One of the first skills learned in nursing school is how to properly wash your hands. It sounds easy enough, but there is a proper technique that is used to effectively destroy any organisms. There are thousands of studies out there supporting the importance of proper handwashing in order to stop the transmission of these organisms. However, recent studies have moved further to focus on the contamination of bacteria on nurses’ clothing and in the environment in which they work.

According to a study by Duke University Medical Center, nurses’ scrubs have the potential be contaminated by potentially harmful bacteria in the patient’s environment. In the study, samples were taken at the beginning and end of each shift from three sites on the nurses’ scrubs and three sites in each patient’s room. They found that most of the transmissions went from patient to nurse and in more than one third, bacteria were transmitted from environment to the nurse. The lead Investigator in this study, Deverick Anderson, MD, said that “nurses’ clothing becomes contaminated with epidemiologically important organisms in more than 10% of their shifts.”

So what does this all mean? Well clearly we do not live in a sterile world, nor is it possible to completely prevent the spread of pathogens. However, there have been advancements in cleaning technology due to recommendations by the CDC. New types of scrubs are being developed that will be impregnated with the substances to resist bacteria as well. These advancements show that infection control in the patient environment is definitely moving in the right direction.

Despite these advancements, It is important for new and upcoming nurses to read these studies so that they are more cognizant of themselves and the environment in which they work. Clearly, we cannot wash our scrubs multiple times a day like we can our hands. It is extremely important to be aware of these organisms traveling on our scrubs and into our cars and homes. Although we are not recommending a full decontamination upon leaving work, changing out of your uniform as soon as you get home is not a bad idea!