Dress Code

Purpose:

To provide dress code guidelines for use within the sterile processing department to prevent spread of infection to patients, visitor, and personnel.  To educate personnel in the proper procedures to be followed in order to prevent the spread of infection.  Protective attire must be appropriate for the task being performed.  NOTE:  Students will follow the dress code policy of the clinical site when different from the guidelines below.

 

Dress Code:

*Supplied by the hospital

      1. Scrub attire* should be changed daily or more often as needed (i.e. when wet, grossly soiled or visibly contaminated with blood or body fluids).  Shoes worn in the department should be clean, have non-skid soles.
      2. Street clothes are worn to and from work and then staff/students will change in an assigned dressing room at the hospital.  Scrubs cannot be worn from home and are left at the hospital to be laundered.
      3. Disposable hair caps* will be worn at all times.
      4. Jewelry and watches cannot be worn while in the department.
      5. Cell phones cannot be used or accessed except while on break.  Cell phones will remain in a locker and never on your person.
      6. Neither nail polish nor artificial nails can be worn.  Fingernails will be kept short and clean should not extend beyond the fingertips.

 
Decontamination Apparel:

When working in any decontamination area, the basic dress code applies plus additional protection equipment is required.

*Supplied by the hospital

      1. Face Shields*- A face shield must be worn to protect eyes, mouth and nasal passages from blood or splashed fluids.  If there is a risk of splash or splatter, a face mask should also be worn to protect splash from all angles.
      2. Impervious Gown*- The impervious gown with sleeves is used to protect the upper and lower body from medical waste.
      3. Gloves*- Gloves must be worn when cleaning equipment or instruments.
      4. Scrub attire- Scrub attire must be changed when soiled with blood, body fluids or contaminated liquids.
      5. Before leaving decontamination areas, employees/students should remove all protective attire being careful not contaminate clothing beneath the protective equipment.
      6. Employees/students will wash their skin and hands after removing protective attire.
      7. Employees/students will remove and discard disposable hair coverings prior to leaving decontamination areas and don a clean cap.