Scrub requirements

[JamesCohen]

The hospital I work at has recently color-coated the nurses uniforms. Now, unlike before, each department in the hospital is assigned a different color. Are any other hospitals beginning to do this as well?

[Cherybaby]

A lot of other hospitals are going to the color coded system. Supposedly, this is to help patients differentiate who the nurses are as opposed to other staff, like techs and housekeeping, etc. However, it hasn't been shown to work necessarily, as patients don't really take the time to know who is who based on their scrubs. It helps other staff members know, though. Isn't a bad thing, I suppose. I prefer when people wear scrubs that are bright and reflect the personality of the wearer though. Makes for a nicer atmosphere when people can wear what they choose.

Here's a good thread on color coded uniforms:

https://allnurses.com/nursing-scrubs-uniforms/color-code-all-306811.html

[sh1901]

I am still in school, so I am still forced to wear the gosh darn awful uniform that we have. I will say that I have a lot of nurses in my family and they have been nurses for a very long time. I've seen them go from color coded uniforms, back to whatever scrubs they want to wear and back to color coded uniforms again, and on and on.

It seems that the hospitals get the bug every once in a while to try this out again, and it seems that it never sticks. The nurses in my family work in different hospitals too, so this phenomenon seems to be pretty universal.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

we have been doing it for years . Also, behind our badge is "RN" (or LVN, RAD, RT, etc) in large letters that hangs below the picture ID. This clearly identifies the wearer's discipline.

[redshott]

The hospital I did my phlebotomy clinicals at does the color-coded thing and the doctors office I work at has been talking about everyone being "uniform". Another big hospital in the area (charlotte, nc) does this as well so it may be coming more common...I personally didn't like it but we got to wear hunter green. Most of the nurses wore white and navy.

[SteffersRN87, BSN, RN]

Where I work, RN's wear all white with the option of a colored or white-based printed jackets. The exceptions to that are - ER wears navy blue , ICU's wear steel green, and OR and maternity wear light blue. Postpartum, peds, and NICU can wear whatever they want and are encouraged to wear bright and colorful uniforms. The PCA's wear a light blut top with white pants. The nurse techs wear a yellow top with white pants. The secreataries wear a navy blue jacket and pants with a white top. And, then housekeeping wears navy blue scrubs with whatever kind of print they want. Everyone else in the hospital has a free-for-all.

I sometimes wonder why we even have a dress code. It is so varied. However, I do like wearing white. I feel very professional in it. I work in oncology and have a few white based oncology jackets to wear so that gives me room to get colorful now and then. Best thing is... all my work clothes go in one very hot water load.

[thursmo]

MGH has all one color except for Vendors who get Black Scrubs

[husker_rn, RN]

We wear dark purple; other departments wear color coded scrubs as well. Name tags clearly state name and title. No matter; if you are in scrubs, patients think you are a nurse. I miss wearing the scrubs I like. And purple ain't one of them.

[pinkiepie_RN]

I'm starting as a new grad at a hospital that does this. I'm going to be in psych, so I can of course still wear street clothes/business casual, but dress code for nurses is all white or navy pants with white top. It appears that CNAs/care associates wear whatever scrubs they want and other disciplines clearly have their discipline on their name-tags.

[lavendar]

in our hospital each nurses wearing differant color only OR .CCU.ICU ER nurses wearing same color in each dep.only the important thing Name tags clearly state name and title

[Cinqly, BSN, RN]

I am starting a new grad position in a hospital that has a dress code. Nurses wear light blue (blech). I'm not sure about other positions. I did my nurse tech job at another hospital where you could wear whatever except all black (too morbid, I guess). I find the nurses to be happier if they can express themselves through their scrubs.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

We're actually just getting away from color-coding. Patients said it was too boring.