Help! I need your feedback, thoughts, and advice. The community hospital I am working at is deciding in June that all nurses must wear all white uniforms. Right now, we all have to wear light blue pants, but we can wear whatever color top we prefer. I am angry by this. I personally feel this is an institutionalized, cold, sterile color. Plus, I feel this is "old school". I am 29 yo female and graduated with my bachelor's degree. I am a professional RN regardless of what I wear. My name tag I wear says I am an RN and I have a license to prove it. I know in college I read articles that it is good to wear solid colors because it is more professional than a scrub top with flowers on it. And most of the time, I wear solid blue, which I like. But for some reason, all white reminds me of the nurses in the early 40s-50s in white skirts, white tights, and a cap on their head. I can't explain it in words, but I feel this is a step back for nurses.
Many of the nurses I have talked to are angry with this, besides the cost of all new uniforms (oh yeah, they are just providing us with one uniform) and trying to keep white clean. In the email, the hospital states it wants a professional look. Yet, this email was only for the nurses. Of course, it is ok for the doctors to come in with jeans. All the doctors I see (and I work 7p-7a) wear many different types of clothing. Should this not pertain to them and the rest of the hospital staff?
What do you feel about this? Has your hospital done this? What should I do? I am thinking of writing a letter of complaint. Do you as nurses feel all white is a cold color? Do you think hospitals should go back to an all white uniform? I think I need evidence based research if I want to write a letter to the hospital administrator of why I feel this should not happen.
I like my job and i am not going to quit if we go to all white. Yet, I feel compelled to state my opinion because of how I feel about this matter, but I want to get other opinions on this matter before I precede. Maybe I am the one behind the times?
It's not hard to launder. It's one load a week, with some attention.
Cold wash with detergent, a little bleach, and a 1/2 cup of original Cascade. Before the rinse, do a hot wash, then rinse. Rinse again with a couple of drops of bluing. You can order Mrs. Stewart's from The Vermont Country Store. The two bottles will last the rest of your life. If it's sunny, use the drier only until the worst wrinkles are out then hang them on the line.
Thing I hate about white uniforms is seeing everybody's underwear! I don't need to know if you are a granny-pants, bikini, thong, whatever type of underwearer. And then there are people that wear colored underwear under white scrubs.
In Israel, except of special units as ER, ICCU, OB, OR etc who wear blue, green and even bordeaux scrabs, the nurses wear white uniform.
In most of the hospital there is a laundry service where you can turn in a pair of scrubs and receive a new one. Anther option that exists in the hospital is automatic vending machine for scrubs, you pass your personl work card and choose the size of the pants and shirt you need, the
return of the scrubs is to the same vending machine.
I understand that John Q Public needs to know who the nursing staff are, one hospotal I worked at instituted a navy blue policy, we could wear print tops but had to wear dark blue pants. This worked out well. As for white, I remember and wore "back in the day" I always had a problem with keeping it clean cause I am kinda messy sometimes. And yes it shows wrinkles faster. My nursing hat was a pain, I loved the design but I have fine hair and it was a pain to keep on the top on my head.
Sorry you will never catch me in white. I am pale and would look dead. I feel white is impersonal and cold. In our facility we wear ceil blue pants and print top if so choosen by the nurse. We also have large badges that go under our ID badges that say RN,NA,MD,etc. The ER nurses wear Navy blue. The aides wear burgandy. The only ones who wear white are our nurse externs, and half the time I can tell what color underwear they are wearing. I do not understand why someone would wear pink underwear under white uniform pants. I think white does nothing to make us look more professional. What makes us professional are neat and clean uniforms in a color that we choose. Professionalism is not determined by color of clothes, but by how we treat our patients.
The hospital where I work part time and where I'm doing my nursing clinicals is color coded. Nurses wear any combination of blue and white (seems to be a common theme from the posts here), PCTs wear black, khaki or maroon, PT wears olive green, etc. If you were to show up in all white, you'd be assumed to be a nursing student most likely, and would be intercepted trying to do your job. As a student during clinicals, I actually don't mind all white as it makes it easy to see who is a student, and all the staff recognizes us. It gets us plenty of help and extra teaching sometimes.
I wouldn't care much for having to wear them all the time though, and the panty issue is a big reason. I don't have much trouble keeping my whites clean as it is now and even the nurses often have white pants or top or jacket, but a little color is much happier, I think.
If our facility went to all white that would be enough for me to leave. I know it sounds silly and even immature, but I hate the white uniforms. I felt like an orderly when I had to wear them in school. Nope, wouldn't do it..........that's where I draw my line.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
many of the nurses i have talked to are angry with this, besides the cost of all new uniforms (oh yeah, they are just providing us with one uniform) and trying to keep white clean. in the email, the hospital states it wants a professional look. yet, this email was only for the nurses. of course, it is ok for the doctors to come in with jeans. all the doctors i see (and i work 7p-7a) wear many different types of clothing. should this not pertain to them and the rest of the hospital staff?
what do you feel about this? has your hospital done this? what should i do? i am thinking of writing a letter of complaint. do you as nurses feel all white is a cold color? do you think hospitals should go back to an all white uniform? i think i need evidence based research if i want to write a letter to the hospital administrator of why i feel this should not happen.
i like my job and i am not going to quit if we go to all white. yet, i feel compelled to state my opinion because of how i feel about this matter, but i want to get other opinions on this matter before i precede. maybe i am the one behind the times?
i think it's just one more attempt to subjugate nurses. i frequently hear the complaint that "we can't tell the nurse from the housekeeper because everyone is wearing scrubs!" so put the housekeeper, secretary, supply associate and everyone else who isn't doing bedside patient care in some other uniform and let the nurses wear whatever color of scrubs they want. we're the professionals, yet we're the ones they're forcing to wear all white. it stinks!
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i wear white by choice.
it's not hard to launder. it's one load a week, with some attention.
cold wash with detergent, a little bleach, and a 1/2 cup of original cascade. before the rinse, do a hot wash, then rinse. rinse again with a couple of drops of bluing. you can order mrs. stewart's from the vermont country store. the two bottles will last the rest of your life. if it's sunny, use the drier only until the worst wrinkles are out then hang them on the line.
that seems like an awful lot of work for one load of laundry. and my front loader is not going to let me do a cold wash "with a little bleach and 1/2 cup of casade" then do a hot wash before the rinse, then rinse twice, the second time with bluing. it just isn't going to happen!
i personally would hand in my resignation effective the date the all white policy goes into effect! nursing jobs are easy enough to find!
Did the management of the hospital in the OP even talk with the RNs working at their facility. Remember we nurses are also customers and our input is just AS IMPORTANT. Now that's a novel thought, RNs having input in decision making. Another thought, can you even have a hospital without RNs? Don't think so. So why wouldn't management listen to their most indispensible customers?
the ER where i worked required everyone to wear navy blue... and now i prefer navy. not as dark as black, doesnt show lint as bad...and no matter what you get on it, you can't really see it...
everytime i see white scrubs i think of nursing school, because thats what i have to wear. i remember when i met my Bf on his ER rotation in nursing school, he looked like the good humor man :)
if you want to wear white, then you should be able to wear it... but if you work in a high-splatter area... they need to provide you with more scrubs free of charge, or change the color...
SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN
10,263 Posts
I wear white by choice.
It's not hard to launder. It's one load a week, with some attention.
Cold wash with detergent, a little bleach, and a 1/2 cup of original Cascade. Before the rinse, do a hot wash, then rinse. Rinse again with a couple of drops of bluing. You can order Mrs. Stewart's from The Vermont Country Store. The two bottles will last the rest of your life. If it's sunny, use the drier only until the worst wrinkles are out then hang them on the line.