What do you wear to work?

[Turtle in scrubs]

Hello fellow nurses across the pond!

My better half keeps saying he wants to move back to the UK. I keep telling him I can't because I couldn't wear a dress to work. He says uniforms are changing and that many nurses in the UK wear scrubs now. When we were visiting his mother in the hospital in Wales they were all wearing dresses.

So, just for fun, what do you wear to work?

:smilecoffeecup:

[barrjan]

When i trained and worked as a Staff Nurse in Scotland all staff, Trained nurses and students wore the same white dress, our hats, jackets and name badges were blue, if you were a staff nurse or student, green if you were an EN. If you were an auxillary nurse your dress was grey with a white hat and red jacket. We were not allowed to travel to work in our uniform and we had changing facilities on site. Looking back that was so good, i didn't have to wash my dress and starch and iron it, and you did not have to take the hospital smell home with you. When i was living in Winchester i wore the uniform that is pictured. I only had two tunics and one pair of trousers. ( i worked part time)I had to wash them at home, wear it to work and come home in it as there were no changing facilities, the staff toilet was not always a good option as it was shared by two wards. I think nurses in the South of England have always washed their own uniforms, i could be wrong, but one of the Sisters on the ward had been their for a over 20 plus years and it had always been that way.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

I lived in the north of England and even as a student we had the option of sending to the laundry or wash own. I found it easier to wash own and less likely to not get them back in time or get stolen. Eventually the hospital did away with changing rooms leaving no option to travel to and from work in uniform but I would not wear them out shopping if I had to go shopping, would go home first and change.

[Whisper]

we have no changing facilities or laundry at work, We are allowed to travel driectly to and from work in uniforms, as long as it is fully covered.

They are currently completing a new build, and when we move we should have showers and changing rooms at work.... but still no laundry:(

[nightmare, RN]

Now as long as we wear the trust colours you can provide your own trousers. I wear my own because the ones supplied are made for people who are less than 5 ft 7 so I look like my trousers have had an argument with my ankles.

this is an interesting concept and I wonder where the funds are going to come from to finance the initiative.

I don't mind too much as long as I don't have to wear pink

:chuckle:chuckle:chuckle Pink was our old Staff nurses uniform,I hated it.Much prefer my navy blue.We have to buy our own uniforms and launder them.We changed over from dresses to tops and trousers about 10 years ago and I wouldn't be happy going back to dresses.I'm the opposite of Sharrie,I always have to cut about 3-4 inches of the bottom of my trousers as I'm only 5 ft 4!

[RGN1]

Most hospitals give you the choice of dresses or tunic and trousers now.

This is exactly what I wear!!

Although I confess to having one dress in my closet for those hot summer days!!

We pay a deposit of £25 & get that back when we leave, which I will be doing soon :-) We launder ourselves.

[MaryAnn_RN]

We have a choice. Dress or tunic/trousers, and if you work in ICU/HDU then scrubs are an option. Most of us are wearing scrubs.

An email at work has offered us the 'opportunity' to purchase more uniforms. We can buy dresses for about £8.50, and scrub sets for about the same.

The uniform policy is being rigorously enforced and we have been told that Crocs are not allowed, even the professional version. Instead we have to have either shoes or black trainers :eek:

[Chixie]

My hospital wears burgendy, white or gray. Most of the nurses wear dresses but the tunic and trousers options are there but most dont bother with them as they are such a hasstle to get hold of. There is a waiting list as long as my arm and right at the bottom of the list is us students so we are stuck with white,see through dresses with purple belts and epulets but our university is starting to provide our uniforms which will be tunic and trousers but no dress option (id like to see there being an option as its gets so hot)

We arent allowed crocs either because ' they look unprofessional' 'have holes which a needle or body fluid could go through' but the best one ive heard so far is that crocs can cause a build up of static electricity which ' could harm patients or equiptment' We arent supposed to wear trainers or ballet pumps/flats/backless shoes either.

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

My hospital wears burgendy, white or gray. Most of the nurses wear dresses but the tunic and trousers options are there but most dont bother with them as they are such a hasstle to get hold of. There is a waiting list as long as my arm and right at the bottom of the list is us students so we are stuck with white,see through dresses with purple belts and epulets but our university is starting to provide our uniforms which will be tunic and trousers but no dress option (id like to see there being an option as its gets so hot)

We arent allowed crocs either because ' they look unprofessional' 'have holes which a needle or body fluid could go through' but the best one ive heard so far is that crocs can cause a build up of static electricity which ' could harm patients or equiptment' We arent supposed to wear trainers or ballet pumps/flats/backless shoes either.

We call the crocs with holes vomit filters

[barrjan]

I remember back in the eighties when we were wearing white dresses and we had to wear white moccasins. I remember it was hot one year, i was a student and we decided that it was far too hot to wear our tights and we were told off, and were told that we had to wear tights for the prevention of perineal droppings.

[Turtle in scrubs]

I gather there are no local uniform stores you can pop into to buy your own?

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

All our uniforms are issued by our trust so no need to buy your own as you have to conform to the dress policy anyway.

[karenG]

when i trained we had to wear white dresses with american tan tights and black shoes.. we had a laundry and heaven help you if you left the hospital in uniform. only nurse living in the nurses home were allowed to wear uniform to and from home (the home was about a 2 min walk away from the hospital) and we had the old fashioned black capes with red lining to wear over our uniform. I still have mine!

now I wear a suit- black trousers, black shoes, white shirt and jacket.