Are pattern/print scrubs unprofessional outside of pediatrics?

[OwlieO.O]

This topic has bugged me for a while. I only wear solid scrubs (and would even in pediatrics). I don't have a problem with individuals wearing patterns/prints in pediatrics, but elsewhere it vexes me. I find it quite unprofessional. What do you believe?

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

I don't care about the print. I have printed tops but they are tactful. What bothers me is when people wear the same tops for years and they are worn thin and dingy. BUY SOME NEW TOPS! Seriously, if you can afford those cigarettes, you can afford new tops. Also, please stop showing me your butt crack.

And "walked on" hems of pants. Oh I hate that!

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Whose team is in the AL Championship Series? Just sayin'

Speaking of the Red Sox, at the Boston hospital I worked at, any logo shirts were prohibited, with the exception of Boston sports' teams logos. We do love our teams up here. :)

And whose team has 27 World Series championships? Just sayin'

Where I work in CA, we are encouraged to show our love for the local sports teams. There's even "Spirit Days" where everyone is encouraged to wear a jersey/team logo..and that applies to corporate as well as clinical staff. So if you don't see scrub tops or jerseys, you'll see lanyards, key chains, buttons, hats, shirts, etc.

If you're not a local fan, they do allow you to wear non-local/non-CA stuff as well. The local teams don't really have any big rivals, so there's nothing like the Yankees-Red Sox fan wars going on.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

I dislike holiday scrubs. I don't celebrate any man-made holidays. Seeing scrubs with Santa Claus reindeer, "Easter" bunnies, spiders, or witches offend me greatly. Not everyone believes in mainstream holidays. If its inappropriate to discuss politics and religion at work, then it is also inappropriate to wear them on your clothes.

Really? When I wore scrubs I wore holiday ones all the time. The residents liked it and to me, that's what mattered. My scrubs were well fitting and professional. We do baseball day quite often opening day of Fenway. I proudly wear all my Yankees stuff just to annoy my co-workers.

[chrisrn24]

I just bought a snoopy scrub top tonight!

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

Cartoon themes look cheap to me. I prefer solids in primary colors.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

As for assigned colors to indicate where you work, I like that idea, but I was taught that navy was the traditional RN color. The RN capes were navy, in times gone by. Solid primary colors just look more professional to me.

[nsmith2583]

I agree with OwlieO.O, when I see nurses wearing patterned scrubs it bothers me. In my opinion it looks unprofessional. Holding the title 'nurse' means you need to present yourself in a professional manner and this includes the 'uniform' (scrubs) that you wear to work. Patients don't care about the teddy bears or flowers on your scrubs, they shouldn't be distracted by that, instead impact them with your knowledge and teach them something about their disease. If you wouldn't wear a tweety bird t-shirt, why would you wear it on you scrubs as a licensed professional??? Nursing uniforms used to be all white and in my opinion this is how it should have stayed. At least give your patients, bosses and yourself the respect of wearing solid colored clean scrubs; with APPROPRIATE undergarments ladies!!!

[nsmith2583]

I only wear print scrub tops. Flowers, shapes, cartoon characters, animals, holiday prints...etc. I really don't care what someone thinks of my attire. I'm always clean, pressed, and professional which is a lot more I can say about some of my co-workers who look like they slept in their scrubs. If someone can come to work with a green top, burgundy pants and a navy long sleeve shirt under the top... I think they should keep their opinions to themselves if they think my Snoopy top is childish.

You are telling me you would wear a Snoopy t-shirt or tank top on the street or to a restaurant? If your answer is no, then why is it ok to wear to work as a NURSE? Your job is a place to present yourself professionally. If you work with children I could understand, but other than that, in my opinion, cartoony scrubs are tacky.

[slicksGIRL]

It doesn't bother me as much but I would much rather prefer solid scrubs. I've been wearing scrubs for 2yrs now and they're all solid colors. I do have one top that has sequence of colors.. But I don't consider them patterns. To me when I see patterned scrubs it's jst a turn off. But I have seen some cute ones that I might wear!

[amoLucia]

We do baseball day quite often opening day of Fenway. I proudly wear all my Yankees stuff just to annoy my co-workers.

Philadelphia sports fans are reported as being the most rabid sports fans in the major leagues (all sports). It's like blasphemy to wear other logos not Philly, esp football. Now it's that season, don't even mention Dallas! NJ Giants (my fav) fans are quite prevalent in central Jersey and along the coast, so it is fun to watch the fur fly).

But back to the religious reason for the avoidance of holiday themed apparel, some folk are very strong about it. A few years ago, I tried to give a Christmas fruit basket to my next-door neighbor. She politely declined explaining that she couldn't due to her religion. I mean, she actually took a step back from me. I understood, so I just explained that since it was MY SEASON for benevolence, she could consider it as a seasonal thank-you for acts of kindness rendered. They would bring in my garbage bucket at times, but best of all, her husband would dust off my snow-covered car when he would do theirs. Gift accepted.

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

You are telling me you would wear a Snoopy t-shirt or tank top on the street or to a restaurant? Your job is a place to present yourself professionally. If you work with children I could understand, but other than that, in my opinion, cartoony scrubs are tacky.

I actually have a few faux vintage-looking cartoon based t-shirts, including a Snoopy one. I also have a M.A.S.H. sweat shirt. However, I prefer to wear contrasting solid-colored tops and bottoms. (Light blue top, dark blue bottom for instance.) I do have one patterned top that is kind of Asian-ish.

Also OMG I sound like a hipster with my clothing choices.

[TheHonestNurse, MSN, RN]

At my job we have color coded solids. Chocolate or Khaki for CNAs, Navy or white for nurses, light blue for therapists (pt, ot, rts) and the docs wear green scrubs or anything that they want lol. I prefer the solid colors in a hospital setting but other jobs Ive worked such as SNFs or even a Vets office I wore the print tops. I guess it just depends where you work.