Score one for standardized scrub colors

Nurses Relations

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A year ago, I went to an Urgent Care clinic that my employer had just acquired. The treatment was OK, but I was disappointed to see Medical Assistants calling themselves "Nurses" and being referred to as such by coworkers - a common practice in clinics.

Since then, my employer decreed all job functions would have standard uniform colors. I was fine with the change, but many coworkers sure raised a hue and cry.

I went back to that same Urgent Care today. Since my last visit it had been expanded into a full 24 hour Emergency Department/Urgent Care clinic.

I immediately noticed they had changed to the standard colors as I knew the role of every single person I interacted with. An RT checked me in and an RN took my vitals and information. After a fairly long wait (expected) an RN escorted me to the exam room where a Medical Assistant (who introduced herself as a Medical Assistant) verified my information.

A tech arrived and set up the suction canister that had not been reset properly after the last visitor. A HUC then came in and verified my insurance, employment, and address information.

The MD, in generic blue surgical scrubs, was the only person I ran into without a standard uniform - which was not a problem.

As a patient, I greatly appreciated the changes - especially the ending of the non-nursing personnel calling themselves, "nurses." The standard uniform colors were also appreciated and I think did a lot to stamp out the "role confusion" of MAs/Nurses.

Thanks!

The scenario you are describing never happened, was never an issue, and is purely a product of your imagination.

I suppose you are trying to be facetious or amusing. You failed.

The nurses weren't fraudulent. Just like the MD wasn't being fraudulent. If we're preventing fraud by making the people who weren't being dishonest change, then why not make ALL the people that might be impersonated change?

Specializes in Med-Surg.

Pedi pts and their families...just sayin'

As long as you communicate clearly, hygienically sound, and present your title, and your care, then your all good.

I've been taken seriously in cartoon prints, prints, and solids. :yes:

Hey, my favorite scrub top is Scooby Do. And I have never had a patient disregard anything I say, or be disrespectful because of the images on my shirt. In fact, on more than one occasion (surprisingly, usually with adults!), it has broken the ice. Start the shift with a laugh. I mean, if I know what I am talking about, the patient won't care one bit about looking at Scooby. And on several occasions with patients who have dementia, they remember Scooby way better than my name!

Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
Hey, my favorite scrub top is Scooby Do. And I have never had a patient disregard anything I say, or be disrespectful because of the images on my shirt. In fact, on more than one occasion (surprisingly, usually with adults!), it has broken the ice. Start the shift with a laugh. I mean, if I know what I am talking about, the patient won't care one bit about looking at Scooby. And on several occasions with patients who have dementia, they remember Scooby way better than my name!

This is obviously going to be an area of disagreement and that is fine, I have no intention of starting a fight. I worked on a adult telemetry floor. There was one nurse who regularly wore a Scooby Doo top. Another often wore a tinker bell top. Some people may like it. If I were a patient, I would be a little turned off by it if my nurse were wearing such a top and I was on the unit s/p cath.

Another example would be if I were just waking up in the PACU after major surgery and I see a nurse hovering over me with Sponge Bob scrubs. For me, not the most reassuring image. Then again, just my opinion, feel free to disagree.

This is obviously going to be an area of disagreement and that is fine, I have no intention of starting a fight. I worked on a adult telemetry floor. There was one nurse who regularly wore a Scooby Doo top. Another often wore a tinker bell top. Some people may like it. If I were a patient, I would be a little turned off by it if my nurse were wearing such a top and I was on the unit s/p cath.

Another example would be if I were just waking up in the PACU after major surgery and I see a nurse hovering over me with Sponge Bob scrubs. For me, not the most reassuring image. Then again, just my opinion, feel free to disagree.

I think it's weird in a non-peds unit, but as a peds nurse, I love my fun prints! I'm at a new place that allows me to wear them again and it really makes me happy. If you dig deep in my posting history though, prior to working in peds I've posted about how unprofessional and dumb I think they look, lol. How far I've come....I am on the search for Finding Nemo scrubs now.

Anyway, as for as uniforms in general, my main two complaints are that I get bored wearing the same color every day and I really think printed scrubs make a big difference in pediatrics (toddler/preschoolers in particular seem to warm up more quickly when Tinkerbell is involved). I don't think patients are as aware of them as administration things they are. Personally, I prefer to be able to vary my wardrobe based on my mood and season, but I've lived with uniforms and wouldn't bother rocking the boat over it.

Specializes in Med-Surg.
This is obviously going to be an area of disagreement and that is fine, I have no intention of starting a fight. I worked on a adult telemetry floor. There was one nurse who regularly wore a Scooby Doo top. Another often wore a tinker bell top. Some people may like it. If I were a patient, I would be a little turned off by it if my nurse were wearing such a top and I was on the unit s/p cath.

Another example would be if I were just waking up in the PACU after major surgery and I see a nurse hovering over me with Sponge Bob scrubs. For me, not the most reassuring image. Then again, just my opinion, feel free to disagree.

Well sure, depends on the department, and depends on the patients. I think that those scrubs are fine with kids for sure. And like I said, it sure helped with my little old folks to remember who their nurse was. Just call for Scooby!

I do see what you mean, but at the same time, I don't see why the print on your outfit matters as long as it's not vulgar. If you are competent and how to properly care for a patient, you could come to work in your pajamas for all I care (not that scrubs look real different from pajamas...)

Look, no one gives two figs what color scrubs someone is wearing. What they want to know is on the tag, or at least should be. The issue is nurses have these bizarre feelings about wearing the freaking name tags. Ooooh. . .someone is going to follow them home if they know their name. . .which could be done anyway, even if they didn't know their name.

If you have an earned title and license, be proud of it, and present it. But please know that you don't have to put every freaking letter of the alphabet and certification after you name. It's starts to look ridiculous when people put too many letters after their title. I have heard physicians joke and smirk over this all the time--overcompensation is how it comes off to them and others. Put your title-- license, and maybe one of your most relevant certs, if you want--like CCRN, whatever. I don't usually put it on anymore--just like I don't put PALS or ACLS or BCLS after my name. It just gets to be ridiculous.

A name tag or legal signature is not the place for all of your earned degrees and certs. That's for your CV and perhaps your office wall. But for heaven's sake, put your legal title on your badge. I don't necessarily think it's important to put BSN or MA or whatever, but I'm not gonna fight about it Put whatever your role is and save the rest for your CV, etc.

In most situations, no one really gives a damn. Do you see most physicians walking around with name tags that say John Smith MD, BA or BS, MA, etc? Maybe someone of them will reflect they are mudfuds, MD, PhD, or ScD or whatever, but most don't. It's overkill for a name tag or a legal signature. Your licensed role is enough. Otherwise, again, to most of us, it looks like ostentatious overcompensation.

I mean add the alphabet soup if you will, but if people aren't rolling their eyes externally, know that they are doing it internally--and many of those doing it have their own alphabet soup, which they don't make conspicuous. BTW, IMO, you should be learning for the internal content and knowledge and not to have something to display on some tag or a piece of paper. (I find when people put too much emphasis on external stuff, there are issues of insecurity--like really, you are defining yourself as a person? No. Your education is simply your education. It's not you. You should not be defined by it. Come on. Your extended education should be for your benefit and the benefit of your patients, period. So again, I say hang it on your office wall and put it in your CV, but name tags are for directly relevant titles within instutions.

As for scrubs colors, all I can say is God help those people that are forced to wear dayglo pink, green or purple. Egads.

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