Color Code for All

[edmia]

So, where I work, we supply our own uniforms. Some units, like L&D and OR, have hospital issued scrubs and each service has a color code.

When I first got hired, I was told that the entire nursing department was considering changing the uniform policy to make 1 color for each service, but nothing was in writing yet. Basically, the policy as it stands is anything goes.

So, since I was a new nurse, I spent quite a bit on scrubs. It was nice to wear some colors and prints after wearing nursing school 1940's styled uniform!

Now, it seems the color code policy is becoming a reality. Some polling as to what color we want started going around. The choices they offered are awful - dark brown anyone?

I'm not against wearing a color, that's fine with me. The only thing that isn't clear is whether they expect the staff to provide their own uniforms or if the hospital will be providing them like they do for the other services that have mandated colors.

I don't feel like spending another couple of 100 dollars on scrubs, so what can happen if I don't follow the policy once it comes out? Most of my colleagues feel the same way. Anyone gone through this transition at their place?

Thanks for the input!

[danh3190]

I agree, with your RN tag idea. We recentally got tags that say "RN" or "GN" or "PCT" in big bold letters at work to wear with our name tags. I think that will be more helpful to pts than color coding. BTW: where I work we can wear whatever scrubs we want.

I work in the same system and agree that the tags are a great idea for people who come in contact with patients and their families. However I've noticed that a lot of people aren't wearing their tags. It's very helpful for me as a new employee to know who it is I'm talking to.

At our hospital we're also supposed be color coded, nurses wearing white except in the critical units where they wear ceil blue. That doesn't seem to be followed all the time either.

[rkitty198, BSN, RN]

We just changed from wearing the same color for each unit to wearing whatever color we wanted. We wear our badge and behind the badge is a longer badge that is colored for each profession- RN, CNA, RT..and so on...

It allows us to have fun with the patterns and colors and since we purchase our own scrubs who are they to tell us what we have to wear? Patients are really receptive to the prints and patterns- especially during holidays-

I think that the staff looks more professional now, as they take pride and responsibility for what they wear...

[Butterflybee]

Im very confused about this. I started a new job as a new grad, when I inquired I didnt get a real answer....they mumbled something about it not mattering and to just wear scrubs. Other nurses on the floor told me to see what the CNAs are wearing and dont wear those. So you can see I havent gotten much direction. I dont prefer prints but dark brown or black but now Im hearing the RT wear black. The tag idea I dont like because even I cant see who is who. Practically have to stare directly at a person just to read a tag, some even turn it over so you cannot see what they are. Why they would do that, I cannot fathom. Why did they go to this color code anyway......

[rkitty198, BSN, RN]

Again our unit is able to wear whatever color we want to. I do avoid the colors of other departments. Prints you can get by with, I too dont like prints, but you can get away with those easier. I would just be creative, wear what you like, that is the idea of being able to pick your uniform! Have fun with it.

Personally I love the new jewel tone colors out right now. Since it is fall and winter is coming up, maybe go neutral on the scrubs and wear a jacket for fun.

I think that only purchasing a few uniforms, and not going overboard will be fine for now, they run out of mileage anyhow after a short time as it is. Maybe only get yourself three uniforms, to mix and match.

[cminmd]

As a newbie I appreciate the color system. I always feel like a perv trying to read nametags! I don't see the point of only nurses wearing a color. The only hospital I have clinic-ed at had everyone in uniforms- DRs were green scrubs (only if they were operating that day) or long white lab coats over street clothes. Nurses were in navy blue, Resp in red, radiology in black, speech and psych wore short white lab coats over street clothes. Physical therapy in "salmon" (totally pink!!) and I cant remember seeing anyone from OT. The only people I felt really bad for were the PCTs that had to wear these G-d awful smocks over navy blue pants. Yikes. But they were free, so that was good with what they get paid. We would always tell the patients- Remember we're all Navy Nurses!

Except us student nurses that were dressed in so much white you could make a patient snow blind!

[TF4L10]

It seems that alot of hospital require nurses to wear navy and/or white. I personally have never been to a hospital where nurses wear all white and it seems a bit antiquated to me. White doesnt seem to fit the idea of the modern nurse professional...just my opinion.

[KansasNurseD]

I don't feel like spending another couple of 100 dollars on scrubs, so what can happen if I don't follow the policy once it comes out? Most of my colleagues feel the same way.

They'll send you home for wearing the wrong scubs, or you'll at least get a write up. My facility also doesn't pay for our scrubs, but they're pretty cheap at WalMart.

[martjohn]

At the hospital system I work in, nurses wear all white. Despite being a magnet for the display of any spills, I like our dress code. I think it looks very professional and there are still plenty of ways to add your own style to what you're wearing despite the color limitations. Since we are such a huge system, many uniform shops in the area have a large white department and even have frequent sales on their white inventory. Many times I've had patients tell me that they appreciate the color code system, (RT navy blue, Lab red, Nursing assistants hunter green) that way they can concentrate on knowing our names and not our role on top of it.

I've never had another job where I could wear whatever I wanted, but I'm pretty glad that I don't. I feel it'd would be embarrassing if a colleague who I'd be compared to professionally were wearing a scooby-doo or cartoon print. For a profession that is still struggling to gain more respect in the public's eye, I don't need Mickey Mouse or kittens playing with butterflies on my co-workers scrub top to battle with.

I can see how this could be a pain if your whole work wardrobe would be unusable in the future. Still, color is color, and does wearing any particular one truly satisfy your need to display your individuality in the workplace?

[yousoldtheworld]

When I worked at the hospital, they switched to one color per role.

Our color was AWFUL - khaki - who wants to look like a giant potato sack? AND the hospital did not buy our scrubs, we had to buy our own.

[CrazyCookie]

where I work, every dept. has a color code of scrubs....thankfully the company provides the scrubs...but it would be nice to wear the scrubs that we would like to wear!

[edmia, BSN, RN]

Well, I'm happy to report that I left the color coded prison I used to work in a few years ago and now work for a hospital that allows me to wear whatever I like. Scrubs have also come a long way in just 3 years and brands like IguanaMed and Koi make it fun to dress for work. Our hospital has adopted the tag with a large RN on it that fits under the name tag and that is just perfect. There is no question as to who I am -- although a lot of patients keep calling everyone "doctor".

[TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP]

i'm against color coding of scrubs -- i went to school, earned a degree and dress like a professional. trying to tell me what color to wear to work strikes me as treating me like a child. i think that would be enough of a reason for the resumes to start going out! hospitals will always say they're "doing it for the patients," but unless the patients have a color chart, they're not going to be able to tell who's who anyway.

it's not for the direct benefit of the patients - it's for the benefit of staff who have to move to different floors (i.e. ed and icu) to drop off patients and/or bail out your asses when your patient crumps. we need to be able to tell who does what when we don't know the floor's staff by sight.