nursing uniforms

[nmb]

Can anyone explain why scrub patterns are so hideous? Big hearts, flowers.... maybe things I might dress a child in but certainly not myself.

[Julie, RN]

I think the "cute" scrubs are Ok for peds and what not, but otherwise when I see regular floor nurses wearing them I am embarassed for them.

I see it as unprofessional.

[leesonlpn]

Well I'll be darned, my stethoscope is hunter green too (matches the green stripe on my cap 'poifectly'!!!. Gawrsh I guess that makes us cuzins:roll

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

Howdy yall

from deep in the heat of texas

I dint even know what color my stethoscope is, I use it all the time, but without looking at it. I dont know.

[Brownbetty]

Being a new nurse, I feel that I should wear solid colors to earn respect from all of the other health care professionals I will be working with. However, I will be working in the NICU starting in August and I am crazy about Winnin the Pooh so I did break down and buy one Pooh Bear top to wear once in a blue.

[Furball]

The cardiothoracic surgeons here wear navy blue suits....so I wear navy blue scrubs to match.

[Mkue]

Originally posted by leesonlpn

Well I'll be darned, my stethoscope is hunter green too (matches the green stripe on my cap 'poifectly'!!!. Gawrsh I guess that makes us cuzins:roll

Yep, it does Cuz !! lol.. I don't have a green STRIPE tho, you are way more color coordinated than ME, shucks.

:)

[Audreyfay]

I'm showing my age. I like and wear white. Perhaps a scrub jacket over (always solid colors), but the white skirt, top, hose, and shoes fit and feel great.

[norinradd]

Does anyone remember when a nurse's uniform didn't mean scrubs? Scrubs were thoughs ugly unisex things you wore into surgery where noone else would see you. I am a guy and liked it when I could wear dockers and a polo shirt, navy and white. Just my preference. I feel like I am in my PJs at work. When I chose to wear scrubs I liked the traditional medical green or light blue.

[deespoohbear]

I have to admit some of the prints are outrageous, but I don't know if wearing "dressy" clothes in the clinical setting is such a great idea either. I like having clothes I can move in, such as scrubs. The polo shirt and trousers wouldn't have enough pockets for me to hold my stuff. I just feel like my scrubs are made for hands on nursing. I am not into flowers either, especially the big ones. The smaller ones with prints aren't too bad. I usually wear white pants and a white top. But they just relaxed the uniform policy so that we can wear colored pants and tops. I would rather see someone in a print shirt that is clean, neat, and freshly washed as opposed to someone wearing a polo shirt and khaki pants that look like they haven't been washed in days. I don't like the denim stuff either for work. To me that is very unprofessional.

On another note, same chorus. What about facial hair for men? We have one male nurse who has a mustache. I do not have a problem with this because he keeps it nicely trimmed. But we have a surgeon that looks like Grizzly Adams. His beard is a joke. And his hair touches his shoulders. To me that would not be real assuring as a patient. I can't imagine our male nurse coming to work like this without getting told to "trim" up. I am not against a guy having a beard or even a little longer hair, but I think when it looks like he just came out of hibernation, time to draw the line. IMHO.

[researchrabbit]

Personally, I am all for comfortable clothing. We really need it in our profession.

Clothes mean different things to different people. Some of my patients would be (literally) freaked out if I came in wearing all white and a cap (I'm in psychiatry).

Professionalism has much more to do with attitude than clothing. I find a uniform distances some patients. Sometimes this is a GOOD thing. Sometimes it's not. I've been known to wear a lab coat when working with a difficult male or a psychotic patient.

A uniform or scrubs or street clothes can be seen as just another tool of the nursing profession. It pays to be sensitive to what YOUR patient population needs. Of course, if you are uncomfortable wearing something, your patients will know that and interpret it wrongly and you will not get the interactions you want.

Patients should feel safe with us...sometimes that means an all-white uniform. Sometimes it can mean cutesy scrubs or even something a little bizarre (heck, wear all the grim reapers you like if your population is Hispanic and it's the Day of the Dead...don't think it would go over too well in a nursing home, though!).

[JailRN]

jail is not the place for cutesy hearts and flowers, Mickey Mouse, etc, plus it's not my style anyway. With the Cmdr.'s blessing, I wear black scrubs with gold embroidery, name, title, jail medical, etc on them. Hides the dirt, the fingerprint ink, etc. And we're different enough that the inmates don't confuse us with police, or jailers. Plus, where else can you wear pj's to work?? And none of us here are silly (or flat) enoug to have our bellies showing. (or our thong panties.) Hey, maybe she should get a belly button piercing!! That would keep the troups happy.

[JailRN]

Oh, and yes, I wear black SWAT boots, too. The inmates shine them for me. Also have a black flak jacket with MEDICAL on the back, name, rnak, etc on the front.