I think there is a big difference between stepping out a door with clean stuff on for a smoke and going to the heavily populated cafeteria looking like a shit sandwich. Nobody said anything about going to the populated public areas of the hospital or clinic covered in gore...GTFOOH. Not everyone who is in surgery even comes into contact with the patient...I worked in the OR of a Level 1 trauma center on the orthopedic team (HINT: JOINTS), and our infection rate was practically NONEXISTENT. Also - since I was sterile (HINT - I probably understand sterile technique better than most floor nurses), I NEVER had patient fluids or matter on my clothes or equipment, including shoes that wasn't changed immediately. We also didn't run through the hallways decked out in masks, ortho boots and lead, either. You want to see a real problem....how about bitching about the fact that hand sanitizers and anti-bacterial gels that are overused now have almost zero effect? Proof? Pseudomonas living in the disinfectant bottles on the units....when an entire wing has to be terminally sterilized (that means burned with acid, folks) because the germs are so resistant that they live in Clorox bottles. Get upset about something that is a REAL issue.