Why do nurses and doctors wear their uniform outside of work?

They don't, or at least we don't. I work in a French university (teaching) hospital in a small city. Doctors wear their own close to work and then slip on their lab coat once they get here. read more

Doctors wear their own close to work and then slip on their lab coat once they get here. Surgeons come in wearing their own clothes and change into fresh scrubs every shift. As for nurses, the only nurses I have seen come in already wearing scrubs are certain nurses who work in triage in the ED, mostly on night shifts. read more

Scrubs are not allowed to be worn outside of the hospital so staff come to work in plain clothes, get changed into the scrubs, work their shift, get changed back into their clothes to go home and the scrubs stay in the hospital to be cleaned. read more

At the moment, nurses are allowed to wear their uniforms while travelling to and from work, as long as it is covered by an outer garment. Bosses in Preston and Chorley admitted the move has been prompted by growing public concern about the spread of hospital infections - despite there being no concrete evidence to show uniforms can pose an infection risk. read more