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.
I work in a hospital where the RNs wear navy and the PCTs wear teal scrubs. This way, anyone can identify who you are because some of the badges are not visible or the staff "forgot" it at home. Most of the patients cannot read your ID badge unless it is 6 inches from them. If the RN chooses to wear a print top, she has to wear white or navy pants. I do think it stinks that you have to wear uniforms from only one manufacturer.
It sounds to me that Banner may be going to an extreme, but I think that there needs to be some continuity to uniforms.
As a patient in the hospital I know it can be irritating to not know who you are talking to... the Charge nurse, an aide or the housekeeper.
I think that hospitals also need to get a little more strict about name badges being able to be seen. I don't care what code blue, quick etc means... I want to know who I'm talking to and what their credentials are without having to ask.
I also work in a hospital that went to color-coded uniforms a couple of years ago. I was really angry when I found out about it and was insulted that I had to wear a color to show that I am a nurse. Now, I'm so glad we changed. It looks so professional and there is never a question as to what I am going to wear. Our RNs wear navy blue and white, not just navy. Our peds nurses can wear that or a top in a pattern that they had picked out of a few choices. Try to have a positive outlook on the uniforms. Many companies outside of healthcare also have mandatory uniforms. I went to another hospital to visit someone recently and everyone wore whatever they wanted. I have to admit, we look much more professional in our navy and white.
It's demeaning. Do the administration have to wear presecribed garments, too? Or do they get to don what they wish, having been credited with being intelligent adults who can dress themselves? They want to play both sides of the fence, keep us subservient but still get professional-level patient care from nurses they treat as too foolish to choose their own clothing.
a temp of 103.5 is not life threatening and evidence points to the fact that a temp helps fight off an infection. if the patient is comfortable, it's usually okay to allow a temp to go untreated, unless they are severely ill, such as in the icu.
where do you work??? i understand the basic principle that a fever is one of the body's way to deal with infection. but come on, a fever of 103. please, i have worked in ers all over the place, and nothing irritates us more than a parent who doesn't treat the fever b/c "they want to make sure we believe them". i have never worked in a facility that would allow a temp. like that to go untreated. yes one of the first things we do is take off all 15 blankets they have on, then see what the temp is. if you take into account that we do not know where a given pts seizure threshold is r/t temp, then it is not only dangerous but irresponsible and negligent to allow a temp that high to go untreated. the walling off of an infected area, for example an abscess, is also a compensatory mechanism of the body to treat an infection. however, we do not let them go untreated. we i/d them and place the pt on antibiotic therapy.:twocents:sorry, but that post grabbed my attention as i was reading the posts. i have all kinds of scrub tops with angels, snoopy, disney,etc. the experience i have had is that not only do children find them friendly and not so scary, so do the adults i take care of. they think they are sweet or cute and make them feel more comfortable. when i am working agency, if you want me to wear a specific color of scrubs you better hand them to me, because i don't carry around an assortment of colors with me. if you hand them to me, cool i'll wear them as long as they aren't white and i don't have to wear a cap. i would quit a job over that crap. (sorry to those who think that whites and caps are a good thing). in fact i think that hospital scrubs are a good thing for or/ob/er, for infection control. like i said give them to me and i will wear them.
Specializes in OB, ER, M/S, Supervision - Acute care.
I must agree with the idea that nurses need to dress more professionally. The UK hospitals that are using white uniforms with epaulets of varying colors to ID different nurses is the most reasonable idea that I have heard so far. I am highly offended to see that those in our profession are more concerned with childish & outlandish color fad fashions than they are concerned with their pride in their profession. Members of all other professional organizations have business attire. If a nurse wanted to dress in casual, fun, work clothes then the nurse should have chosen to be one of the unlicensed, unprofessional members of the health care team. My overwhelming impression, when I see so many nurses in one building who are wearing
dozens of colors & patterns, is one of color overload. I can believe that many patients also see color overload. Where is the common sense & reason ?
It's demeaning. Do the administration have to wear presecribed garments, too? Or do they get to don what they wish, having been credited with being intelligent adults who can dress themselves? They want to play both sides of the fence, keep us subservient but still get professional-level patient care from nurses they treat as too foolish to choose their own clothing.
One reason uniforms are used is because easy recognition of the person's role is important, such as police uniforms, security guard uniforms, customer service personnel, etc. Patients, visitors and other staff don't really need to be able quickly an easily identify which administrative staff have what roles. While one may disagree on the need for a specific uniform for nurses, I don't see it necessarily as an issue of administrators implying that nurses are "too foolish to choose their own clothing."
where do you work??? i understand the basic principle that a fever is one of the body's way to deal with infection. but come on, a fever of 103. please, i have worked in ers all over the place, and nothing irritates us more than a parent who doesn't treat the fever b/c "they want to make sure we believe them". i have never worked in a facility that would allow a temp. like that to go untreated. yes one of the first things we do is take off all 15 blankets they have on, then see what the temp is. if you take into account that we do not know where a given pts seizure threshold is r/t temp, then it is not only dangerous but irresponsible and negligent to allow a temp that high to go untreated.
should you lower that fewer?
treatment for any febrile illness should focus on correcting the underlying cause of the fever. if you don't know what's causing a fever, don't automatically try to lower it with an antipyretic such as acetaminophen (tylenol) or ibuprofen (advil); response to the drug may cover up disease symptoms and make assessing your patient's condition more difficult.
studies examining the relationship of fever and outcome show an overall decreased mortality and morbidity for patients who mount a fever response; conversely, use of antipyretics is associated with increased rates of complications and death. many studies have also linked antipyretics to a higher bacterial growth rate. no human studies support the use of temperature-- regulating blankets.
I must agree with the idea that nurses need to dress more professionally. The UK hospitals that are using white uniforms with epaulets of varying colors to ID different nurses is the most reasonable idea that I have heard so far. I am highly offended to see that those in our profession are more concerned with childish & outlandish color fad fashions than they are concerned with their pride in their profession. Members of all other professional organizations have business attire. If a nurse wanted to dress in casual, fun, work clothes then the nurse should have chosen to be one of the unlicensed, unprofessional members of the health care team. My overwhelming impression, when I see so many nurses in one building who are wearing
dozens of colors & patterns, is one of color overload. I can believe that many patients also see color overload. Where is the common sense & reason ?
I work in the UK and I think one big difference is that we don't pay for our uniforms they are provided by the hospital that you work for. Where I work we are provided with 5 tunics and 3 pairs of trousers or 5 dresses.
I like wearing a uniform it means that patients and relatives know who you are from the moment you they see you without having to hunt for a name badge. If they want to talk to sister (nurse in charge) they look for the nurse in a navy uniform. If they want a jug of water for thier relative then they approach the healthcare support worker in green. I was offered the choice of wearing a uniform or not when I became a nurse practitioner - I opted for a uniform because it makes me easily identifiable as a nurse and not a doctor, and I think it looks more professional.
That is not to say that those not wearing uniforms are not professional please, I am not sure how I would feel if I had never worn a uniform or had a choice of work wear then have that choice taken away.
i can see your point, and the treatment of oncology pts. is frequently different than the average pt. obviously if you treat the fever without looking for the cause of it then that is also negligent. i do stand corrected on the point that there are times when a fever might not be treated right away.
as far as uniforms go, you can look professional in scrubs with a pattern. your professionalism(if thaqt is a word lol) i think is judged by your behavior and the care you provide. it has been my experience that my pts would rather have me come in to work in pjs than for us to work so short staffed. also i have never had a pt confuse me with house keeping or other personel. as far as having pride in my profession goes, that is shown by my behavior, the way i carry myself, and the care and respect that i show my pts and their families. also i have never had a complaint about my appearance, but many compliments about the time i spend teaching my pts. and their families, and answering questions that doctors run out and leave the family and pt with.
alas i fear that we must agree to disagree. i am not suprised by the strong feelings that we all have on this issue, b/c it is multifaceted. it involves personal money spent, personal expression, professional pride, and other things as well.
as far as uniforms go, you can look professional in scrubs with a pattern. your professionalism(if thaqt is a word lol) i think is judged by your behavior and the care you provide. it has been my experience that my pts would rather have me come in to work in pjs than for us to work so short staffed. also i have never had a pt confuse me with house keeping or other personel. as far as having pride in my profession goes, that is shown by my behavior, the way i carry myself, and the care and respect that i show my pts and their families. also i have never had a complaint about my appearance, but many compliments about the time i spend teaching my pts. and their families, and answering questions that doctors run out and leave the family and pt with.
At my hospital (which is a well known level 1 trauma center in the midwest) nurses wear white or ceil blue pants and whatever top they want to wear. Techs wear white or teal pants and shirts. Housekeeping have totally different uniforms. They don't wear scrubs. Neither do our secretaries (business casual). Transport wears black, and so on. We also wear bright badges under our name tags that say what we are. I personally love being able to chose my own tops. I like wearing holiday themed ones during holiday times. Last Christmas I wore a Rudolph one and it made most of my patients laugh and brightened their nights. I don't think what you wear makes you appear professional rather how you act. I do agrre that the whole hospital shouldn't walk around in scrubs because that could get very confusing. So our uniform policy is not as strict and I hope it never changes.
oncrn17
23 Posts
I work in a hospital where the RNs wear navy and the PCTs wear teal scrubs. This way, anyone can identify who you are because some of the badges are not visible or the staff "forgot" it at home. Most of the patients cannot read your ID badge unless it is 6 inches from them. If the RN chooses to wear a print top, she has to wear white or navy pants. I do think it stinks that you have to wear uniforms from only one manufacturer.