What to wear to clinical?

Specialties Educators

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Specializes in Critical Care/Teaching.

I have been teaching for 3 years and and each year I change my attire to wear clinicals. First year I wore just what the students wore, and I blended right in. Second year I wore all white, hated it because it would get dirty and being so pale it washed me out. This last year, I wore professional clothes with a lab jacket, which was fine, but uncomfortable around patient care....

any thoughts on what you were to clinical?

And one more thing, a new faculty member when she taught theory wore scrubs...does anybody else do this?

thanks, brandie

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Specializes in ER.

all of my instructors in nursing school wore scrubs and a lab coat to clinical, they seemed practical and comfy!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ER, L&D, ICU, OR, Educator.

I wear comfortable casual-dress pants, a simple top, a white lab coat, and comfortable shoes.

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Our instructors were comfortable clothing and a white lab coat. We used to all wear white uniforms, but felt we were not being given the respect and recognition by facility staff because we blended in with the students. It seems that the change to the white lab coat and comfortable dress has helped. Sometimes, I will wear scrub pants with the white lab coat.

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I wear scrubs and white lab coat with credentials and name on coat. Also wearing ID badge with Name and credentials on this is plus. I do not wear same color as students also tends to have me stand out as instructor. Introducing myself to staff is a big help, so they know me by sight.

:nurse:

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Specializes in ICU, oncology/organ transplant.

I wear scrubs and a white lab coat that usually comes off about 2.5 seconds after being in a room! I try to keep my jacket on for the first few weeks in a new facility so that the staff nurses can differentiate me from the students but it is so cumbersome!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I used to wear business casual with a lab coat. But then I got very warm with the lab coat over it, and if I needed to get 'down and dirty', I'd take off the coat, and was left in regular clothes!! So nowI wear scrubs and a lab coat. I try to keep the scubs very non-descript (ceil blue usually). I used to be mistaken for a student, now I get mistaken for a doctor (resident, I am assuming).

Theory is another issue. I have major wardrobe issues, trying to keep it professional, yet comfortable (and affordable). I am not a blazer kind of gal (I feel like a kid playing dress-up), nor would I be able to keep it on (our classrooms are sooo warm, and I get very warm up there anyway). I wish I could wear scrubs, it would be easier.

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Specializes in ICU/Cosmetic Sx/Lasers/Education/School/.

I wear my comfortable scrubs and a lab coat with my name and creditials on it so they can see that I am the instructor and not the student (especially since I am young and look younger than my age 30, at first they thought I was a student and 19 ha! ha!). I also wear my college faculty badge and my hospital badge that says Clinical Instructor and my credentials. It works well!

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Scrubs and a lab coat. I need the pockets to jam my hands in so I won't be reaching in and taking over when someone is learning something verrrry slowly.:chuckle

The coat makes me look different from the staff nurses (also in scrubs), and easy to find.

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Specializes in ER; GI lab; clinical instructor, IV RN.

I've only taught for 2 semesters, ADN RN nursing students at community college. The first few weeks, When I wore my normal work scrubs and a name tag w/ faculty ID, I used to be mistaken for a staff nurse on the unit working "registery."

When I wore all normal work scrubs and a white lab coat, my faculty evaluator reported me for being a poor role model, since my students have to wear ALL white. "There was TOO much color" was on my evaulation as a clinical instructor. The positives were that they liked my teaching style and my students seemed " on the ball." My wardrobe, however, overshadowed my skill as an instructor.

Now, I wear my white lab coat embroidered with my name and RN, MSN, white nursing scrub pants, white shoes, and a colored polo or collar top. My evaluation hasn't happened yet, but the associate Dean commented "they" were happy to see me look "professional."

As for the classroom setting, I used to wear crop khakis and a jersey cotton top with comfy sandals. Once again, a different faculty member stopped me and asked me if I was lost and then apologized because she thought I was a student. Then she commented that I am a role model and professional dress should be considered when teaching in the classroom setting. Students are taught to "model" their mentor, and would I want them wearing casual clothes to an interview?

Needless to say, I am a new faculty member officially being "hazed." Because I literally "modeled" what the other faculty members were wearing. Some wear SHORTS and a Hawaiian shirt to teach classroom didatic. They, however, have tenur. I am adjunt faculty.

My thoughts, on this...Maybe "they" are trying to change the "culture." As a new faculty member, I hopefully will be the new "wave." If they didn't want me there anymore, they'd let me wear my cropped Khakis and then not call me next semester for the job. "They" want me to improve and represent the school as the NEW DEAN's vision of nursing. So I take it all in stride and GO with the FLOW. Go along, Get along. I had to tone down the make up too. If I want to be a rebel, basically, I'd probably have to work somewhere else.

So in summary, see what the other ADJUNCT faculty members are wearing (not the tenured faculty) and model them. When I finally OPENed my eyes, I Did notice the other adjunct faculty wearing heels, pants, button down shirts, or dresses. I was "modeling" the wrong people. I wish someone told me before I was evaluated the first time.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I wear a solid colored scrub set while teaching my med/surg clinicals. I would like to think I do too much bedside care with my students to wear street clothes/ professional wear - gross!

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Specializes in Educator/ICU/ER.

Such a hard question!!

Clinical I tend to wear outlandish scrub jackets with scrub pants and a jewel neck tee shirt. The students can see me a mile away and can pick me out of the crowd. This has come in handy many times!! They run to me when I come onto the unit. We are considering white jackets with our name and credentials for the future. I will go with it, but may not stand out in the crowd at our busy metro hosp!!!

When nursing students are on campus or we are in class, I wear nice clothes. Heels, skirts, dress-pants, jackets. When they are not (meeting days) you will find me in jeans and a college t-shirt! If they do come on campus, the whole campus wears jeans on Fridays, so it is an ok thing.

I do try to model professional dress and behavior. So, if I am in any way a representative of the college, dress clothes/professional dress it is.

I hope this helps!!:nurse:

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