about ten dollars. But that trip to the ER is going to cost you a lot more when you land flat on your back and can't get up.
  • If your hair is past your shoulders, put it up. Pony tails are OK, but I'm for a bun. If a resident is in a hair pulling mood, you won't find yourself on the end of a hair leash if you have your hair firmly secured. This goes for boys, too. We have a young man with long hair that puts his up. Work is not a fashion show. No one cares how you look. We only care how you work.
  • Going back to uniforms, wear ones that fit properly. When you bend over, your fanny should not hang out. If you're a boy, I don't want to see your boxers and neither do the residents. See the bullet point above.
  • Make sure you have showered and shaved and put on deodorant. No resident wants a greasy, hairy, smelly aide working with them. On the other hand, don't bother with the cologne. Your residents with COPD will thank you if you just smell like skin.

Did I miss anything? Do I sound like your mother? Or your grandma? Maybe that's the point. Dress like you care about what your momma would say. Someday you might be taking care of her.

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