Why do theatre staff wear clogs

Today, clogs come in a wide array of styles and brands. In fact, the numerous selections can sometimes make it difficult to decide which pair of clogs is best.

For the most part, the majority of clogs have the same features and benefits. However, there are a few clog brands that are far superior when compared to other brands. The shoe has less weight, more support and plenty of style. With a breathable mesh lining and a microfiber collar, the shoe offers optimum protection against sweat, excess heat and fungus issues. This top-quality clog delivers full support. This popular clog also comes in many colors like Dark Earth, Castlerock and Black.

The Birkenstock Super Birki is popular among surgeons, nurses and also restaurant workers. It is a unisex vegan clog that is both stain and slip resistant. The upper is dirt-proof and composed of water resistant polyurethane. The clogs are ergo shaped with moisture-wicking cork-latex.

Plus, the footbed lining is non-slip and grease resistant. It features an air-ride system that craftily spaces the lugs for extreme lightweight cushion. In addition, it features a Kinetic Fit Base insole that is removable and contoured for ultra-support.

With its rubber sole and microfiber collar, this clog is sure to please. Here are just a few of the many benefits that clogs have to offer: Support Clogs are a popular type of shoe for surgeons, even nurses love them. Durability Clogs are generally composed of high quality rubber. Breathable Because clogs are open in the back, your feet can breathe a whole lot better.

Comfort A quality pair of clogs is extremely comfortable. Protects Your Feet Clogs offer a better solution for protecting your feet. Decreases Back Pain Clogs offer outstanding support for the feet and ankles.

Helps Decrease Stress Stress is drastically reduced when you wear a shoe that is breathable, delivers support and comfort. Easy to Slip On and Off Clogs are often a favorite among surgeons because they are easy to slip on and off. Simple to Clean Although clogs are not as stylish as tennis shoes or trainers, they are definitely supportive and very comfortable.

By using simple slip-on clog you save from 30 to 60 seconds. Another aspect is protection. So, by avoiding shoelaces you reduce the number of bacteria that will be on your arms and amount o bacteria that will enter into the operating theater.

Surgical clogs are made to hold off long hours of continuous pressure. Comparing to other shoes, the sole part will hold off longer and will be more durable than with regular shoes.

Probably you have experienced the perfect sole of a new shoe and after a year or two sole is nothing like it was before. In surgeries, this sole wear-off can happen even faster. Most of the surgical clogs will be able to withstand continuous pressure and keep the sole more uniform than regular shoes.

Of course, it comes with a little downside — sole can be harder than the regular sole. Maybe this feature is not so important and can vary from doctor to doctor, but usually you will see that surgical clogs come in at least 2 colors — one will be dark and one will be light.

The dark color is better if you plan to wear surgical clogs outside of the operating theater. Then after each surgery or every week clogs get their treatment of sterilization or disinfection and are ready to go again. If the clog is a light color you will see how much blood and other fluids go on to it. Also, light-colored clogs show signs of wearing off sooner.

In general, if you plan to use clogs only in operating theater then you are good to go with light colors and after each operation , you will see how dirty or clean your clogs are. But, if your workplace has such dress code that you need to wear white work shoes, check out our list of favorite white nursing shoes!

We hope that now you know why surgical clogs differ from regular shoes and regular clogs and you will be able to make a better decision on what type of clogs you need for surgeries! It is best to go with them if you can. Pay attention to the consent process, as you will learn the answers to some common intra-operative interrogation questions, including what the procedure involves and any common or serious complications.

If you are going to be separated from your team at the changing room door, make sure you know which theatre you need to go to when you get to the other side! On entering the changing room you will probably be confronted by a veritable rainbow of different-coloured scrubs. For example, my hospital has greens for general wear in theatre, dark blues for theatre sisters, light blues for general wear outside of theatre, orange for healthcare assistants, pink for obstetrics and gynaecology, and grey for ITU doctors.

There should be a coloured band around the collar of the scrub tops and the waistband of the scrub trousers to indicate what size they are. Again, this may vary depending on which scrub company your hospital uses. There should be a selection of rather unfashionable clog-like rubber theatre shoes available for you to put on. Firstly, tramping mucky trainers into theatre is obviously not good for infection control.

Secondly, theatre shoes are specifically designed to stop you from slipping on wet floors and from getting zapped by the diathermy. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, wearing theatre clogs protects your own shoes from getting covered in horrible theatre mess. As a fourth-year medical student, I once had to squodge 2 miles home in trainers drenched with stinky amniotic fluid after assisting with an elective Caesarean section list.

There may also be wellies in the changing rooms. You will need to wear a hat to cover your hair. Confusingly, these also come in an array of colours for different team members, which may or may not match their corresponding scrub colours in any way.

Medical staff will usually wear blue hats, but sometimes students are asked to wear a different colour instead — again, there should be a handy guide stuck to the wall somewhere! There are two types: stretchy elastic-backed ones, and ones that tie in a knot at the back of your head.

Make sure all stray bits of hair are tucked underneath your hat, otherwise, you run the risk of the theatre sister being less than impressed with you. If you have a beard, there should be special hats for you with a funny extra bit to cover the beard area.

The general rules for jewellery are the same in theatre as they are on the wards. If you have any other visible piercings , be sensible about what you wear to work. For infection control purposes, you are not supposed to leave the theatre area wearing your greens. If you need to pop out for whatever reason, there is usually a stash of green gowns near the doors which will act to cover your scrubs and magically prevent you from acquiring any transmissible bacteria during your time away from theatre.

These are also extremely comfy to wear and allow you to swoop dramatically around the hospital like some kind of cape-wearing surgical superhero. Your clothes and shoes will usually be fine left in the changing rooms — I usually put them folded in a little pile under a bench or on a windowsill; avoid the tops of the lockers as things tend to get very dusty up there.

However, you will want somewhere safe to keep your bag and other valuables. Most theatres will have lockers available for visitors, but you will often be on a tight schedule and it can take a while to find the person with the keys! This has never been a problem as long as I have asked first. Each operating theatre will consist of several different areas ; usually, a scrub room with sinks where the nurses and surgeons get scrubbed up, an anaesthetic room where clever people put patients to sleep, a little storeroom with basic equipment like sutures and staplers, and the theatre itself.

This means you will be confronted with several potential entrances when you arrive. Just remember that you should never open any doors that go directly into the theatre during an operation, as this could let in airborne contaminants that might land in the patient. For simplicity, I always use the scrub room door whether or not an operation is taking place.

When you get inside your theatre, introduce yourself to everyone , explaining who you are and your grade or role. Make sure your name badge is clearly visible. The nurses and ODPs might seem stressed and scary, but in actual fact, they are lovely hard-working people who will welcome anyone who seems keen and friendly.

Put it on silent and leave it in your bag — there will always be chances to check it in the coffee room between cases. The team, led by the surgeon and anaesthetist, then discuss the cases for the day, including the order of the list, the positioning, drugs and equipment that are required, and any specific issues and risks for each patient.

The floor nurses and ODPs get the necessary equipment ready, and the designated scrub nurse for the operation gets scrubbed to open and prepare the instrument trays. Meanwhile, the anaesthetists and their assistants crack on with putting the patient to sleep. The surgeons may loiter in theatre or go for a coffee depending on how long this is likely to take, which is dictated by the complexity of both the patient and the procedure.

You will be surprised how tiring it is standing up and concentrating for long periods, and operations often take longer than expected for various reasons.

Hunger and hypoglycaemia mean shaky hands, slowed reflexes and generally poor outcomes of intra-operative grilling sessions from consultants. The prolonged standing, heavy scrub gowns, gloves, masks and hot bright lighting can mean you also get overheated and dehydrated very quickly. Fainting is a genuine risk , and often happens to the last person you would expect e. Once the patient is asleep and the anaesthetist has established all the necessary intra-operative monitoring , they are brought into the theatre.

It takes several people to move the patient from their bed to the operating table with the anaesthetist giving instructions and controlling the airway, IV access and other attached monitoring. This is something you can help with which will make a very good impression. The process usually requires the use of a PatSlide , which is basically a plastic board used to slide the patient across from the bed to the table.

Here is a charmingly 80s video from Ross Mannion on YouTube illustrating how this is done nowadays we usually need two people on either side as our patients are getting heavier.

Once the patient has successfully reached the operating table, the patient is positioned for surgery. There are many different positions which provide access to different parts of the body, and the operating table can move and have parts added or removed to accommodate these.

The surgeons usually help with this but they might go to scrub while the rest of the team do it. As a medical student or supernumerary member of the team, it is good practice to wait to be invited to scrub in. Check out our scrubbing, gloving and gowning guide for more details.

Here is a totally awesome video by Celine Lakra on YouTube, wherein a lady with possibly the nicest voice ever shows you how to scrub, glove and gown properly. The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist was introduced in and has since revolutionised patient safety and the whole culture of surgical practice across the world.