Effective coloring????

[behensley]

I work in a psych unit and our nurse mgr decided that we needed to wear black uniforms. I have had negative responses from pts as well as other people that I have come in contact with about this color.

One pt refused to take medications because I was in black, calling me an "angel of death". When I broke policy the next day and wore white, the same pt referred to me as an "angel of mercy"! After relating to my mgr this information, the mgr smiled and pollitely went about their business.

What are colors that have been used in other psych units and pt reactions?

[elkpark]

Black??? That's one of the very few colors that is typically not allowed by dress code policies in psych settings! Does your NM actually have a psych background or is s/he new to the specialty? Has s/he offered any rationale for the decision?

[behensley]

To be honest, she came from an icu background. Her rational is that it "looks good" on us and is slimming!

[elkpark]

To be honest, she came from an icu background.

(I suspected she must be a non-psych person ... ) Have the medical director and other psychiatrists, therapists, etc., working on the unit voiced an opinion about this policy?

[behensley]

What is the best color or type of dress that is best received in psych units? I have been working in this unit and we have suggested teal blue or even tan slacks with a white polo type shirt. So far she is too head strong to listen and I need to present an alternative with some solid backing to take to the administrator so that I don't sound disgruntled! :)

[elkpark]

Traditionally, the solid colors (top + bottom) that are avoided are white, red, and black. I'm enough of an old timer that I don't "approve" of uniforms on psych units and prefer street clothes (of each individual's choice, within some basic guidelines/parameters). As you noted, many units have a "uniform" of something like khaki slacks and a specific color polo shirt (a compromise between street clothes and a uniform). More and more units are switching to outright uniforms (usually scrubs, like everywhere else, either a specified color/pattern or of the individual's choice). Given how thoroughly we have "re-medicalized" inpatient psych treatment (away from the concept of the therapeutic community and any concept of treatment besides pushing pills), maybe that does make sense. There are many possibilities ...

One thing I can tell you is that you won't have much luck finding any literature/research done on uniforms vs. street clothes in psych. I went looking a few years ago in an attempt to argue against a program in which I was the CNS going from street clothes to uniforms for the floor staff, and couldn't find anything -- nothing recent, anyway. I suspect that it's been a non-issue in psych for so long (for decades, no one even considered the possibility of wearing uniforms in psych settings) that no one has bothered to think about or look into the question.

[santhony44, MSN, RN, NP]

I've never been a psych nurse, but wearing all black in a psych unit strikes me as strange, to say the least!

I'd suggest talking with your medical director and other psychiatrists.

While there may not be research on uniforms or uniform colors in psych, I'm sure there is research on the effect of colors on mood; that might be a direction to go, as well.

[Katnip, RN]

I'd ask her why black, then if she says she saw research on it, ask her for it.

You might try googling effects of scrub colors on patients. Honestly, as a manager of a psych unit, I'd think most of our patients would hate seeing staff in all black.

As it is, we all wear street clothes, business casual or better.

[bollweevil]

I think black is for funerals, court, sexy dresses, interviews, and formal affairs.

Psych patients these days are used to us wearing street clothes.

Black requires no dandruff.

[KrissyPRN]

Hospital wide where I work RN's have to wear all black, all white, or black and white mixed. In my opinion I think it's ridiculous but it's policy. I think we should be able to wear different colored scrubs or street clothes on the mental health & addictions unit where I work.

[Miami NightNurse]

In our ER the nurses all wear black. While I love the color black when it comes to clothes I think it is totally inappropriate, especially for psych patients-poor patient thought you were The Angel of Death. That's what I'd think if I were the patient crazy or not.

[RedWeasel, RN]

We are going to a white black and maybe add red to our uniforms. We work with brain injuries. This won't be pretty. Black is threatening. Nothing like looking like security!