I think cutsey scrub tops look ridiculous on adult units

Nurses Uniform/Gear

Published

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.

It does when you realize that nurses are still widely regarded as women who are there to kiss your boo boos away and not as an integral part of medical health care. Superficially, those scrub tops are (to many of us) not aesthetically pleasing, but on a much deeper level they add to the propagation of that stereotype. That is what is frustrating. You can wear all the ugly clothes in the world, but you have to realize how it affects the image of your profession.

I am not regarded as such. I have tremendous autonomy and responsibility in my role and am respected by the physicians with whom I work. I also respect the LPNs and CNAs with whom I work.

I have already stated that I am a whites-wearer so not only do I believe that appearance is integral to being perceived as a professional but further that I am willing to, in the view of some, capitulate to the atavistic view of nurses as boo-boo kissers.

What I objected to was her contributions being dismissed not because her points were invalid but because it was assumed that she's just some little wannabe aide with nothing of worth to say. That, to me, is objectionable.

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Specializes in Pedi Rehab,Pediatrics, PICU.

I think that patients and parents/visitors all notice what types of scrubs you're wearing. The difference is that many adults don't really comment on them. However adult patients do tend to notice when you're not wearing your usual "cutesy" prints or patterened scrubs and usually ask me what happened to them; so apparantly they like them too. But I do have to admit that I am a pedi nurse; my best scrub moment.... having a toddler following me to the nurses' station smacking the "Patrick" figure from my Spongebob Square Pants covering my but while yelling "look mama, patrick!" I then had the delight of pointing out the other characters to the child. It made the child, parent, and me smile. :p Was very disappointed when the hospital switched to a single stuffy solid color.:crying2:

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
What I objected to was her contributions being dismissed not because her points were invalid but because it was assumed that she's just some little wannabe aide with nothing of worth to say. That, to me, is objectionable.

I agree with this. That said, I'm of the opinion that if there's a thread going on that doesn't interest you or you think is unimportant....skip it! Why does she care that people are interested in having a friendly debate in their free time?

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I agree with this. That said, I'm of the opinion that if there's a thread going on that doesn't interest you or you think is unimportant....skip it! Why does she care that people are interested in having a friendly debate in their free time?

Why has one poorly worded comment now gone for three pages? What does that say about us, that we can't just cut her some slack and let go of it already?

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Why has one poorly worded comment now gone for three pages? What does that say about us, that we can't just cut her some slack and let go of it already?

We're bored?

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We're bored?

LOL! I think you nailed it!

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scrub tops and professional attire is a discussion that does not require the challenges of being a nurse.

true.

but when it is r/t facets of our generally tainted (professional) image, then yes, it does correlate with being a nurse.

many have said that they will welcome her opinion after she has had some experience. she has experience.

not the experience that pertains to being a nurse and its subsequent issues.

i think her comments were a bit ott. however, i think that responses were even more so.

ok, we'll agree to disagree then.

leslie:)

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Specializes in cardiothoracic surgery.
While it may be true that wearing teddy bear scrubs on an adult unit may make patients smile, so would wearing a clown costume. Is it any wonder Nursing has such a hard time being viewed as professionals?

Too funny! Thanks for the laugh!

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
GirlSmiley has certainly been in the field long enough to have experienced the cattiness that can go on. While the aides don't have the same responsibilities as the licensed personnel everything they do is nursing, albeit those things for which one needn't be licensed.

Well, yeah. . . but for once I didn't think we were being catty!! Or even paltry or whiny, (though the night is still young:)). So, it was like, a total buzzkill dude. I reserve the right to devolve my language skills on weekends.

I'm working on my chile relleno tostada, then that cake would be perfect, 2ndwind.;)

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I can tell you're used to being:bowingpur, but I'm not going to do so. Arrogance?:no: 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.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

We were talking about scrub tops. You inserted yourself into the thread simply to share your negative opinion of the topic, and a character assessment of the people who've contributed, as well as make the thread all about you. Next time you think a topic is stupid or catty, I suggest you skip it all together and let the people posting decide if they are being responded to in a catty or unfair manner.

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I agree with this. That said, I'm of the opinion that if there's a thread going on that doesn't interest you or you think is unimportant....skip it! Why does she care that people are interested in having a friendly debate in their free time?

No, I think the question is, why do you wanna know what I care about? I clicked on this link because I have free will. Just as you stated, if I didn't like it, I didn't have to comment. Just like you not liking what I had to say,you had the choice to move on, but instead you joined in the discussion and added your comment, which is your right.

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