Scrubs and Name Tags

Nurses Uniform/Gear

Published

I'm just starting as a HHA with an agency for the second time...but I got rid of all my scrubs from the first round since they no longer fit me, and its been about a year since I worked as an aide, so I'm in need of some new scrubs.

I have one set that sort of fits from my old collection (the pants are a bit too big, but not big enough to fall down or anything), and I have a pair of wine colored pants which I kept out of my old collection as well because they still fit, then a pair of too small but will do for now pair of pants, and 2 tops "rented" from my agency.

I'm going to be working 4-6 days a week since it's M-TH and every other weekend, so obviously I can't have just 3 sets of scrubs, although it seems that I won't generally be doing to do much "dirty work" due to the nature of the house, the residents, and the fact that I'll be working the evening shift. But I'm wondering, how many sets do I actually need? Five? Six? I don't want to be doing laundry weekly, so as I gather up more money I'll get more scrubs, but this is to start out with.

The other thing is I'm wondering how to wear my name tags. I've never had 2 before, just 1...but with this agency you have the regular one with a picture, the agency name and your title, plus a plain one with just your name printed large and in black. Is there any special way of wearing two, or just clip them separately?

0 Votes
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I do laundry every week. I have one pair of scrubs for each day of the week that I work (3 or 4) plus 1-2 spares. (One spare set in my locker at work or in my car for those times when someone vomits, poops or pees on you and one in my closet at home for when the dog jumps on me with muddy paws when I walk him just before work.) I'm required to wear a certain color, a certain style and purchased from a specific website so they have the official embroidering from my hospital. I'd probably have a lot more if I were allowed to wear what I want.

As far as name tags -- just clip the badge on the plain tag pinned to my top. Others wear both on a lanyard. There are some really cute lanyards out there!

0 Votes

So basically I need another 4-5 pairs since right now I have 3. Ugh. Not good timing since I just paid rent!

Doing laundry costs a lot. I live in an apartment complex, and a load of laundry (wash and dry) costs $4. That's $16 a month which is insane when I can get a cheap pair of scrubs for that much! My general laundry cycle is 3 weeks, so only about half of that! If I had my own washer and dryer, I wouldn't mind doing laundry even every other day. Thankfully I can wear whatever color and print I want, as long as it's an "adult print", but right now I'm still broke because I've been working PT for the past year since I've been unable to find a FT job until now.

With the badges, they gave me a clip for each of them, so I assume they want them worn so both can be seen, but it seems nonsensical to wear two of the stretch clips next to each other (or two of any clips next to each other)...I've been playing around and I think my solution is going to be to just wear the one stretch and clip the other tag to the bottom so it's just one cohesive line. I'll also look at what my coworkers do and then I'll have a clearer picture.

0 Votes

I'm a home health nurse. I have 5 sets of scrubs, then do laundry on the weekends. I do have one extra set that I don't particularly care for, just in case. 😁. As for my name tag, I clip mine on the bottom of the v-neck on my top.

0 Votes

Go to a Goodwill store. Usually have nice scrubs for cheap.

0 Votes

There's still a misunderstanding going on with the name tag. I don't have one, I have 2. And two separate clips. There would be no question with just 1...I just don't really know what to do with TWO.

As for scrubs, I ended up at Walmart because the local scrub store was closed, and I need the scrubs now, not in a week like it would take for shipping from somewhere online. If I could go to a goodwill I would...but pretty sure the closest one is about an hour and a half away. And we don't have a single thrift store here either. I now have 5 sets which I guess will do for now, and as I get paid, I'll buy more so that I end up with more like 10 so I don't have to do laundry every week because that's expensive (living in an apartment complex generally means expensive laundry, and for me it's $4/load).

0 Votes
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
There's still a misunderstanding going on with the name tag. I don't have one, I have 2. And two separate clips. There would be no question with just 1...I just don't really know what to do with TWO.

As for scrubs, I ended up at Walmart because the local scrub store was closed, and I need the scrubs now, not in a week like it would take for shipping from somewhere online. If I could go to a goodwill I would...but pretty sure the closest one is about an hour and a half away. And we don't have a single thrift store here either. I now have 5 sets which I guess will do for now, and as I get paid, I'll buy more so that I end up with more like 10 so I don't have to do laundry every week because that's expensive (living in an apartment complex generally means expensive laundry, and for me it's $4/load).

Two name tags seems like overkill. If you can clip one to the other, I'd do that. Or wear one on a lanyard and one on my top. Is one of them a picture badge and the other magnetic to swipe in and out of something? Wear the picture on your top and the other on a lanyard. Or one on your top and one on the waistband of your scrub bottoms, a pocket on your scrub top or clipped to your stethoscope (if you're one of those folks who still wears the stethoscope around your neck).

0 Votes
Two name tags seems like overkill. If you can clip one to the other, I'd do that. Or wear one on a lanyard and one on my top. Is one of them a picture badge and the other magnetic to swipe in and out of something? Wear the picture on your top and the other on a lanyard. Or one on your top and one on the waistband of your scrub bottoms, a pocket on your scrub top or clipped to your stethoscope (if you're one of those folks who still wears the stethoscope around your neck).

I agree 100% that 2 seems like overkill. I get that these people are old and probably can't read my name on the little tag, but there are 6 residents and 2 of us per shift, so I'm sure they'll learn quickly.

Neither is magnetic, they're just your run of the mill plastic badges that look like credit cards. Currently I have them together on 1 reel, and if that's not acceptable, I'm sure I'll see what is when I go for training tomorrow.

0 Votes
Specializes in Med/Surg, Gyn, Pospartum & Psych.

Please wear clean scrubs daily. We don't really need to mix and match hospital contaminants even if your patient (and scrubs) "look" clean. So the answer to how many sets is simply the number of days you want to go without doing the wash.

0 Votes

So I don't really know why they gave us both nametags...most of the girls just have the one with their name written in big letters on, and the others have both clipped together. I have both clipped together.

Right now I've got 5 sets of scrubs which is alright since I'll be working 4 days a week and every other weekend, but my weekends don't start until after I get a good paycheck, so I can buy a few more sets then. I eventually want to get up to 2 weeks worth. Weekly wash is just too much. But until I get more scrubs, my mom reminded me that I can use their washer and dryer so I'm not wasting $4 on just scrubs and undergarments each week. Because if I have to go out before work, I'll be in my scrubs, and on my days off, I'll either not leave the house and wear pajamas all day, or wear things for such a short period of time that I don't need to wash them after just 1 wear.

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment