Each job title wears it's own color.

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We are being told by our administrators that if all the RNs in the Hospital wear one color, the LPNs one color, NAs one color, etc. that it will improve "willingness to recommend" because pts will be able to tell who is caring for them, who they are talking to, etc. Our VP of Pt Care Services is saying that this is "studied and proven" and is becoming the standard throughout the country. Any comments?

Specializes in CMSRN.

The only thing I am concerned with is the differentiating between LPN's and RN's. They do the exact same job on the floor I work and some have so much more experience than me. If the job duties were different I could except this but not otherwise. Like everyone says no one can really notices but to some frequent fliers and long term pts. If the job is the same why make it out to be different? Maybe just a difference on name tag color may suffice.

We do not have the color thing going on at our hospital and I hope it does not change. It is obvious it is just an administration thing with the excuse it is for the pt.

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Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).

My facility uses a color scheme for various jobs. Nurses wear royal blue and/or white. In my previous job, which was sort of anything nobody else wanted to do, I wore black and grey.

One of my coworkers, a male in his 40's, in my black-and-grey days, was emptying wastebaskets in patients' rooms one night and overheard a family member on the phone saying, "I don't know, but I'll ask the doctor who just came in, as soon as he finishes emptying the wastebasket..."

We used to have pictures of the various staff members in uniform hanging in each room so people could know who they were talking to.

It didn't always work.

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Specializes in oncology, trauma, home health.

Back to the whites thing...my 67 year old mother thinks its "deplorable" that I don't wear white shoes. In my teen years it was my hair, in my twenties it was my kid's hair, in my thirties it's my non-white nursing attire.

(I think she's still jealous she didn't persue her dream of being a nurse!):nurse:

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Specializes in tele, oncology.

We tried it, it backfired. Scrubs = nurse to most people. We have those name tag thingys now (ours are blue and white) w/RN, LPN, CP, etc. on them...given the fact that half of our patients seem to be blind, those don't help either.

Seems like if the patient can't remember who their nurse is after I've been in and out of the room thirty gazillion times over a 12 hour shift, the scrubs I'm wearing aren't going to make a difference.

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Specializes in oncology, trauma, home health.
We tried it, it backfired. Scrubs = nurse to most people. We have those name tag thingys now (ours are blue and white) w/RN, LPN, CP, etc. on them...given the fact that half of our patients seem to be blind, those don't help either.

Seems like if the patient can't remember who their nurse is after I've been in and out of the room thirty gazillion times over a 12 hour shift, the scrubs I'm wearing aren't going to make a difference.

I don't know if scrubs=nurse all the time. Yesterday I was at Trader Joes in my scrubs and the guy said "I'll bet you work in a dentist's office"

I had to check and make sure my nursing cap was on straight! (joke really)

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Specializes in floor to ICU.
I worked at a hospital that did this... RNs navy, LPNs green, CNAs red, units secs khaki, RT blue and so on. Still, people called everyone who came in the room wearing scrubs "the nurse". People don't pay any attention. For God's sake we have a HUGE red tag with the letters RN on it, I guess that is not enough. :nurse:

Part of the problem is that housekeeping, medical records, radiology techs and unit clerks are allowed to wear scrubs.

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Specializes in Geri, Home Health, OB GYN.

We do this~

RN- White or Green

LVN- Tan

PCA- Blue

if you work mother baby/L&D/nursery (as I do) all nurses and PCA have to wear either pink or blue.

We don't wear colors to set us apart in the patients eyes... we do it because a few years ago a Dr. gave orders to a housekeeper. That is also the time we stopped taking verbal orders. :smackingf

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.
This is done at the hospital where I work. It started with RNs and they got to vote in a color to wear. They all hated the idea of a mandatory color scheme so they voted for black thinking administration would decide it was too morbid. Well...it backfired! RNs wear black and/or white, LPNs wear red, and PCAs wear apricot and brown.[/quote']

I have several black/white scrub sets...love them, love them, love them! Get compliments on them often.

Part of the problem is that housekeeping, medical records, radiology techs and unit clerks are allowed to wear scrubs.

Really....does medical records and unit clerks in particular need to wear scrubs?? I can see housekeeping having some sort of uniform....they get into some pretty bad stuff. Probably even rad techs...they *do* earn a degree after all...

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I worked at a large hospital where nurses (RN, LPN) wore all white. Did I like wearing white? Not really. But EVERYONE knew who the nurses were, even in the larger community... it made me a believer.

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.
I worked at a large hospital where nurses (RN, LPN) wore all white. Did I like wearing white? Not really. But EVERYONE knew who the nurses were, even in the larger community... it made me a believer.

I actually LOVE whites...

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Specializes in SICU.
We are being told by our administrators that if all the RNs in the Hospital wear one color, the LPNs one color, NAs one color, etc. that it will improve "willingness to recommend" because pts will be able to tell who is caring for them, who they are talking to, etc. Our VP of Pt Care Services is saying that this is "studied and proven" and is becoming the standard throughout the country. Any comments?

We use the color system where I am. It is kind of reminiscent of "A Brave New World"... Oh look they are in OR blue... they are Alphas... And the people in ceil blue, the Betas. lol. It does help though. I like that all the RTs wear red and I can quickly ID them, because there is no consistency with RTs on the units because they kind of float around the ICUs. It is kind of heirarchial though... we all aspire to wear the hospital issued scrubs. Ha:bow:

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At the hospital I work at we are color coded as well.

Nurses: Dark blue/White

Drs: Cobal blue scrub top/pants or khaki pants, or business attire w/ white lab coat.

PCA/Secretarys: Emerald Green

Radiology: Black

Resp: Sea Green

Transport: Maroon

Housekeepers: Cobalt blue collared shirt, black pants

Admitting: Khaki pants and light blue collared shirt

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