The other day I had an elderly patient approach me. She looked very concerned, so I asked her what was bothering her. She told me she wanted to ask a question, then asked if I was a "Bonified" Nurse or a helper nurse. I could not help it, I cracked up, I assured her I was indeed "Bonified" and took her to a room where she could ask her questions in private.
The next day, as I sat (amazing I was able to find time to sit!) doing the ever-present paperwork we all do, I over heard two sweet patients discussing Nursing uniforms. Both stated they had a very hard time telling the Nurse from all the rest of the staff. While we do have our titles on our name tags, they complained that thier aging eyes could not see the title unless we were practically sitting on thier laps. I began looking around at the uniforms the staff wears. Every single person employed by the company wears scrubs, from housekeeping on up. I suddenly realized how difficult it must be for our elderly, who's vision is not as good as it used to be, to recognise the Nurse from the Kitchen help. They suggested it might be better if the Nurse went back to the all white scrubs and let everyone else wear colors. So, my question is, how many of us would be willing to wear white if it helps out patients recognise us when they need us?
I believe that white uniforms are more respected by patients and also make them feel secure. When they are clean and pressed the patients will always feel more comfortable about the care they are getting. For this same reason I never wear a beard or mustache or let any of my tatoo's become visible to patients.
Nurses should be able to distinguish themselves from others in the hospital When you are ill, everyone in scrubs is considered the nurse. That's just how the public sees healthcare providers. As soon as you choose a color, then others will follow with the same color, diluting the distinguished nurses. So that does not work. I think name badges that clearly have the nurse designation in large bold print help people recognize who is who. It is also important that the nurse introduction should be prompt and repetitive and give confidence to the patient and family/sig other, so that they will know who to contact if the need arises. Patients,et. al should know the proper person to ask questions of and to voice their opinion to. In answer to the white-it is not a good choice, it gets dirty. When you take care of patients in the OR, ED, ICU, where the nurses do all the "dirty" stuff, you would have to change clothes frequently. Patients expect the nurses to be role models of cleanliness, neatness regardless of size, and to carry themselves with an air of confidence, not wrinkled, overly perfumed, greasy haired or slovenly. The public has a certain expectation about their nurses. Fake nails, overly made-up, people do not go there if you are doing direct patient care. Managers, do the same. You are the role models for your staff. Just because you became a manager does not mean that you won't be asked to get your hands dirty from time to time. If you do you send a message of Don't do as I do, Do as I say-and that goes over not so well, and you will end up with employees who do not follow the rules. They look to you to set the standard.
OK, the biggest c/o I am hearing is that whites are at risk for getting dirty....and scrubs aren't? Wearing scrubs will automatically make all those situations resolve themselves and no one gets dirty. Right? YES, whites will SHOW the stains more, but again, I can use BLEACH on them, NOT on my pretty (but more camouflaging) black and parrot covered scrub top. Does not matter if stain can be seen. It is still there ( I am an Infection Control Nurse). Would rather bleach it. That is just my thought... and
I have been a nurse for 24 years and I LOVE LOVE LOVE to wear my cap and white dress and white support hose and polished white shoes. The response from a variety of people has been as follows...Physician "Is that a Halloween costume", "did you get that hat at a garage sale?", from staff "You are putting us in revers to the old hand-maiden style of nursing and I wish you would not wear that!", and from patients......"I love it, because you look like a REAL NURSE, not like you are wearing your pajamas!". The patients have also stated that they feel like they are being cared for better when they see a white cap, and uniform ! We all want the patients to feel good about the nursing staff and that they feel they are receiving the best care possible from us right? Well I tell you what....I will wear whites and the cap every day if that causes the patients to feel at ease !!!! I worked hard to earn that cap and it was "a right of passage" in my day !! We all want the same...respect, and we have to give respect to get it !!! If the patient sees a nurse wearing the cap and whites and gives us respect just for that, well.....what else needs to be said ???? I give the patients that I care for the best possible care that I can give always !! I am not there just for the paycheck not by a long shot !!!! I have enough degrees and experience to be a director or at least in upper management but I LOVE PATIENT CARE !!! I went into nursing to help people get better, not to do staffing or go to meetings. The way I feel when a patient says "you are the best nurse I have ever had.....you take the time and explain things in a way that I understand them" causes me to have the biggest feeling of accomplishment that anyone could ever have. That is the heartbeat of nursing for me !!! I see a lot of young baby nurses jumping right into management after school, and I feel sorry for them because they will not ever, in my opinion have that feeling of WOW, I helped that patient and family get better some kind of way. That is a loss. I think NOONE should be eligible for management until they have been in the "trenches" so to speak for at least 6-8 years, because by then you have a sense of feeling and understanding !!!! Anyway......I LOVE WHITE CAPS AND WHITE UNIFORMS !!! I WISH WE HAD TO WEAR THEM AGAIN !!!!
I would not mind wearing white. My only issue is the money it would cost me to keep replacing them. I could never properly care for whites. I even had to buy two extra sets of those awful school uniforms when I was in school. I didnt stain them, but they got dingy fast.
If there is scrub material that takes bleach let me know. I think the point is that all clothes get dirty during the day. I don't know of anyone other than the OR that has readily available laundered clothing if you need a change. The point to wearing white is that it shows dirt, smudges etc immediately and is not very comforting to see. Personally I don't care, if you're concerned about infection wash your hands and clean your stethoscope and get rid of those stupid cloth covers which are loaded with infectious viruses and bacteria. Also on a pediatric note, they surveyed kids and white was not the choice. They preferred dark pants with printed scrub tops and more appealing to kids in making them more comfortable while a patient.
Specializes in Midwifery, Case Management, Addictions.
I would like nursing to consider a return to white uniforms and caps. It distinguishes us from ancillary staff, which helps our elderly patients a great deal. (My husband has had multiple hospitalizations; the elderly in the hospital settings frequently express that they would prefer nurses to wear whites and caps.) Wearing whites looks crisp and professional and you can *bleach* the uniforms (this is a good thing). An extra set of pants and a top can be kept at work in case of serious stains.
I am aware of the frequent assertion that "whites" make us seem somehow subservient. Where is the logic in that? It's all in the nurse's attitude. There's not a doc on the planet that would make that mistake with me!
One exception: nurses in the Peds units should be able to wear colorful scrubs. Colorful fabrics have been shown to help our "littles" feel more at ease.
I have been a nurse for 24 years and I LOVE LOVE LOVE to wear my cap and white dress and white support hose and polished white shoes. The response from a variety of people has been as follows...Physician "Is that a Halloween costume", "did you get that hat at a garage sale?", from staff "You are putting us in revers to the old hand-maiden style of nursing and I wish you would not wear that!", and from patients......"I love it, because you look like a REAL NURSE, not like you are wearing your pajamas!". The patients have also stated that they feel like they are being cared for better when they see a white cap, and uniform ! We all want the patients to feel good about the nursing staff and that they feel they are receiving the best care possible from us right? Well I tell you what....I will wear whites and the cap every day if that causes the patients to feel at ease !!!! I worked hard to earn that cap and it was "a right of passage" in my day !! We all want the same...respect, and we have to give respect to get it !!! If the patient sees a nurse wearing the cap and whites and gives us respect just for that, well.....what else needs to be said ???? I give the patients that I care for the best possible care that I can give always !! I am not there just for the paycheck not by a long shot !!!! I have enough degrees and experience to be a director or at least in upper management but I LOVE PATIENT CARE !!! I went into nursing to help people get better, not to do staffing or go to meetings. The way I feel when a patient says "you are the best nurse I have ever had.....you take the time and explain things in a way that I understand them" causes me to have the biggest feeling of accomplishment that anyone could ever have. That is the heartbeat of nursing for me !!! I see a lot of young baby nurses jumping right into management after school, and I feel sorry for them because they will not ever, in my opinion have that feeling of WOW, I helped that patient and family get better some kind of way. That is a loss. I think NOONE should be eligible for management until they have been in the "trenches" so to speak for at least 6-8 years, because by then you have a sense of feeling and understanding !!!! Anyway......I LOVE WHITE CAPS AND WHITE UNIFORMS !!! I WISH WE HAD TO WEAR THEM AGAIN !!!!
talk of uniforms and scrubs etc always reminds me of a story, ~ thirty years ago, from my first nursing job.
i hate hate hated the white uniforms we were required to wear. so much so, that i would routinely "get dirty" early in my shift and then go get scrubs to wear for remainder of my shift.
i was informally "counseled " on several occasions until one day, the supervisor called me and our "head nurse" into her office. she said that the next time i wore scrubs, the hn was to ask absolutely no questions and immediately send me home with a three day suspension.
about two weeks later, on a sunday, i was standing in the hallway, in scrubs, talking to my hn when our supervisor happened to walk by. she walked up, ignored me, looked straight at my hn and said, "i thought i made it perfectly clear that she was to be sent home immediately , no questions asked." the ensuing conversation was pretty funny....
hn: no really, you need to ask her why she is wearing scrubs
sup: i told you, no questions asked, she's suspended
hn: seriously, please... ask her why she is wearing scrubs (while laughing)
sup: why are you wearing scrubs?
me: my house burned down yesterday afternoon, all my uniforms burned up.
sup: is she telling the truth?
hn: yes
sup: and you came to work today?
me: yes, it was the weekend .
sup: you win, wear what you want (while laughing)
the only thing i hated more than the white uniform was my student uniform. it had a white pinafore buttoned down the front. problem was, on me, two of the buttons ended up being located smack dab on the tip of my boobs and i am not small. most attractive...... :)
YES, whites will SHOW the stains more, but again, I can use BLEACH on them, NOT on my pretty (but more camouflaging) black and parrot covered scrub top. Does not matter if stain can be seen. It is 
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billyboblewis
251 Posts
I believe that white uniforms are more respected by patients and also make them feel secure. When they are clean and pressed the patients will always feel more comfortable about the care they are getting. For this same reason I never wear a beard or mustache or let any of my tatoo's become visible to patients.