227. Friends

The operating room has strict rules to maintain a sterile environment.  Duh.

Which includes no apparel other than that supplied by the OR (only their scrubs, not ones I've washed at home).  Disposable hats and masks are mandatory; disposable shoe covers optional (apparently less concern about bacteria tracked in from OR area floors. Shoe covers seem more used for shoe protection than for patient protection.

I use earphones on my bike commute, and when entering the office leave them dangling on my neck (mornings are still cold so I'm using the warmer external earphones instead of earbuds) as a I walk from the bike rack to the locker room.

Well, a couple of days ago, I forget to remove them when I changed into scrubs.  I saw a few patients in the office then went to the OR, scrubbed, entered the room and was about to begin the planned procedure when a nurse gently lifted the earphones off my neck.

You know the line, "friends don't let friends drive drunk,?"  How about "friends don't let friends walk around the office and OR with earphones hanging around their neck?"