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by Christie RN2006

The hospital where I am about to start working has just created a policy regarding uniforms. All employees have specific colors that they have to wear. All new employees have to start immediately and current employees have till January to start wearing the new colors. The colors that they have picked for RN's are white and light blue. They are going to do this for many different reasons, the biggest one is that so nurses are easier to recogonize. I think it is a great idea, but I sure wish they would have gone with some different colors!! I have the worst luck with wearing light colors while working! It never fails, if I wear a dark color I get nothing on myself, but as soon as I wear a light color I get something on it. I have one uniform that has an iodine stain on it that I can't seem to get out no matter what I try.

What do you think of this new policy? Do any of you have specific colors you have to wear? Also do any of you have suggestions for how to get stains out of uniforms?

[Larry77]

Re: Uniforms

Personally I like that idea...makes it easy to tell what people are quickly.

As far as stains go I use Hydrogen Peroxide to get blood out and hair spray to get ink out, other than those I just use spray in wash.

[TheCommuter]

Re: Uniforms

A few months ago I worked at a nursing home that required nurses to wear blue scrub bottoms and the CNAs to wear maroon scrub bottoms. However, the facility did not really enforce the dress code too strictly.

[kit3375]

Re: Uniforms

At the hospital where I'm employed we too have to wear white. The CNAs wear orange. This all came about because we had some CNAs who were messing with the IV pumps and doing other things out of their scope, so now the patient knows who is a CNA and a nurse. I think this is a good policy, but I too hate the white. It can get really dingy and make you look unprofessional.

[Jesskanurse]

Re: Uniforms

For us it is a unit by unit thing. I'm not sure about the other units but as of 10/1 in the ICU I work we are to wear Royal Blue. Of course we can wear white with it as well. Light blue is easier to find in the catalogs than Royal Blue I think!!

[RealNurseWitch]

Re: Uniforms

That's what I love about where I work... we can wear *anything*. I mean, ANYTHING, as long as we don't wear open toed shoes or any clothing that is "inappropriate" or sexually suggestive.

But, when I worked in a Med/Surge hospital, there was somewhat of a dress code, for a while. RN's on the two Med/Surge floors were generally allowed to wear any coordinating top and bottom scrubs. Techs were supposed to wear navy blue or khaki bottoms, but could wear any coordinating tops. RN's AND Techs on the OB floor were supposed to wear solid spring green or lavender. ER nurses generally wore royal blue.

Then before I left, the dress code changed, and basically any nurses and techs in the hospital were allowed to wear any coordinating scubs that they wanted, just no bottoms with prints. I liked being able to wear any kind of scrubs I wanted, but I wasn't crazy about the fact that you couldn't tell anyone apart.

[AfloydRN]

Re: Uniforms

Our hospital has a specific color code for staff too. All RN's wear royal blue/ white. Pca's tanetc... Funny thing is patients don't know that. They still ask who is who.

[sharrie]

Re: Uniforms

In the UK it is standard practice that we have strict uniform policy which distinguishes between the different roles. In my hospital qualified nurses wear white tunics with royal blue eppulettes, unqualified health care support workers (nursing assistants) wear white with green eppulettes. ward managers wear all navy uniform.
Nurse practitioners wear navy tailores scrubs with an enbroidered badge with the hospital name and nurse practitioner with thier speciality on it.

Physios have white tunics with navy piping, occupational therapist have green piping and pharmacy assistants burgendy piping.

I have worked with a uniform policy in fact when I qualified we were still wearing dressed, starched hats and aprons - and I am not that old really. I like the uniform it gives a clear message to our patients who we are and what we do, and as someone that works between many wards I like to be able to identify who the nurses are quickly so I can speak to them about my patients.

[blueeyedgoose]

Re: Uniforms

Though not a nurse yet, second semester ADN, I would love it if we went back to wearing caps. Not to change the subject here but how much does it cost to take the NCLEX? I was told that it was $350.00 as of right this moment, and it will probably go up when I go to take mine in 2008.

[santhony44]

Re: Uniforms

I'm not sure about iodine, but rubbing alcohol sometimes gets out some stains.

If you're concerned about spending lots of $$ on uniforms that get ruined quickly, consider looking in thrift stores, consignment shops, and on Ebay for uniforms. Sometimes you can find some very good quality items in very good condition for a lot less than full price.

If you don't like that idea, I think there are some stain-resistant fabrics out there too.