White coats

[ERNurse752, RN]

I have had the privilege of working with many awesome nurse practitioners. Some wear long white lab coats. I've recently heard some criticism of this by people saying that they're trying to look like MD's instead of RN's. To me, the long white coat denotes expertise in a field...and NP's are just that -- experts. What do you folks think about it?

[Charles S. Smith, RN, MS]

Many different disciplines were long white labcoats. Most MDs I know, do not. I wear long white labcoats for comfort. I also where a name badge and have my name and title clearly embroidered on every labcoat. What is the underlying theme behind the criticism from the folks you talked with? Is there some jealosy there maybe?

best chas

[VictoriaG]

The long-standing tradition in teaching hospitals has been that med students and interns wore short white jackets and did not wear long labcoats until they got their MD or DO. Nowadays, this is about as antiquated as wearing nursing caps. All of our surgery crew wear long lab coats whenever we leave the unit. It looks very professional. No one has ever accused us of trying to let on that we are doctors!

VictoriaG

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

GASP!!!

How DARE they? I'll wager they don't walk two paces BEHIND either!!!

Poot on the criticizers.

[donmurray]

I hope they don't wear them with the collar turned up, pretending to be surgeons!

[ERNurse752, RN]

I've heard more MD's criticize NP's wearing them than nurses...poor, tiny egos that they have...

It's not a widespread thing, but I just wondered if anyone else has heard people gettin' their knickers in a twist over it

[mattcastens]

So what! Let them pretend to be doctors ...

If they pretend to be from the LAB, though, then there'll be hell to pay!