Professional Appearance Standards for Pharmacy Students during Hospital Experience Sessions

Transcription

1 Professional Appearance Standards for Pharmacy Students during Hospital Experience Sessions Where and to whom do these standards apply? These professional appearance standards apply to all undergraduate MPharm students and all postgraduate OSPAP students at Aston University. These standards apply during all hospital experience sessions provided by Aston University as part of a module of study this includes completing research work in a hospital as part of any form of dissertation or research project that forms part of a programme of study at Aston University. Why does there have to be a professional appearance standard for students in hospital? Formal professional practice between healthcare practitioners and patients is appropriately marked by a certain formality of dress. Appearance of dress reflects on: you, pharmacy as a profession, Aston University and the hospital you are visiting. These standards help to enforce Infection Control regulations to minimise the transfer of bacteria from ward to ward and from patient to patient. They consider Health and Safety of you, those working around you and the patients you engage with. In order to comply with NHS policy and ensure good relations with NHS trusts. Standard 1: General Principles of Professional Dress The general principles of these standards promote: - Professional accountability and public confidence - Clothes should be smart (not casual) and in a good state of repair - No large logos, pictures, cartoons, offensive wording or lurid colours - No jeans, denim, sportswear, t-shirts etc. - High standards of personal cleanliness - Infection control regulations - Arms should be bare below the elbow in all clinical areas - Trousers and skirts should not drag upon the ground

2 - Ties if worn must be tucked in, when in clinical areas - Health and safety regulations - No jewellery which may be pulled by patients or constitute a risk to patients may be worn. - Flat or low heeled shoes should be worn - Identification: Aston University name badges should be worn at all times (Aston ID card on clip not lanyard if name badge lost) Standard 2: Modesty Respect others by dressing modestly: Clothes should be well fitting but not figure hugging Shoulders should be covered Bra straps should not be visible Underwear should not be visible through clothes Cleavage should not be on display Mid-riffs and lower backs should not be visible Skirts should be no shorter than 3 inches above the knee Trousers should fit so that buttocks, and underwear are not visible Head scarves and turbans are permissible (see religious clothing) Visible tattoos should not be offensive to others. Where they may be deemed to be offensive, they should be appropriately covered (via plaster or bandage). If you are concerned about a visible tattoo being deemed offensive you should discuss with your teacher practitioner. Standard 3: Religious clothing Students who wear full facial coverings for religious reasons are required to remove these whilst on hospital sessions. This is to ensure that the student is identifiable, and to enhance engagement and communication with patients, teachers, colleagues and members of the healthcare team. Hijabs and Jilabs are permitted provided that they do not affect health and safety, and that bare below elbows rules are adhered to in clinical areas.

3 Turbans and kippots, and headscarves are supported on religious grounds but the face must remain visible. The latter should be shoulder length and must be worn unadorned and secured neatly. Standard 4: Hair and Makeup Hair: - Should be clean and well maintained - Long hair should be tied up and off the face and collar, secured in a style that does not need frequent alteration or adjustment. - Unnatural hair colours such as green or blue are not permitted as this may be seen as unprofessional by members of the public Makeup: - Should be natural, discrete and acceptable to others - In aseptic laboratories no makeup is permitted due to regulations regarding particulate matter in clean rooms. You will be given advanced warning of any scheduled activities in these areas. - Nail varnish and false nails of any variety are not permitted as they do not allow hands to be cleaned effectively or permit nails to be inspected for cleanliness. Standard 5: Jewellery Arms must be bare below the elbow in line with hospital infection control regulations: No wrist watches, bangles or bracelets are permitted may they be of religious significance or otherwise. Sikh bangles should be removed were ever possible. If they can not be removed they will require cleaning with soap and alcohol gel and be then secured on the upper part of the lower arm. No rings are permitted except a single plain wedding band. Wedding bands containing stones are not permitted. Jewellery should not compromise personal safety: The only earrings permissible are small discrete studs. No visible body piercing except earrings (see above) No necklaces, anklets, brooches, including those worn for religious or therapeutic reasons.

4 Standard 6: Footwear Footwear must be safe, maintained in good order, with a sole that provides suitable grip and made of material that is easily cleanable (fabric shoes that are easily soiled are not recommended). All shoes should support the foot and be low noise. Shoes should be flat or low heeled for your comfort as you may be standing for prolonged periods of time. Open backed footwear or open-toed shoes are not recommended, and are worn at your own risk. Standard 7: Personal Hygiene Hands and nails should be clean and may be inspected for cleanliness Nails should be short and well-manicured with no visible nail polish. Clothes should be clean and freshly laundered (free from obvious dirt and stains) Personal hygiene must be acceptable to those around you Deodorants, perfumes and aftershaves should not be over powering What about my religion, do the standards support that? Your hospital experience sessions take place in NHS hospitals. The NHS has a duty of care to its staff and its patients. It is therefore legitimate that the NHS would expect all staff, trainees and students to adhere to a dress code or uniform policy. The NHS dress code does not discriminate on grounds of sex, age, race or religion. It is seen that that patient safety is the highest priority and all persons no matter to which religion they belong must comply with the dress code. Religious leaders have been consulted and it is agreed that patient safety out weights the need to comply with religious dress when working or participating in a clinical area. Consultation via the Department of Health, with the Muslims Imams, including those from the Muslim Council of Britain have confirmed that if a dress code is required of the job to prevent microbiological related infections it is permissible to comply with the Department of Health (2007) Guidance.

5 What happens if I do not adhere to the professional appearance standards? All students are given prior warning of the standards before undertaking hospital experience sessions. It is therefore reasonable to expect all students to comply. Students have ample opportunity to query any aspects of the professional appearance standards they do not understand prior to undertaking their allocated session. Failure to comply with the standards will be seen as unprofessional and may result in: Being turned away from that allocated session Failure of the module of which the allocated session was a part Referral to the Fitness to Practise Officer. Review and Update of these Standards The following stake holders were consulted in the development of these standards: - Aston University - Birmingham Children s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust - Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust - Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust - South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust - University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust - University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust The standards will be reviewed every 2 years from the publication date by all stakeholders. References The following references were used in the creation of these standards DoH (2007) Uniforms & Workwear An evidence base for developing policy Department ofhealth, London (revised 2010) Gill J & Slater J 1991 Building barriers against infection. Nursing Times Vol 87: No 50 pp Halls F et al 1984 A question of uniform. Nursing Times Vol 87: No 50, pp A. Johnson; DoH, 2007 New Measures for tackling Hospital Bugs.

6 Walter A & Donaldson B 1993 Dressing for Protection. Nursing Times Vol 89: No 2 pp Health & Social Care Act 2008