Alternatives to Pajam...I Mean, Scrubs

[NursingAgainstdaOdds]

OK, in one sense I feel lucky that I work in a profession where I can wear such comfortable clothing to work. It's really unrestrictive and fairly easy to launder. My gosh darn shoes are made of some kind of plastic and are super duper comfy.

However, I cannot shake the feeling that I'm going to work in my PJs! This not only affects the way others see me, but (actually more importantly) affects how I see me. I feel like a slouch.

Anyway. Could ya'll please share your alternatives to pajama scrubs with me? Links to pictures are helpful and appreciated!

[SWS RN, ASN, RN]

Carolina-

I love your message...yes, for the love of all things holy and that includes Coban...it's HIPAA.

Hippa and Hippaa are like nails on the blackboard to me.

s

[Fiona59]

I am glad you made that remark about nurses outfit.

Nurses are the only antity that does not want to change. Professionalism does not mean wearing pijama to work, and it is not only seen from inside self but it should also be shown outside by our fashion. I have seen my fellow nurses to dare to go straight from work to grocery stores and even to church after a shift worked with the same uniforms they have been wearing in hospitals to tx pts. People look at us, and they do not see professionalism, because of the close we wear. Nurses should change outfits. The ideal outfit would be to dress like for example a secretary of an office manager would with low heels at least 1 1/2 inches, or with a clean pair sneakers with nice suits, trousers, beautiful dress or skursts and a lab coat or blouse on top. And, nurses should not be wearing their lab coats outside facility but only inside. Each nurses should have at least 5-7 lab coats to wear each a day. Each facility or hospital should have a color coded uniforms, so to not be confused with other care providers. For example MD's, pharmacy and laboratory can steel wear white but nurses will wear such as pink and blue to L&D, yellow to med-surg, purple to Cancer care unit, green to intenive care unit and OR..... and always have a name tag that states your title. This make over would bring a new face and new attitude in nurses and toward nurses. Each morning, evening or night before we go to work, we would try different beautiful and confortable outfit to go to work with, and I am sure this would changing nurses view in the eyes of public opinion.

Ceresk

What do YOU wear to work???

[Batman25]

Just want to go on record and say I will never wear heels to work. My beautiful dresses will be staying home with them. lol

[Dixiecup]

I literally hate scrubs and always have since I became a nurse 20 years ago. I hate looking so frumpy all the time even with well fitting scrubs.

I just graduated from an NP program and I cannot wait to get rid of all of my scrubs and wear normal clothes.

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

In the hospital I work in (in Australia) it is up to the NUM of each ward what is acceptable attire for her staff. While critical care has gone to IRONED navy scrubs with the hospital logo and the division underneath them the rest of the wards are non uniform. Some ward managers are very lax but our NUM a 60 y/o lady who was hospital trained in the UK is very firm and has pulled people up on dress code.

So we all wear navy or black pants or skirts with dark stockings (plenty of us myself included mix it up with pants some days and skirts others) and a collared t shirt or blouse or a t shirt without brands or footy teams across it. I sometimes wear a fitted scrub top with a floral print on it and thats ok. But one of our men got pulled up on wearing a shirt that looked too much like a flannel shirt!

O and our shoes are the only thing that are set out in guidelines by the hospital, enclosed, no Crocs /clogs, leather non slip soles. If you have a sharps injury or a fall in other footwear you are not covered on WorkCover.

Our unit is a BUSY HB colorectal surgical ward and it is manageable to rush around in a skirt. I even climb up on beds in them to transfer pts from bed to bed. Best if they are slightly A line and knee length.

[WarmBlanket]

I don't know why we have to dress in a manner that usurps our professionalism and authority. "Uniforms" made us look like handmaidens, and scrubs make us look like we're all about to have a big sleep-over ... REAL convincing when we're going toe-to-toe with a physician that may be compromising patient safety.

I'm trying to convince folks in my facility that perhaps something more professional is in order - maybe "polo" shirts of one color to designate nursing staff over khaki slacks, or HECK ... why is it such a sin for us to just wear casual dress with a lab coat? If a doctor can wear the same thing he wears to the bank, why is it such a affront for me to wear a button up shirt over slacks to work?

The fact that some of us will *bristle* at such a suggestion shows you that what nurses wear to work is all about power ... power we don't have and should have as professionals equally responsible for patient outcomes, and handmaidens to no one.

goingCoastal, I read a few of your previous posts , they were informative and well written. On this subject you might want to reconsider a few points : Uniforms are worn in every spectrum of society, used to identify, to protect workers and quite often to indicate professionalism and authority. Our military, police officers, firefighters and judges proudly put on their uniforms everyday, as I do. What most of them understand is the uniform might show what they are but not who they are. My scrubs allow me to concentrate on caring for patients without worrying that my "professional attire" will be ruined. Integrity and competency can't be repressed by a pair of pajamas.

As for power : I would like the power to leave early for a doctors appointment, or the power to go to the bathroom without asking. These are issues maybe we can all agree on.

[ZooMommyRN, ADN, RN]

Skechers has some adorable tops out I looove

http://www.allheart.com/ck25708.html

http://www.allheart.com/ck25706.html

Baby Phat has cute styles

http://www.allheart.com/ck26813.html

http://www.allheart.com/ck26849.html

Cherokee

http://www.allheart.com/ck2900.html

http://www.allheart.com/ck23955.html

Katherine Heigel has beautiful sets that are sooo soft but hard to find in my unit colors and not always available in white. I wear alot of white because then I just change the color of my pants and I'm good for any unit, I mainly work ER but will work ICU, Med/Surg and I also do Home Health and a bit of agency work at another facility in town and they all have different color dress codes. Pants are usually cheaper than the tops because I love the Cherokee #4101 1/2 elastic 1/2 drawstring flared with slit