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What do podiatrists wear?

Discussion in 'General Issues and Discussion Forum' started by podtiger, Feb 25, 2010.

  1. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member

    Hi Cylie

    I think they prefer the tears running down my cheeks from the excruciating pain in my cyanotic fingers :eek:

    Always seems to make em smile :rolleyes: but thanks for the tip with the bubbles :D
    Cheers
    Derek;)
     
  2. G Flanagan

    G Flanagan Active Member

    Charlie70,

    LOVING your professional complacency!

    I have never thought i am better than anyone else, or pretend to be something i'm not. I am a Podiatrist and proud!

    To correct you though, there are plenty of Consultant Podiatrists, Pod Surgeons etc.

    We are not therapists! Our profession in my eyes, and as Dr Tim Kilmartin mentioned in Pod Now should not be classed as an Allied Health Profession.

    We diagnose, provide therapies, operate, use POM's all autonomously. Give me another profession other than the medics, dentists and vets that do that! Podiatric Surgeons have consulting and practising priviledges at most private hospitals along side the medics, whereas the Physio's are employed as therapists by the hospital.

    In reality, rather disappointingly ( and i don't want to sound harsh) it is the Podiatrists with your attitude which hold our profession back!

    George (male, so must obviously have an ago) Flanagan
     
  3. Fraoch

    Fraoch Active Member

    Totally agree. I wear scrubs, a smile and a firm hand shake. Going back to what Simon said in an earlier post, my pts know who I am and what I do by the end of their appt. I still get respect despite not knowing there was a Tinkerbell sticker on my forehead, or a "Mummy Medal" round my neck or a badly drawn love heart on my hand...drawn with a sharpie instead of crayola washables.

    Some people do judge by what they see, whether it's the day i forgot scrubs and had to work in jeans, or whether I pass the pt on my rollerblades on the way in. But that soon passess once treatment begins.

    Fraoch
     
  4. stevewells

    stevewells Active Member

    Attached Files:

  5. davidl

    davidl Member

    I do only biomechanics clinics and currently wear polo shirt and clinic blue trousers.

    Have in the past worn tunics, suits, smart casual etc- the lot. Same person, same skills, same communication, but different patient reaction - the smarter the better! Is this not a problem with what patients perceive a podiatrist to be? Could be that its ME who performs better in smarter clothes of course, but the point is - better outcomes (particularly compliance issues).

    If I had the choice I would be back to smarter clothes - not because I think of myself as something special, but because I believe I get better outcomes (and a polo shirt is useless for hiding a beer belly too). Now if I was still on dom visits, or debriding ulcers every day, I would be viewing uniform as essential from a personal protection point of view and would be in tunic and clinic trousers for all the reasons other posters have mentioned.
    David
     
  6. footfan

    footfan Active Member

    I liked Dr Kilmartins article aswell about branching away from the term Chiropodist which seems to drag us back to the "chipping and clipping" title, especially as so many people have worked so hard to push our profession to what it is today, whenever im in my tunic patients ask me to "just the nails" , which is what unfortunatly the majority think were all about, until the general population are educated to what our profession offers i have no problem with other people dressing smartly if it gets them the respect they deserve, me personally im not offended at looking like a beauty therapist , i know my abilities and how much our profession can offer =D atleast we dont wear pink tunics!!!
     
  7. blinda

    blinda MVP

    Erm........I do. :dizzy:


    Seriously, I wear pink scrubs. So there.
     
  8. Tkemp

    Tkemp Active Member

    80% of year its too hot here to be in whites all day. :boohoo:
    So we have a smart casual dress code (no jeans or sneakers) and white over-tunics we put on at start of a clinic and change at the end of clinic (or more frequently if they get soiled). Generally go through 5-6 a day. They are sent off for special cleaning.
    We do have "work wardrobes" and have to wear an identification lanyard at all times.
    For ulcer clinics we change over-tunics for each client to prevent cross-infection.
    PPE all the way : masks (for open wounds), goggles (as needed), gloves (latex-free powder-free), etc
    For surgery we scrub up and put on sterile surgery tunic, sterile gloves, hat and mask. A bit extreme maybe, but we daren't take risks on cross-infection. Plus when we demonstrate to clients how importantly we view keeping the area clean, they are more likely to keep the dressing in-situ, clean and dry. :bang:

    In the UK NHS it was white tunics and blue clinic trousers... slight difference :D
     
  9. Bug

    Bug Well-Known Member

    Stevewells....I think I have some of those :D

    They are very slippy on the hospital floor those so do tend to wear an inch or 2 lower. Pfft, who says a podiatrist doesn't understand pretty shoes.
     
  10. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member

    A change from the blue now your 40 then ??:D:D
    Cheers
    D;)
     
  11. blinda

    blinda MVP

    39 actually :rolleyes:........and yes I decided to go with Breakthrough (Breast cancer awareness) and have my company name embroidered on them. Very smart they are too.

    Have a good weekend Del.:drinks

    Cheers,
    Bel
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2010
  12. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member

    Very worthy cause well done

    You too ( and a super 40th birthday :D ):drinks

    Cheers
    D;)
     
  13. blinda

    blinda MVP

  14. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member

    But I got the date right !!!:D:D:D

    Happy Birthday anyway :drinks

    Cheers
    D;)
     
  15. Gibby

    Gibby Active Member

    We wear black Speedo swimming trunks and New Orleans Saints sweatshirts.
    Just kidding.

    The medical center has switched from the old scrubs to new paper suits. Hot, uncomfortable, and cheap. It is a cost-cutting measure.

    I wear scrubs, other docs wear either scrubs or button-down shirts and khakis. Lab coats. Tie, if worn, should always be inside the lab coat...
     
  16. Happy 39th BEL.Hope you have a good one !!
     
  17. blinda

    blinda MVP

    Wasn`t fishing for good wishes....just proving a point:eek:

    Thanks anyway guys

    Cheers,
    Bel
     
  18. and here the music charts from your birth year.

    I won´t say anything about many years ago, with the ice being thin and all

     
  19. footfan

    footfan Active Member

    I actually think thats cool, just the first extreme colour that came to mind ;)
     
  20. lcp

    lcp Active Member

    Still want to know what a tunic is?? summer time here, its shorts and joggers, even the crocs have had a run or two. winter its trousers and whatever shirt jumps out first. patients respect the work done, not the clothes worn.
     
  21. footfan

    footfan Active Member

  22. Nikki10

    Nikki10 Active Member

    I agree with Flanagan that uniforms gives patients a confusing image that we may be a nurse or a therapist or other healthcare clinician.
    I wear a smart top,black trousers,flat shoes and a disposable apron when treating.
     
  23. Lizzy1so

    Lizzy1so Active Member

    I have seperate work and home clothes clothes, usually for a general clinic its a white cotton blouse and black trousers, i have a white coat on hand if i need it. I loathe uniforms and spent years at school and uni avoiding them. Everything goes through a hot wash and gets chucked and replaced pretty frequently due to the "skanky" factor!
     
  24. Paul_UK

    Paul_UK Active Member

    Are we not healthcare clinicians?

    I hate wearing a uniform but feel it does show we are part of the clinical side and not just admin or executives etc. I wear a white tunic (dental style with the buttons down the side) and black trousers which I don't consider "too" bad compared to some others you see around the hospital.
     
  25. drsarbes

    drsarbes Well-Known Member

    I always wore a suit and tie or jacket and tie to work.
    When I ruptured my achilles last October, due to the cast/boot - I started wearing scrubs to work.
    They are so comfortable I am still wearing them to work.

    I think patient perception of who you are is important depending on your type of practice. If you are trimming toenails all day perhaps jeans are OK. If you are giving surgical consultations all day I believe the patient wants a more professional appearance. Image is important.

    My 2 cents.

    Steve
     
  26. twirly

    twirly Well-Known Member

    Hi Steve,

    Ooh! I disagree.

    My practice is varied although a good deal of my patients are what many may consider routine care (nails, hard skin etc.) .

    However, each patient is treated with the utmost respect & dedication to their assessment & treatment regardless of level of treatment required.

    My thoughts (for what they're worth) are that I want every patient to be confidant their clinician is professional & capable.

    Jeans just would not provide that air of professionalism.

    One of the gentleman who recently provided a quote to landscape our garden wore a suit when he initially arrived to provide a quote. The others wore scruffy jeans. The guy wearing the suit was given the contract.

    My initial impression was of a professional who knew his job. Shook my hand, looked me in the eye & completed a very satisfactory job. He wore jeans every day to do the work.

    My point. He was appropriately dressed for his required environment.

    As podiatrists we are required to comply with stringent rules of practice, sterile instrumentation, clinical environment etc. Why then detract from our professional status by dragging on a pair of jeans & looking like it doesn't really matter?

    ;)

    Kind regards,

    Mandy.
     
  27. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member


    EXACTLY :rolleyes:

    Not hard really is it Twirls :D

    Whatever works for you and your situation is fine as long as the patient is confident and happy it is ok :empathy:

    Cheers
    Derek;)
     
  28. bmjones1234

    bmjones1234 Active Member

    I'd have to agree with George on this matter. I think its sad that we don't set a high uniform professional standard. We do a heck of a lot and whilst there are appropriate times to alter uniform ie. Doms, paediatrics etc. we should have a strong a professional uniform. Look at the armed forces of every country, they know the power of perception and the need to present to the world their professionalism. I defy anyone not to be impressed by any of the UK forces [As I am UK based] uniforms and tell me that they are not impressed by them (When worn immaculately eg. ironed).

    Also in another post mentioned by a podiatrist, who stated: [Paraphrasing here] I know my own skills and don't need a suit to be professional, I would have to point out that surely this is a two way street, surely if you are professional and as good as you say you are then you'll be able to treat in paediatrics with the same rapport regardless of the formal aspect of your uniform, because your personality will with through.

    My thoughts are Suit (short sleeve shirt in the summer perhaps) most of the time, except in Clinic where a scrubs top should be thrown over the tie and shirt to reduce infections spreading and NS to impress the idea upon the patients that although this is minor surgery, it is still important to make the effort. People appreciate effort being made. Attention to detail is everything.

    Thanks for reading.
     
  29. j1nxst3r

    j1nxst3r Member

    I see people saying they wear suits... so I guess the "birthday suit" is a no no? especially near phenol? heh heh just a little laugh folks
     
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