Being an individual

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Hi, I'm still in nursing school, but wanted to know if there was any way to be an individual in the workplace. I'm talking pure fashion here. Is there anything you can wear, shoes, laces, variations in scrubs, pins on scrubs, sock choices, etc etc etc. Anything someone can do to set themselves apart in a sea of everyone wearing the same gear?

Nursing schools tend to be stricter with their dress codes than most employers actually are. Once you start working, you'll likely have more fashion options than you do now as a student.

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Specializes in retired LTC.
I accidentally wore two different shoes to work today- maybe you could try that?

Seriously, the two shoes are similar in color, no one noticed.:o

Love this! Love this! Love this!

Not to hijack the thread, but I have a shoe 'thing'. Really, a high heel 'thing'. Some 150 pairs of high heels!

In my 'wild and crazy days', I had this awesome sweater - black with metallic threads throughout and it had a colored 'banner' swatch across the front. Neon blue, neon pink and neon green. I liked high heels so much, if I found a turquoise pair, I'd buy an identical red pair; no, I'd buy 2 pairs just because I liked them so much. Well, I found the same style high heels in neon blue, neon pink and neon green with metallic accents.

My sweater was gorgeous and I couldn't make up my mind which color high heels to wear, so I would wear one blue and one green, or one pink and one blue, or green and pink. And let me tell you, I could really trot in those heels!!! I've a set of strappy gold heels and a matching silver pair. And a set with orange and yellow ones. I wore different heels deliberately. And I even had a method in which to determine which color for left foot and which color for right foot to assure equal wear & tear.

There's more to my high heel history. But just to say, wearing 2 different shoes is NO big thing for me.

Now back to the original thread...

To OP - as you move along in your clinical time, you may find that keeping a low profile and being 'under the radar' is preferable to standing out in the crowd. If someone takes a dislike to you, you stand a better chance of 'blending into the wallpaper'. You'll be surprised at the reasons that others take exception to individualism. They won't distinguish 'the wallflower', but they will remember the gal with the jingle bell shoelaces (just an example).

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After spending 25 years in the 9 to 5 office environment, I love not having to look fashionable and buy clothes. I love wearing the same color scrubs everyday. No more laundry and clothing choices.

Shoes are the only way to express yourself where I work. But I only wear 2 pairs :). And because a lot of our patients are SAO, I also wear no makeup and put my hair up. But I love it this way...no fuss, no muss :)

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To OP - as you move along in your clinical time, you may find that keeping a low profile and being 'under the radar' is preferable to standing out in the crowd. If someone takes a dislike to you, you stand a better chance of 'blending into the wallpaper'. You'll be surprised at the reasons that others take exception to individualism. They won't distinguish 'the wallflower', but they will remember the gal with the jingle bell shoelaces (just an example).

Isn't that the truth!

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Your personality will shine through as an individual more than anything you wear.

I work for a children's hospital and we have no uniform other than scrubs and adhering the the dress code. We choose our own patterns and styles of scrubs. Several nurses have visible tattoos, which are allowed if they are child-appropriate. Some nurses wear lanyards with their favorite teams or other causes.

There is a nurse I knew in nursing school who worked at a hospital that required uniform scrubs. She had bling on her lanyard, earrings, and wore her hair very fashionably up with blingy things in her hair, and good makeup but not overdone. She walked with a bounce to her step and was very bubbly, but also a very good nurse.

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I accidentally wore two different shoes to work today- maybe you could try that?

Seriously, the two shoes are similar in color, no one noticed.:o

I had a co-worker who came to work with her pants inside out. No one noticed, even her, until she want to put something in her pocket. It was really funny!

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Its amazing how many health workers dont care about little details like fashion! I always wear makeup. Not over the top, but enough so that I dont look dead and have concerned patients ask me if I'm sick. Earrings are fun to wear too. I try to have my hair nice and sometimes wear cute bows. Of course my name tag has stickers. I have all sorts of fun socks. When I'm sitting down they sometimes become visible and people notice. I have one pair that has cute EKG heart rhythms!

People who aren't into fashion wont notice these small extras but it will be enough to strike up conversations with other like minded, fashion forward people. Small talk is an excellent way to get to know patients and co-workers. Beats talking about the weather. Bringing a little style to the healthcare world in no way detracts from my ability to work. On the other hand, when I dont have enough time to spend getting ready I feel frumpy and less confident. Your overall presentation and impressionability includes your appearance. Nursing is an ART and science right?

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I get that to be an individual is a good self-esteem booster. But to what goal?

If you want to show that you are a patient advocate for a certain group, community, or a supporter of awareness of some kind, then you could show that by shoes that have cancer ribbons on them, ribbons that you wear on your scrub jacket, that type of thing. If you work with peds you could have Sponge Bob socks or something of that nature. PROVIDING that it is not against the dress code of your facility.

If the goal is that you as a person needs to be out from the crowd for your own recognition, then you perhaps need to re-evaluate. Work is work and personal is personal. In your personal life, you may be that funky cool kid who lives on the fringes--and to that I say good for you, go for it, live your life!! But in your work life, the focus is on the patient. Not your own funky-ness. Which, by the way if your personality reflects your funk, patients usually enjoy and catch on to that vibe in your personality. Not to mention your non-judgmental interactions with them--so be sure that your practice reflects your lack of judging others--and that your patient may want to be just as individual as you.

Otherwise, let your words and actions speak louder than your fashion.

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I like to wear socks with bright colors and crazy patterns. It is often an ice breaker with patients and can help lighten the mood in a place where it's pretty easy to be serious. I find that patients either don't notice, don't seem to care about the socks their nurse is wearing, or they pick up on it right away and we have a nice conversation. Sometimes, the patient is wearing colorful socks, too.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

Yes, there are plenty of ways for you to wear your scrubs and hair and shoes and etc. and still be professional.

One local hospital went to strictly navy blue scrubs from head to toe for nurses. They got every style of cut imaginable or lace or fabric weave long as it was navy blue.

There are absolute tons of things that you can do to be one of the hundreds of nurses and still be uniquely YOU.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I had a co-worker who came to work with her pants inside out. No one noticed, even her, until she want to put something in her pocket. It was really funny!

I wore my T-shirt on backwards and inside out once. i didn't notice until I was having a discussion with my boss. We had a good laugh over that.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Its amazing how many health workers dont care about little details like fashion! I always wear makeup. Not over the top, but enough so that I dont look dead and have concerned patients ask me if I'm sick. Earrings are fun to wear too. I try to have my hair nice and sometimes wear cute bows. Of course my name tag has stickers. I have all sorts of fun socks. When I'm sitting down they sometimes become visible and people notice. I have one pair that has cute EKG heart rhythms!

People who aren't into fashion wont notice these small extras but it will be enough to strike up conversations with other like minded, fashion forward people. Small talk is an excellent way to get to know patients and co-workers. Beats talking about the weather. Bringing a little style to the healthcare world in no way detracts from my ability to work. On the other hand, when I dont have enough time to spend getting ready I feel frumpy and less confident. Your overall presentation and impressionability includes your appearance. Nursing is an ART and science right?

Being clean and wearing scrubs that are clean and not rumpled should be enough. If you want to be "fashion forward" at work, that's fine, but there's no need to judge those who have no need/desire to do what you do. It certainly doesn't mean they're bad nurses.

Some of us have priorities that are more important than "cute socks" or worrying about what our "fashion forward" patients think of our attire. I am very good at small talk with people and can almost always find something I have in common with another person. And I don't need to worry about my style to do so.

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