color coding staff

[reecie54]

My hospital is presenting the idea of color coding all staff (except management). Our union is currently in negotiation (as this is a change in working conditions they failed to bring up during our last negotiation). I'm looking for any documented evidence that this is working or not working in other facilities. I will also welcome any personal anecdotes or experiences that reinforce that this idea does (or does not) work. Also, pediatric nurses with dress codes, when do you don't wear cute child appropriate scrubs have you noticed a change or difference interacting with children?

[SapphireJulzRN]

The white top and blue bottoms look nice also. Several of our nurses do that. White and/or royal blue are our required colors. I don't buy white for practical reasons, but it sure does look nice.

The school I graduated from required royal blue tops and white bottoms. We looked like a bunch of smurfs! Lol!

[emmy27]

My school dress code was all white. You are right, patients loved it! Hospital staff complimented it too. It was the worst to keep up with though. White doesn't want to stay white.

Tell me about it... I dried a tube of cherry chapstick with my whites right before my final week of nursing school clinicals. I was SO MAD about buying a new set for the final week, so I wore them occasionally at my first (no color code) job. They did get grungy much too soon, but especially older patients were always raving about how "nursey" they looked.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

We've been color coded for a few months. It's a job requirement. I don't like it that we weren't polled about preference. Just mildly irritated. I personally think it's kind of creepy that everybody at the nurse's station looks the same. Something Stepford Wife about it.

The patients prefer print tops. It's almost worth the Stepford Wife look, to do SOMETHING the patient doesn't like.

I'm surprised they don't let the patients choose.

If the patients complain, and they do, and the hospital lets us go back to prints, I'll stay with one bland color. A silent protest against Press Gainey nonsense.

[SapphireJulzRN]

I never wore print tops. I wear solids in various bright colors with matching headbands. I always get complimented by patients.

Really not looking forward to wearing navy in a couple months.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

We've been color coded for a few months. It's a job requirement. I don't like it that we weren't polled about preference. Just mildly irritated. I personally think it's kind of creepy that everybody at the nurse's station looks the same. Something Stepford Wife about it.

The patients prefer print tops. It's almost worth the Stepford Wife look, to do SOMETHING the patient doesn't like.

I'm surprised they don't let the patients choose.

If the patients complain, and they do, and the hospital lets us go back to prints, I'll stay with one bland color. A silent protest against Press Gainey nonsense.

We WERE polled about color preference when it was announced that we were going to color coding. I wasn't terribly surprised when I learned, quite by accident, that the colors had all been chosen by management BEFORE the poll went up.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

Why would it make our jobs harder by the color scrubs we're wearing? I don't understand your last option of the poll

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

We WERE polled about color preference when it was announced that we were going to color coding. I wasn't terribly surprised when I learned, quite by accident, that the colors had all been chosen by management BEFORE the poll went up.

Considering what happened to you, I should be grateful management at least owned the color choice. Instead of trying to scam us with a fake poll.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Considering what happened to you, I should be grateful management at least owned the color choice. Instead of trying to scam us with a fake poll.

Yes, it was rather irritating, to say the least. Especially given that it was the third change in dress code over a two year period, and I had to buy new scrubs each and every time! And I don't like the color chosen, although I guess it's much better than royal blue, in which I look as though I've already died.

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

It is more beneficial for staff than it is for patients. Patients couldn't tell you who was a doctor, nurse, aide, etc. As for being difficult, not really for the most part. I would fight for nurses to be navy blue/white since that is the standard color in most facilities it seems. Avoid having it limited to the point where it is a certain brand or two colors like school colors like some hospitals try to do. Avoid having the logo embroidered on the scrubs too.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

It is more beneficial for staff than it is for patients. Patients couldn't tell you who was a doctor, nurse, aide, etc. As for being difficult, not really for the most part. I would fight for nurses to be navy blue/white since that is the standard color in most facilities it seems. Avoid having it limited to the point where it is a certain brand or two colors like school colors like some hospitals try to do. Avoid having the logo embroidered on the scrubs too.

And I don't see why staff would NEED the "benefit" of having color coded colleagues. When you work with folks, you should KNOW what their job is.

[knoxnurse236]

I'm really a big fan of the color coded system. We wear royal blue as nurses. I hope royal blue one day becomes the symbol for nursing that starched white used to be. You can't deny that it's much easier for patients.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

I think its another way to control staff,especially when they pick the styles and brands. I believe that there should be general guidelines but I resent the fact that I can't pick out what makes me comfortable. When I am comfortable I can wok better,am not hot, can bend and move with ease because I choose scrubs that meet my needs and body type! I find the patients can easily identify the nurses,they are the ones that are in the rooms constantly and bring in the narcotics.