What to wear on a unit where nurses wear street clothes and not scrubs?

Specialties Psychiatric

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Hi all,

I have just been hired for my first job (yay!) I will be working in a psychiatric inpatient unit. The nurses on the unit where street clothes instead of scrubs. This seems to be common for psych units in my area, as I think it's supposed to make the unit feel less institutional and therefore less intimidating for the patients, most of whom are there involuntarily.

Does anyone here work on a unit where scrubs are not worn? If so, any wardrobe advice for a new grad?

I usually wear jeans and sweaters or blouses with a scrub jacket but I have gradually started to wear scrub pants sometimes and t-shirts. I tend to NEED pockets. Where I work it is scold-worthy to wear anything around your neck that can be used to choke you. They don't even like the velcro break-away kind since it can be snatched from behind...so I need deep front pockets for my keys, pens and report sheets. Jeans or casual pants work better than elastic waisted scrub pants for my pager if I'm on the support team. I don't wear skirts or dresses because I can't move well in the event of a struggle putting somebody into restraints or breaking up fights...nurses have to get too involved unless you are in management. ;) Another tip, keep a change of clothes in your locker. I had a patient snatch my shirt once and tore it down the front. I've had grape juice thrown in my face. There's also the dreaded spitters or urine-feces flingers. It's just nice to be able to change if you need to. Not that ANY of these things happen often but I've been in psych for 8 years now and there have been times....

HR should be able to tell you definitively, but in my facility (a residential home, not hospital) it's basically business casual. Think non-denim pants and nice-ish tops. We can even wear tee shirts as long as they don't have writing on them. Just not jeans.

Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

I wear jeans in the cold weather and capris in the hotter weather and always a scrub top. I need the pockets and don't want to associate my home clothes with work. I also don't mind as much when I get stuff thrown on me or things ripped during codes. I have a very boring selection of tops I've been wearing for 2 years. I keep telling myself that I'll buy new tops, but never do. One day.....

Where I work it is scold-worthy to wear anything around your neck that can be used to choke you. They don't even like the velcro break-away kind since it can be snatched from behind...

Ours have to have the break in the middle (halfway between your neck and the bottom of the lanyard) for that reason. Really hard to find so most of us make our own or just carry our keys in our pockets. Yet another one of those things I NEVER thought of pre-psych...

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

I have a lanyard that breaks into four pieces when pulled, and each piece is really too small to do anything with (for most people anyway...because we all know that those who are truly determined WILL find a way to hurt themselves with anything).

The problem is that after 3 years, it's finally starting to fall apart and it's a difficult breakaway lanyard style to find :(

Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.

The last mental health unit I worked on, we wore street clothes. I generally wore business casual attire, polo shirt and slacks. As far as shoes, I wore athletic shoes that could pass for casual shoes (solid black, no stripes or trim). The last thing I wanted was to get into a restraint situation or having to deal with a combative patient and not be able to get any traction. You have to remember where you are when you are choosing. Leather soles aren't a great choice.

Specializes in mental health.

I wear scrubs.

Specializes in Cath lab, acute, community.

At the psych ward I used to work at the nurses who had been there longer wore jeans and other less formal clothes. The doctors wore more formal business attire. The new grads tended to wear more formal clothes, such as business pants and a less formal blouse, and then as they became more comfortable their clothes reflected that.

You need to look respectable, and please make sure it is very conservative. We had one new grad who had her chest exposed for everyone to see, and it was so unprofessional (but she didn't realise!) that the NUM had to take her aside and get a cardigan for her to borrow. Also, remember closed shoes for OHS reasons.

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
You need to look respectable, and please make sure it is very conservative. We had one new grad who had her chest exposed for everyone to see, and it was so unprofessional (but she didn't realise!) that the NUM had to take her aside and get a cardigan for her to borrow.

I tell the newbies to dress like they're going to church or if they are not religious, how they'd dress if they are going to court. If that's too much for them, then they should stick with the (not too tight) scrubs.

Specializes in A myriad of specialties.

Go to GoodWill and invest in some jeans, t-shirts(inexpensive clothes). Then when you have to take a patient down and seclude him, or deal with those violent patients who throw feces on you, you won't be ruining good clothes.

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