[batmik]

I think there should be a dress code. It does not have to be specific where all nurse where this color or that. But there should be things that can't be worn. No sleeveless shirts, no jeans, no street close, no midriffs showing.

We had one nurse who is wearing street clothes to work. I kid you not. He wears a nice polo shirt and nice docker slacks with mens loafers or tie shoes. Other than his badge there is nothing to indicate in his dress that he isn't a visitor, doctor etc. Our manager is aware of the way he is dressing but nothing has been done. So despite the fact that he looks nice it is inappropriate for a hospital inpatient setting.

[StreetRN]

Sorry, forgot to mention our dress code does ban fake nails & nail polish (from our ID nurse) & perfume. There has always been a million excuses for not wearing white. I have worn it in a busy ED setting, pulled my fair share of the load and still went home looking better than some of the staff I see leaving in "scrubs". There's no way anyone can look professional and competent when you're wearing the same attire we send homeless people out with. Scrubs are fine for pajamas or going to the car wash, but they aren't professional attire. Dress the part.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I am sorry but whites conjure up an image of the "good humor man"...esp on men.

whites have NO place in OB or OR IMO.

[DeeDee71]

I'll have to be different then the rest and say yes there should be some sort of dress code. I have seen to many CNA's tell pt. that they will be their nurse for the evening. A clear name tag isn't enough to ID a nurse for a pt. To many people all the titles are confusing: CNA, LPN, RN, BSN, MSN, PT, OT, RT. We know what all of that means but the average person on the street does't. I don't think all white it the only way to go, but why not dress nurses in blues, CNAs in greens, PT in purples.....whatever color you want, just something to help the pt know who's who. just MHO.

[MrsWampthang]

At our hospital, all the nurses wear either white over blue, blue over white or all white. They went to this so the patients could easily identify who the nurse was. I don't think CNAs have a dress code, but xray and RT does.

I don't have a problem with it. I do think that patients and visitors should be able to tell at a glance who their nurse is. We can wear holiday scrubs on holidays but other than that we all are conformed to the blue/white theme.

JMHO,

Pam

[TLS]

The hospital that I use to work in (before nursing school) had dept colors for non nursing personell: x-ray was teal green, US was purple, unit secretaries wore dressy street clothes slacks, RT were in blue, andhouse keeping did NOT wear scrubs : dark blue slacks with corderoy light blue, long sleeve shirts. etc. nursing wore all the cute and professional multi design colors taylored to their own departments (peds had cartoon type charact) Anyway, as a non nursing person, i could identify nursing from afar and I couldn't wait to wear my pick of scrubs when I was to become a nurse (a sense of pride and accomplishment) and now that I have graduated and worked in the ER this summer to see that the unit secretary is excited because "we are dressed alike, you must've copied me" No, i'm a nurse and you are a secretary...it just kind of took the pride of dressing as a nurse away because i just look like everyone else....I know what the real accomplishment is, is ability to care correctly and knowlegably for my patients not the fashion design. It would be nice to be group uniformed with other nurses. i worked hard and this is what WE all accomplished (i'm not putting down non personel either) I'm just suggesting continuity for pts and visitors to be able to identify their nurse and a sense of comradary..JUST NOT WHITE It's see through underware, bras, tatoos: Yuk!

Also, one more incident to add: When I was doing my rotation at L & D, everyone wore the same color scrubs, including enviromental services.. As a student, I was sitting at the desk doing some charting and an ES personell was nearby. She had no broom or mop or whatever in her hand and some family members came down the hall asking her where their mom-to-be was and of course she pointed to me and I was able to help and not more than 5 min. went by and a doctor's office assistant came by with some medical records on one of our clients and was about to hand them to the enviromental services person, not even asking if she was a nurse here (they were in a hurry) and i immediately got up and told them politely i would take care of them. What do you all think of this????

Theresa

[mother/babyRN]

Well, then I think docs shouldn't be able to round in plain clothes....

[purplemania]

The question is a little vague. A dress code should be required, IMHO, but a uniform code should not. Having expectations of neatness, type of shoes, jewelry, etc. is appropriate, but I would not like to be told I had to purchase certain uniforms of specfic styles and colors. What if you float to another unit or work extra on another unit?

[mother/babyRN]

Thats how I feel too...

[BobFromER]

IMHO I think some uniform guidelines are necessary to protray a professional image. We have some staff members who would come to work in shorts and sandals if they could get away with it.
I would add that I think that a hospital should PAY for the level of uniform that they desire, either by clothing allowance, or uniform (scrub) exchange. In this biohazard awareness, I'd sure love to leave the bugs in the locker room and have a fresh set to wear next time.
I was in the firefighting business for 25 years and they were very specific as to what you wore and how it looked, but they gave you $750 a year to make sure it was covered. Of course, that was negotiated in a contract, which few nurses have. (A whole 'nother thread, for sure!)

Bob From E.R.