Dress Code Policy

Dress Code Policy

Dress Code Policy Dress Code Policy

STANDARD: Stoney Health Services dictates the appropriate dress for all personnel and contractors while on duty in all SHS sites, and/or when representing SHS inside and/or outside the community in an official capacity.

RATIONALE: Stoney Health Services (SHS) personnel/Contractors represent SHS when on duty in any official capacity. As such, maintaining public, professional appearance and professional behaviour at all times inspires confidence in the organization. Furthermore, the SHS Dress Code is determined by the amount of interaction the SHS staff/Contracted personnel has with the clientele as well as by a) recognized workplace health and safety standards, b) infection prevention and control standards, and c) a demonstration of respect for cultural and religious norms.

POLICY: All Stoney Health Services personnel and contractors shall maintain a professional, well-groomed appearance that contributes to a positive impression of Stoney Health Services and shall conduct themselves in a manner that will reflect excellence and pride in themselves, the employer, and the Stoney Nation. The following Dress Code procedures apply:

PROCEDURE(S):

a) Wear Staff Identification (ID, Nametag) Badges at all times.

b) Dress in a professional manner appropriate to the nature of your work. This includes wearing clothing that:

  •  Is clean and in good repair
  •  Allows work to be completed efficiently and safely
  •  Prevents the spread of infection to others

c) Keep hair (including facial hair) neat and tidy. Keep hair tied up or pulled back from face when working in close contact with clients.

d) Avoid wearing scents. SHS maintains a scent-free environment.

e) Avoid clothing, shoes and/or accessories that:

  •  Demonstrate a personal point of view
  •  Distract other SHS personnel/clients from the services at hand
  •  Provoke, alarm, offend, or disparage others
  •  Have illicit (i.e. drug-related logos), profane (i.e. swear words), biased, sexual images, and/or alcohol/tobacco-related images
  •  Are suggestive or call too much attention to the wearer. Pants may be more appropriate than leggings.

f) Knee-length shorts and/or knee-length skirts/dresses may be worn.

g) Appropriate footwear shall be worn to protect the employee where hazards exist that could result in a foot injury, or contribute to a hazardous circumstance.

  •  No flip flops, sandals or open-toed shoes are to be worn
  • Shoes should be maintained and in good repair, with non-slip soles.

h) Natural nails shall be clean and short. Artificial nails, nail enhancements, and chipped nail polish shall not be worn by SHS personnel, medical staff and Volunteers who provide direct patient care or perform other tasks that require hand hygiene.

i) Hand jewellery, other than a simple ring. i.e. plain band, shall not be worn by staff, medical staff, and Volunteers who provide direct patient care of perform other tasks that require hand hygiene.

Note: Other tasks that require hand hygiene include, but are not limited to: preparing medications, and food handling.

DEFINITIONS:

  • Direct Patient Care: for the purposes of this document, physical contact with a patient or patient’s environment.
  • Dress Code: A set of standards developed by Stoney Health Services to help provide the health care providers and all staff with guidance about the approved manner of dress. This is further determined by the amount of interaction the staff has with the clientele.
  • Hand Hygiene: Proper practices which remove micro-organisms with or without soil from the hands (refers to the application of alcohol-based hand rub or the use of plain/antimicrobial soap and water hand washing).
  • Stoney Health Services Staff; this includes, but is not limited to all SHS personnel and Contractors who provide services to clients of Stoney Health Services. These include but are not limited to: Allied Health Professionals Clerical personnel, Community Health Representatives, Health Care Aides, Physicians, Nursing and Transport personnel, Volunteers etc.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • SHS Managers (or designates) and/or the SHS Safety Officer shall discuss the Dress Code Policy with new SHS employees and Contractors at the time of hire.
  • The Chief of Medical Staff shall discuss the same with Physicians, Residents, and students during the initial credentialing process.
  • SHS employees and Contractors are responsible for complying with this policy.

DEVELOPED BY:

Darlene Richter, Nurse Manager March 20, 2015

APPROVALS:

Aaron Khan, Executive Director

REFERENCES

  • Alberta health Services Governance Documents
  • Hand Hygiene Practices in Healthcare Settings (Public health Agency of Canada 2012)