Is there power in the color white?

casualjim · Oct 19, 2006

G'Day,
I think that a uniform colour is not about power but rather about identification as the Nurse set aside from the other healthcare workers in the hospital. And ultimately a uniform should provide professionalism and respect for the knowledge and skills you have as a RN - not power.
Cheers
Keppel

This is fact. I may not be able to speak with authority (yet) to the nursing profession, but in the military and pretty much all other institutions that require a uniform, it's worn for identification. In the military, someone wearing different clothing than you is a potential target. Police and firefighters wear similar clothing so that in the "heat of the moment" they can tell who's who in the zoo without going around reading name tags or asking questions.

I know that I'm operating without any true experience in the hospital, but it seems to me that introducing yourself every time you see your patient, combined with professionally performing "nursing" tasks will more than serve to identify you as a professional nurse.

When the moment becomes so heated that there's no time for things like introductions. I'm thinkin that patient is going to be unresponsive with a whole squad of "trained healthcare professionals" taking care of business on their behalf. We can go introduce ourselves later on when they dont have a tube in their throat.

Just my thoughts.

aloha

Jim

imenid37 · Oct 19, 2006

About the hats: The really old school hats were actually practical- they covered your hair. Somehow, they were gradually reduced to something merely ornamental. I guess today's equivalent of the old caps would be an OR cap. Or, a bandana, I guess. Or a hair net? Anyway, I wouldn't object to being required to have my hair covered, or pulled securely back. Um, as long as I didn't have to wear a hair net, that is...

Today, I saw a young LPN student with a thick flowing mane of hair to her mid back. She put Fabio and Dee Snydder to shame. It needed to be pulled back for sure! I think it really was not professional looking because the hair was everywhere. I don't think any cap known to nursing at anytime in history could have contained those locks!

GR8LVN · Oct 19, 2006

Maybe the word power, is the wrong word to use. But yes, I feel Nurse's in white do receive more respect than those not in white. This is the traditional color for Nurses and everyone (most) associates these two together. I was told a story, where a Nurse was doing home health visits in the "Getto" and this Nurse wore white. The neighborhood "thugs" were very respectful and always trying to give this Nurse presents, they treated this Nurse with the utmost respect.

Quilternurse · Oct 19, 2006

I guess my old fashioned thought behind Nurses wearing a white uniform is more of a respect and professional attitude. I mean... what next... Police and Firemen not wearing uniforms ? Think about it... The White uniform is / was a well earned respectable symbol of a Nurse... much like other professional uniforms. The white uniform had a "healing effect" of its own ... when a patient would see a Nurse in his / her uniform the patient would feel safe and re-assured that he/she was getting professional nursing care. Fact is... Now-a-days the patient really doesn't know who the nurse is unless the patient can see the ID badge.

So... I am curious... how many nurses in this thread actually wore a white uniform during some part of their nursing career? How many Nurses here graduated and then went to work in a colorful uniform ? Did any new Nurses EVER get to wear a white uniform ?

bridge0645 · Oct 19, 2006

Hi all. I'm looking for some opinions on whether you believe that returning to wearing all white uniforms might give us back some power.
Now let me explain power. I've been an RN for 21 years and we (the profession) seem to have gone from "thank you nurse" to being treated less than a house keeping staff (and their role is important in hospitals too). I just find patients, their families, government, even our own supervisors do not treat "hands on" nurses with the respect we deserve.
Please be bluntly honest.

I don't feel like "power" is the right word, but I do feel a "white uniform" is better. I have been a nurse for 15 yrs and white is what I started out with. I feel like as the years went on, so has some of the respect. When the hospital changed to colored scrubs and so forth, you couldn't tell who was who. Then after awhile, the colored scrubs turned into t-shirts with writing on them, and then they became shorter and shorter. The next thing you know, you could see tatoos in places you shouldn't see them and piercings in others. I'm not against these things, but there is a time and place for everything. We are to be professional and at times we have very serious decisions and situations happening. As a patient, would you feel confident that your nurse could make the right decision if she/he was dressed to go party? You would probally think twice and no, you shouldn't judge a book by the cover, but a lot of people do. I'm even amazed at the amount of bad language used on the floors today. You used to be respected if you were a nurse, now you have to earn it and being professional is one way.

GR8LVN · Oct 19, 2006

Dearest Quilternurse,

I couldn't agree with you more. Years ago when I was 18 years old, I was in a severe car accident. Cerebral contusion with short term memory loss and comatose for 7 days. When I was getting well (while is Glendale Memorial Rehab.), I had extreme paranoia and the only thing that conforted me was seeing my Nurse walk in my room. Yes, my Nurse was dressed in white and this is the only way I could distinguish her from other staff. We as Nurses must remember, we are dealing with ill patients and elderly patients and they need to feel safe and secure in their time of need. Not only is the white uniform a tradition, it is a symbol, it is clean and crisp, it is a sign of professionalism. And to answer your second question, yes we wore white while in school. To theory everyday and when clinics started, there too. I am a Licensed Vocational Nurse (3rd Generation).

nurse4theplanet, RN · Oct 19, 2006

There is a power in the association of nurses wearing the color white. However, it can illicit a positive or negative response (white coat syndrome, mental ward, etc.). Personally, I would rather move away from the color war and be recognized by my knowledge, care, and more clearly defined duties (i.e., not having "specially trained" UAPs performing nursing duties). And not having housekeeping/dietary wearing scrubs would also help.

casualjim · Oct 19, 2006

Here's another thought. Most professions that require a uniform, have more than one of them. When I was in the service, I had a fancy white one, a fancy blue one, one that was sort of "business casual" and battle dress utilities and body armor. I wouldnt wear high collar whites and white shoes to a fire fight, nor would I wear BDU to an awards ceremony.

It's really sounding , to me anyway, that patients that are a little older, or maybe LTC/SNF residents really do dig the white. Maybe nurses in that line of work might be more inclined to wear it. Different types of work wear for different types of nursing. What do you think?

Personnaly though,I've got to go with one of the other posters ( I forget who, sorry) when they said that it was the "mandatory" that really bugged him. I've been down that road and I've already told you how I felt about "clothes making the professional."

aloha

Jim

patricelynne · Oct 19, 2006

I graduated from the last hospital-based three year class at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. [Now they have BSN and beyond programs there.]Graduating out of our "blues" into our whites was still a big deal for many of us in the 70s. I loved our graduate cap and was one of two who still wore them in the 90s at Providence. People commented on it AND on the fact that I wore my school pin, above my name badge. Even wearing scrubs I wore my pin. I noted when we were in Norway once, touring the hospital a friend practiced in that all the nurses wore white scrubs, and had their school pins on. Another scrub color meant one was an aide, or housekeeping. The hospital provided the scrubs, laundered and ironed them so no wrinkles. Looked about as good as you're going to get in this day and age of scrubs. The white, to my way of seeing things made the nurses more recognizeable and honored the training and experience. I can pass on the cap now, but I like my white scrubs and pin. Took a lot of work to earn them! I don't mind caring for them as I can get stains out better and iron them. Call me old-fashioned, but I agree w/ the nurse who pointed out the unis that police and firefighters wear---the recognizability factor. I guess I see a way to compromise so people can have their scrubs and whites at the same time!

softstorms · Oct 19, 2006

I have been reading many posts here. Most seem to want white to be recognized as a nurse, others want color to be free of the sigma attached to the white uniform. I think most of us are a little tired of the "quick fix" in hospitals and LTC of putting all staff in scrubs. I have worked in many different areas and I do know that being recognized as a nurse is important.

We have all worked very hard to become what we are and we do not like being confused with the support staff we have. ( I will be the first one to say my support staff is as important to the wellbeing of my pts. as I am) But I will have family member approach a floor tech who is walking by and ask for a bedpan for a pt. Because they all dress in scrubs. Recognition is important for both family members and patients. I do not want the hats and white hose back, but I do feel we should have a uniform that separates us from the rest of the staff.

PDXSN · Oct 19, 2006

Please let's not return to the whites...I look awful in white and the stains, I can't imagine how hard it would be to keep them clean. (I don't personally want to be constantly reminded of the things that might be on my scrubs:barf01:). I agree that if you introduce yourself properly and you take confident, competent care of your patients you will get the same respect. Also I did not get into this profession so people can look in awe at my nice white uniform, I got into it to help people heal and in my opinion white uniforms, normal colored hair, piercings and tattoos have no bearing on that. A warm friendly attitude, a little compassion and a good nursing practice however make a huge difference.

SylviaC · Oct 19, 2006

Hi all. I'm looking for some opinions on whether you believe that returning to wearing all white uniforms might give us back some power.
Now let me explain power. I've been an RN for 21 years and we (the profession) seem to have gone from "thank you nurse" to being treated less than a house keeping staff (and their role is important in hospitals too). I just find patients, their families, government, even our own supervisors do not treat "hands on" nurses with the respect we deserve.
Please be bluntly honest.

I don't think white has anything to do with "power". If you aren't getting respect from your own supervisors, I think the supervisors have a problem. I have found no matter what color you wear if you do a good job of nursing, caring for your patients, answering their questions and making them feel as if they are your priority (which they should be) you will have respect.

They (the facility I work at) has just instituted a dress code. We can wear all white or mix and match white and navy blue. This was done because the higher escehlon thought the patients couldn't tell nurses from housekeepers, but now the maintenace personnel wear navy blue also :nono: , so now we get mixed up with maintenace. No biggy as far as I'm concerned I just still try to do a good job at nursing and most of my patients are very appreciative.

Med-Surg RN:wink2: