The hospital where I work is instituting color coded uniforms for all staff (except MD's) in patient care areas (RN/LPN-royal, PCT-teal, Radiology-black, Transport-brown, etc) to help patient's be able to identify who is who. Tops and bottoms are the same color. They are providing all staff with a ONE TIME only stipend toward buying the new uniforms. Full-time staff will receive $100, part-time $60, and per diem $40. Staff will be required to buy the scrubs online through the hospital and there is one brand (Cherokee) with 6 styles to choose from. If your scrub order costs more than your stipend, you pay the difference. The scrub prices range from $12-$24 each piece with the unisex being on the low end and the more fashion forward and maternity scrubs being on the high end. You will not be allowed to go to your local scrub store and buy another brand of scrubs, even if they are the correct color. If you choose to wear a shirt under your scrub top, it must be the same exact color as your scrubs or black, no prints. Also, no jackets are to be worn over the top.
Currently the hospital provides scrubs to the OR staff at no charge and will continue to do so. They also provide uniforms to the environmental staff at no charge and will continue to do that. If they are limiting our attire to one specific brand and specific styles and we have to purchase them from the hospital that seems like a uniform and not a dress code and the hospital should be providing them like they do for the other departments wearing uniforms. As far as I know, other companies outside of healthcare that require uniforms actually provide the uniforms.
I, like many of my coworkers, am fine with the required colors but am upset that I have to use my own money to buy the scrubs and can not even buy what fits me best. I wear tall length Koi cargo scrub pants, they are available in royal blue (I own 2 pairs) but I can not wear them. Instead I must buy pants I don't like for $24/each, because that is how much the tall length pants are through the vendor. My other option would be to buy the cheaper regular length scrubs and have them be 2 inches too short or buy the unisex pants and worry about my butt showing every time I bend over or feel gross and unprofessional because the crotch is sagging halfway down my thigh. According to the head of the uniform committee, staff should feel lucky though that they did not dictate what type/color shoes we must wear.
For those of you that work in hospitals with color coded scrubs, can you buy whatever brand fits you best as long as it is the right color? If your hospital does require a specific brand/color, do they provide you with the scrubs or do you have to purchase them from the hospital?
Obviously I am going to suck it up because I love my job and certainly am not going to quit over something like this, I just needed to vent my frustration and also wondered if this was the norm.
How wonderfully cozy that the faciity is going to monetarily benefit from the required scrub purchases!! Just one more way that they work hard for profits.
I would start a social media webpage, and everyone sell off all of their old scrubs.....
My hospital just implemented this too. Nurses and CNAs have always had to wear a certain color and that didn't change, but now everyone else (secretaries, lactation, phlebotomy, etc.) also has to participate. We buy our own scrubs and there was no stipend given, but we had about 6 months notice before the changes went live. The hospital also holds uniform sales frequently so we can sometimes get scrubs at a cheaper price.
One change that my coworkers like is that we now have permission to wear cute print tops as long as they coordinate with our colors. That only applies to NICU and pediatrics though.
How wonderfully cozy that the faciity is going to monetarily benefit from the required scrub purchases!! Just one more way that they work hard for profits.
I would start a social media webpage, and everyone sell off all of their old scrubs.....
Brilliant idea, start Facebook drama and get fired! No thanks lol
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
I believe you can write it off on your taxes. That's what I did.
You can only if you itemize. For many people, they do not have enough deductions to make itemizing financially worthwhile, so they take the standard deduction. You cannot claim work expenses if you take the standard deduction.
The sad thing is most patients have NO idea what the colors of the scrubs mean. And, since it varies from hospital to hospital, who cares? I want to see your ID, anybody can buy scrubs. FWIW, Postal Workers have to buy their own uniforms and they were (at one point - I don't know about now) required to buy they from a certain chain of stores. Shoes included. I know they changed the rule for the shoes, not sure about the uniforms.
My daughter also resented having the cost of her fast food uniforms deducted from her first paycheck, as small as it was. I sense some of the same behind the scenes mentality at play here. Demeaning.
We are given an annual gift for uniforms that can only be used with a terrible vendor. We can also use the one shop in town allowed to embroider our logo but you must buy the scrubs there.
In the military you must wear the uniform which can only be purchased through 1 place. Enlisted soldiers are given annual allowances but officers get a one time amount.
few nurses have an income small enough that they can deduct work expenses...
You can only if you itemize. For many people, they do not have enough deductions to make itemizing financially worthwhile, so they take the standard deduction. You cannot claim work expenses if you take the standard deduction.
"I, like many of my coworkers, am fine with the required colors but am upset that I have to use my own money to buy the scrubs and can not even buy what fits me best."
Attorneys must wear suits to work. Do they ask the senior partners to pay for them? Physicians must dress professionally when they are in the office or seeing patients. Do they ask others to pay for their clothes? This sort of mentality is one of the things that is holding this profession back.
Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
The sad thing is most patients have NO idea what the colors of the scrubs mean. And, since it varies from hospital to hospital, who cares? I want to see your ID, anybody can buy scrubs. FWIW, Postal Workers have to buy their own uniforms and they were (at one point - I don't know about now) required to buy they from a certain chain of stores. Shoes included. I know they changed the rule for the shoes, not sure about the uniforms.
It is still the same. My brother is a postal worker.
"I, like many of my coworkers, am fine with the required colors but am upset that I have to use my own money to buy the scrubs and can not even buy what fits me best."
Attorneys must wear suits to work. Do they ask the senior partners to pay for them? Physicians must dress professionally when they are in the office or seeing patients. Do they ask others to pay for their clothes? This sort of mentality is one of the things that is holding this profession back.
Are attorneys required to buy their suits from one store, one designer/brand? Are physicians required to wear the same colors, and buy from the same store? Even simple white lab coats come in a large variety of brands, fabrics, and cuts.
I hardly think that resisting being forced to purchase and wear clothes much the way fast-food establishments do is "holding the profession back". Please name a profession that makes this same requirement?
I think this is more the problem, than what color is worn. I see no reason why there can't be some individual choices regarding fabric, cut, length, etc. as long as the chosen items match the specified dress code.
liberated847
505 Posts
Lol you have a point hahahaha