[KatieBell]

I really do not like whites, but I am starting to think that perhaps it is a necessity. I always introduce myslef as a Registered Nurse...but many people do not introduce themselves, and I've had many a patient think the CNA was a nurse and wonder why the CNA did not medicate the patient when asked etc.

The hospital I'm contracted with now just came out with a policy of wear whatever you want, but only LPN/RN can wear white...nice idea but no one is going to be doing the white thing....

Hydrogren peroxide works well for me for cleaning my white pants. It doesn't turn things as yellow as bleach can.

[yeyababes]

HI! im a nursing student and i would like to conduct a study about the effects of wearing white uniforms vs colored/printed scrub suits in the clinical area especially in the hosptal wards. any1 who knows any reseach about the topic pls... tnx!

[skhercules]

I am completely against whites. If we need to distinguish ourselves as different from the cleaning people (other than the fact that we're not taking out the trash or cleaning the floor with mops) then we should wear a color, or better yet, I liked the previous poster's hospital who had non-clinical people wear dress pants and polo shirts. If nurses still had to wear white, I might have reconsidered nursing school. It makes me think of those days when nurses went into nursing to marry a doctor and didn't have as expanded a role as we do now. If they brought back the hats, I'd probably have to find a new profession.

[FroggysMom]

Originally Posted by mjlrn97

What I don't understand is, why must the NURSES always be the ones who have to change? Whose idea was it to allow housekeepers to wear scrubs, anyway---they're the people who need to wear different clothes. Nurses and aides should be the only staff wearing scrubs.......lab techs, unit secretaries, housekeeping staff and other ancillary personnel ought to wear something else.

At our hospital, housekeeping, maintenance, and dietary staff wear different colored polo shirts and khaki pants; only clinical staff wear scrubs. So how does the patient know who his nurse is? DUH---we tell him who his nurse is! All staff are supposed to introduce themselves when entering a patient room, as well as explain what they're going to do. It's not rocket science, just simple courtesy........why do so many people seem to think we need to legislate that by forcing nurses to conform to some particular color scheme or uniform style??

[jen42]

WHITE?

Nonononononono.

I wore white as a student nurse. I HATED it. Why? Because of leaky babies, vomiting cancer victims, ICUers who just had diarrhea, ER patients bleeding all over the place, neuro patients who can't swallow their spit, and, of course, CHILDBIRTH. Not to mention the spaghetti I might have for lunch and the colored underwear I pull out of the closet because I'm out of white ones. I mean, if the argument is that people can't tell who we are, we might as well start wearing little hats again.

If we have to color-code the nurses- which I'm not sure we do- let's at least have a color that doesn't have to be thrown out the minute we doing anything vaguely messy.

[AuntieRN]

I'm still a student..but...the hospital I work at is color coded as well. The nurses wear a port wine and white or all white, us techs wear caribean blue and so on...I agree with other posters...since when did housekeeping start to need to wear scrubs...I hope we do not have to back to wearing white. I remember years ago as a CNA we had to wear navy blue scrub tops and white pants...Hated it!! Also I hate teal..thats what our uniform for school is..I swore I would never wear it again once I graduated. I did not go to school all these years to have to go back to white...please, please, please don't make me..LOL...

[imenid37]

Colour of the uniform doesn't make any difference. It is truly what's inside. If you are clean, neat and knowledgeable, it doesn't make any difference whether you are sporting Snoopy or starched whites nad a cap. I have seen this w/ pt's. of all ages. I have been a nurse almost 19 years and have worn both types of uniforms. If anything the cloured scrub type of clothing makes us more approachable, but no less professional. Patients do associate scrubs w/ nurses and doctors and to a lesser extent lab, x-ray techs and other allied health professionals. I do agree that housekeeping and dietary do not need to0 wear scrub clothing.

[KrisRNwannabe]

while I am not an advocate of wearing all white, I see how it could be easy to explain to the patient. But.... color coding? what do we do? pass a chart out to the patients when they are admitted? here's a thought only nurses and nurse aides wear scrubs!!! housekeeping can wear black or kahiki pants and polo shirts or something??? same for other ancillary staff. I think this system would work better than color coding. just my 2

Kris

[Jessy_RN]

Originally Posted by KrisRNwannabe

while I am not an advocate of wearing all white, I see how it could be easy to explain to the patient. But.... color coding? what do we do? pass a chart out to the patients when they are admitted? here's a thought only nurses and nurse aides wear scrubs!!! housekeeping can wear black or kahiki pants and polo shirts or something??? same for other ancillary staff. I think this system would work better than color coding. just my 2

Kris

Definitely! It's the most reasonable way to go IMHO. Housekeeping doesn't NEED to wear scrubs.

[future~pedis~RN]

sorry but i think whites are the most professional attire for nurses. People respect that look more and it is comforting to allot of our elderly patients. And as for the "vomit, blood, and leaky babies" ........... What? If u cant see it, its not there?? YUCK!! I feel that not all....but some people forget being a nurse is not just a job....its a profession!!!! Take pride in the nurses who came before you....these brave women fought a male driven society to gain respect, trust and honor to a once "undesirable" profession.
Just one persons opinon....I do respect u all in whatever color u choice to wear