I think cutsey scrub tops look ridiculous on adult units

[AZO49008]

The other day a co-worker strolled in wearing a scrub top festooned with furry, smiling teddy bears. On an adult cardiac floor...REALLY? On various adult units I've seen Looney Tunes, Precious Moments, rainbows and clouds, hearts, and yes...oodles and oodles of teddy bears.

I think these types of scrub tops look ridiculous unless you work in peds, in which case they would all be highly appropriate. On one hand nurses are striving to be taken seriously as professionals, yet with the other hand they are taking juvenile looking scrub tops off the hangar.

I'm a guy and pretty much have to wear solid scrubs if I don't want to look like a freak. But I am not motivated out of jealousy to kvetch about print tops on the ladies. If women want to pizazz up their uniforms, I have seen tons of very tasteful, very professional looking print scrub tops coordinated with solid pants.

If I were director of nursing of the world, I would ban dorky print scrub tops.

Okay...talk amongst yourselves.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i can tell you're used to being:bowingpur, but i'm not going to do so. arrogance? my friends and i are having a good laugh at your posts.:hhmth: may i suggest "last comic standing" for you? all of the adjectives you used are totally used out of context which is no surprise since that's how you took my comment. thanks to you and all of the other registered nurses on here who are letting me as well as other cnas that come here know our lowly roles are not to be considered a part of the nursing profession. keep your wonderfully punctuated comments coming. if you are offended by me saying something was "catty", then you obviously haven't read any of your replies or others who feel the need to insult instead of agree to disagree.

grow up!

[CranberryMuffin]

Professional image matters.

Totally agree. This is why I can't stand cutesy tops. This is something I used to lament about with other nursing school friends prior to becoming a nurse. Now that I'm working as a nurse, I feel even more strongly about it. Just the other day, the charge nurse came in wearing a Snoopy top. Didn't exactly scream "I'm in charge!"

[iNurseUK, RN]

Ah well at least you American folks mostly get a choice.

I couldn't wear cutesy stuff if I wanted to (which I don't!). It's the Trust uniform for me along with the no jewellery except wedding rings or plain stud earrings, no painted nails, hair off the collar, black shoes, black socks or tan tights.

UK is in the Dark Ages at times :)

[RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN]

lighten up, op!! i loved wearing cute tops when i worked a cardiac step down unit and other adult med surg units at my former hospital. i also loved looking at them on my co-workers!!! they put smiles on everyone's face including really sick old patients. one of my favorite male nurses wore spiderman daily while working adult med surg. he (spidy) always put a smile on my face. the nurse now works er and continues to wear them.

the only place for mute boring solid colored tops in the civilian world is the morgue!! *ahem* i mean units with mandatory uniform solid colors so that the patients know who the nurses are vs. the aids (i work in such a hospital now).

i politely disagree. not cute when you are hopping on the old man's chest performing compressions or coming in with the md to tell the pt and the family of their grim prognosis. how about the dying pt on a morphine drip? not exactly the place, imho.

i work both adults and children and i prefer to dig out my cute print tops when i work pedi/nicu and wear my solids elsewhere.

[morphed]

What do you guys think about these scrubs? I really think they're beautiful but I don't think they should be worn in a hospital. I wish I could, but I feel like they are inappropriate. They're too casual looking...like a regular top or something...I think that's why they don't really fit in a hospital. I don't mind a print or color as long as it looks "adult" and "professional", but these tops are like the sort of tops that they would describe as "flirty" in magazines. Would any of you wear these?

Koi - The home of designer scrubs

Wild About You Shaped V-Neck Top Scrubs

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

What do you guys think about these scrubs? I really think they're beautiful but I don't think they should be worn in a hospital. I wish I could, but I feel like they are inappropriate. They're too casual looking...like a regular top or something...I think that's why they don't really fit in a hospital. I don't mind a print or color as long as it looks "adult" and "professional", but these tops are like the sort of tops that they would describe as "flirty" in magazines. Would any of you wear these?

Koi - The home of designer scrubs

Wild About You Shaped V-Neck Top Scrubs

I might wear them if I were 30 years younger.

[DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN]

Interestingly enough from a patient's perspective I have heard them say that some of these tops look like "beachwear" or "casual tops you'd see with jeans" -- from the above links.

I feel the same about flowery tops as I do the cartoon etc. ones. Don't like them. Don't think they project the image I want to project. Would prefer if other nurses didn't wear them because I think it lets the side down a bit.

As for the UK uniform -- I kinda like it. When I walk into a British hospital I know who does what.

I am not really all for personal expression at work -- including jewelry, tattoos, piercings, daft make-up a la goth or otherwise or blue hair (or maroon or pink or whatever), religious icons...blah blah blah. So sue me.

[StrawberryBanana]

I see what people mean. I guess it would sort of be like a Doctor wearing sparkly rainbow scrubs or pigtails, I suppose. Fun, but really? Hmmm

[nicole109]

What about the way that we carry ourselves? I digress here for a moment in saying that I might be "of a different generation" and I do apologize if this comes off as offensive to anyone. But, I absolutely refuse to be judged by the way that I look. And, after reading through the vast majority of these posts, it seems as though many people who wear solid scrubs or modestly printed scrubs do so because they want to be taken seriously. I wear what I want to wear because I'm comfortable in my own skin. I carry myself the way that I do in order to be taken seriously. I've never had a patient or family member or co-worker question my clinical skills, integrity, or otherwise, regardless of whether I wore Mickey Mouse scrubs or solids that day (yes I own both and wear both proudly). If I can come to work everyday, and complete my job safely and effectively--then really does it matter what character is on my scrubs? If you don't like them...don't look at them! To each his own, honestly, but please don't try to control what I wear just because you feel that you can only be taken seriously in your profession in solid colors.

[DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN]

Very few people do not judge, in part, on presentation. Those that say they don't judge others on how they look are unlikely to rank very high on self awareness or self honesty or both. One may refuse to be judged but it doesn't really work that way.

How likely is a patient, reliant on a nurses' care, going to say, "you need to rethink the dappy scrubs". Not many. Why would they risk offending their nurse?

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

I volunteer at a hospital that no longer cares for peds, yet I have seen medical staff (which I no longer can tell who the heck is a CNA or nurse or tech anymore) wearing Mickey Mouse or Dora the Explorer scrubs on med/surg units. It looks ridiculous!

[Scrubby]

In my hospitals it's a bit different. The bedside nurses are issued with a uniform which they have to launder themselves, they don't get to wear scrubs. People who work in areas like the OR, CVIU, GI and Radiology have to wear scrubs. These are provided by the hospital and at the end of the day you put your scrubs in the linen and the hospital has it laundered. Only one nurse in my area wears the teddy bear scrubs and I agree it looks a bit silly in a non paeds hospital but oh well that's her choice.

I do wear the colourful linen scrub hats though. I think it makes us look less impersonal.