Banner Hospitals to go to Uniforms

[WoosahRN]

I work at a Banner hospital in AZ and in the last few weeks we just found out that our hospital is going to uniforms in January. Uniforms will be color-coded for job title. RNs will be in Navy blue and we are only allowed to wear the assigned uniforms bought through the hospital (must be Cherokee uniforms, in the chosen color-can't find the color at a store in case it doesn't match, with the hospital logo on them). We are also being told that we have to match any undergarments (i.e. long sleeves) to the top and any coats/jackets have to be the same color with a Banner logo on them.

So far there are now three AZ Banner hospitals doing this but we have now heard that they are taking the system wide and every single Banner hospital will do this. It may take a while to get to everyone but that is the plan so we were told we can't argue it.

The kicker is that I work in Peds and the hospital I am at is building a 7 story Children's Hospital. The adult and peds ER will connect but the Children's Hospital will be independent. The rules only "bend" slightly to allow pediatric RNs only to choose from 3 assigned "kid friendly tops". Meanwhile all their advertisements regarding the pediatric department is "Creativity" and "Through the Eyes of a Child".

I just talked to another Banner employee (that works at a different Banner) tonight and that was the first she had heard about any of it. She knew the newest Banner was uniforms but thought they had voted that was and that it was just the one hospital. She is now going to inform her co-workers of the new decision.

People are mad and feel discouraged and disrespected. My patients know who I am (job title) and now my kids will associate my blue uniform with the last person who stuck them with a needle. Let the kicking and screaming begin (for the kids AND the employees).

Hopefully this can be stopped but right now we are told we can't do anything. The decision, I imagine, was made by some suit who never steps foot in the hospital and has never worn scrubs or worked a 13 hour day on his/her feet. I really like where I am but if this goes through I am considering going to the other Children's Hospital. As far as I am concerned they need me, along with the other several thousand employees that work at Banner, more than I need them.

Ok, so those are my two cents. Sorry to those that this is news to.

If you work at Banner you can go on the intranet and search for "fashion show" or "uniforms" and you can see pics of the new uniforms.

[SUNSFAN_RN]

I worked for Valley Luthern hosp in the 90's before their merger with the samaritan system and I feel it was better prior to the merger. Benefits were (health insurance) better and cost less. As far a policy that each catagory of employees wear a certain type of uniform is fine as long as they supply them. I left shortly after the merger as I did not like the management style that emerged after they became banner. I won't even use their hospitals as I feel the care leaves something to be desired. I live near banner baywood and drive to Scottsdale osborn for any care I need.

[clee1]

If THEY are paying for the scrubs.... no problem.

If I have to pay for them, I'll wear what I want to wear. If they have a problem with that... they need my license far more than I need their job.

[woody62, RN]

I worked for Valley Luthern hosp in the 90's before their merger with the samaritan system and I feel it was better prior to the merger. Benefits were (health insurance) better and cost less. As far a policy that each catagory of employees wear a certain type of uniform is fine as long as they supply them. I left shortly after the merger as I did not like the management style that emerged after they became banner. I won't even use their hospitals as I feel the care leaves something to be desired. I live near banner baywood and drive to Scottsdale osborn for any care I need.

I don't know much, actually nothing at all, about Banner Hospitals. Are they a for profit outfit? It is not saying much, if you are willing to drive to Scottsdale for care, that is a bit of a drive, even with the interstates (I drove thru the area in 2001 and have a friend, a nurse midwife, who works in Phonix).

Woody:balloons:

[bagladyrn, RN]

If they are going to require certain scrubs in certain colors they should supply them - to ALL nurses. I'm a long time traveler and I have an entire suitcase of ugly scrubs in colors/designs required for certain hospitals - never the same at 2 places. Every 3 months I'm buying new sets.

Of course then ther was the hospital whose uniform for nurses was khakis and green polo shirts - no joke! Am I the RN or the tennis pro?!?

[Susan9608]

Most of the magnet hospitals around here require the nurses to wear royal blue scrubs. Some hospitals let them wear royal blue and white, some have a print that matches that the nurses can wear, and others stick to just royal blue. My hospital is just royal blue, and tops have to be scrub tops - no t-shirts. LVNs wear navy (though we don't utilize a lot of LVNs), HUCs/PCAs wear maroon, ST/PT/OT wear green, and RT wears black. Only the RTs are allowed to wear printed tops that match the black pants because black is "morbid." Even in the pedi department (which is where I am) we have to wear all royal blue. We can wear printed jackets, but most of us are too hot all the time to do so.

In our patient rooms, we have a laminated sheet with a picture of each colored scrub top and a little job description next to it. I guess families like it, since they can tell who the nurse is, and I can see the value in being able to identify people easier. But just today, when cleaning out a closet, I found a bunch of my old scrubs (from the pre-uniform days) and some of them were so cute, it made me very sad.

While good for patients, I think the idea of a uniform strips the nurses of what little individuality we can express while at work.

[deeDawntee, RN]

Oh sheeessshhhh.....that would soooo bum me out. One of the very best things about nursing to me is wearing fun, colorful scrubs to match my mood and the season! I have different scrubs for different holidays and sometimes just having a new scrub warm-up to wear makes my whole night! I have my angel scrubs and other favorites when I need them! Ok, I will admit I am a little superstitious!

I work at night, and really nobody cares what we wear...there is very little public around....

Thank goodness, this could not happen where I work, we have a strong Union and anything like that would have to be part of a negotiation and I know for a fact it would NEVER fly. phewwwww!!!!

[NursingAgainstdaOdds]

Heh, I've been reminded of a funny conversation the other night ... my co-worker admitted that whenever she's wearing black scrubs it's her way of protesting, that she doesn't want to be there. I thought this was incredibly funny, because I do the same thing, only I will wear faded scrubs when I don't want to be there.

[NeuroNP]

OK, I'll put my 2 cents in...I'm sure it won't be popular (except with a few who have posted similar...).

I used to work in a hospital where we had to have color coded scrubs. We didn't like it and we argued that it didn't help identify people. A male in scrubs was a doctor and a female a nurse to most patients. I still think that is typically true (although, I do like the idea of a color coded chart in the rooms as one person suggested).

However, I then worked at a place where there was no requirement. I think that the coded system is better. Not because of the colors, but the professionalism. I do like the uniformity of color, but I think that whoever made the comment about prints not being professional was right on. (exception for peds) How many doctors do you see in "cute" print scrubs?

Lets face it, almost any job is going to have a dress code. I don't hear paramedics or police officers complaining that they can't wear "cute" clothes instead of their uniform. I'd even be ok with having several options. Where I worked before, RNs could wear white or green (if you were in ICU, you could also wear royal blue) or combinations (ie white pants and green or blue top...) so you could have some variety.

My wife is a teacher and she has a dress code of acceptable clothes. and she recieves no clothing allowance. I think as long as you are free to buy your scrubs/uniform from different stores, the hospital shouldn't have to pay for them (not that I'd turn it down!). If they're going to require you to buy a certain brand or from a certain vendor, then they should pay. My wife doesn't get an allowance, but she can go to Target and get cheaper clothes instead of going to Macy's.

I think that the statement that if the hospital doesn't buy my scrubs then I'm going to where whatever I want is tremendously unprofessional. You couldn't get away with that in any other profession! I think a dress code is ok and professional and as long as I'm not required to buy from one special vendor, I'm a professional and I should buy my clothes like anyone else (again, I'm not going to turn hospital money away!)

So, attack away! :-)

Bryan

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

Bryan, I don't disagree except that many nurses have already put out a lot of money for scrubs under the wear anything and express yourself dress codes, so if the hospital changes their policy all the previously bought scrubs are useless, therefore the hospital should take responsiblity for that by funding employee acquisition of new scrubs, or providing them at work.

As I said, in our OB dept, the scrubs are laundered by the hospital and ready for the nurses to change into in their locker room. That's a good idea infection control wise too.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

If they are going to require certain scrubs in certain colors they should supply them - to ALL nurses. I'm a long time traveler and I have an entire suitcase of ugly scrubs in colors/designs required for certain hospitals - never the same at 2 places. Every 3 months I'm buying new sets.

Same here.

But the irony. The best and most highly ranked facilities never have the strict dress codes. Hopkins doesn't, NYP Cornell doesn't, HUPenn doesn't.

The NIH - you can wear business casual with a white lab.

It is almost always the ForProfits or the smaller places.

My question, if the highly ranked hospitals find no need to institute a restrictive dress code, and their staff is seen as professional, why is this a problem in smaller facilities?????

Could it be that they have (don't say it....) less "licensed" personnel, and more UAPs?????

[NeuroNP]

Bryan, I don't disagree except that many nurses have already put out a lot of money for scrubs under the wear anything and express yourself dress codes, so if the hospital changes their policy all the previously bought scrubs are useless, therefore the hospital should take responsiblity for that by funding employee acquisition of new scrubs, or providing them at work.

As I said, in our OB dept, the scrubs are laundered by the hospital and ready for the nurses to change into in their locker room. That's a good idea infection control wise too.

That's true, but unfortunately, that's the way life goes sometimes. A few years ago my wife's school redid the dress code and most of what she wore was now not acceptable (most of her clothes were right on the line to begin with! :-). She had to go buy a lot of new clothes (and spent WAY more money than I ever have on scrubs...). I'm not saying it's fair, but it is life. If that were to happen to me, I'd do exactly what the teachers at my wife's school did. Complain to the powers that be and if the policy stood, go buy new stuff.

I do see your point about infection control. I think in certain areas, there is a very good reason to have the hospital provide and launder scrubs. They do it in the OR and OB most places. A few places have started it in the ICUs as well. I would argue that the ER is another good place. When I worked in the ER of a Level I Trauma center, there were a lot of times I got covered in something or another despite proper precautions (the time the psychotic guy chucked an unopened can of coke at me from about three feet...that was painful AND messy! :-)

Like I said, I'm not against the hospital paying for my scrubs or giving some kind of allowance. I'm in favor of it in fact! However, I am saying that we need to understand the reality that things happen and saying, "as long as I'm paying for them, I'm going to wear what I want" is ridiculous.

My biggest issue is the professional appearance thing. I don't really think the color code is all that helpful, but it is nice to have a professional appearance.

Bryan

[pebbles, BSN, RN]

I object to the control and subordination factor of being made to wear "x" uniform by your employer. Where I work, we choose what we wear. Our professional image is our own personal responsibility. I like that.