For those who don't wear scrubs, what do you wear to work?

BanoraWhite · Sep 10, 2011

We dont have a uniform, but most of us wear black or navy pants (or a knee length black or navy skirt) and a polo shirt or short sleeve blouse. And black leather comfy shoes.

MissJulie · Sep 10, 2011

Our office requires scrubs three days a week (Monday through Wednesday), but it doesn't have to be a particular scrub, we can wear whatever we want. Then, on Thursdays, it's casual day. The casual day rules are basically to not wear something you wouldn't want a preacher to see you in! In other words, no cleavage or short-shorts, and if you choose to wear a t-shirt, no foul language.

But, I will say that the nurses keep a lab coat/scrub jacket in their offices should the need arise.

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 10, 2011

I am in Staff Development and wear street clothes. Usually, I will wear a knee-length skirt and a top of some kind. Sometimes, I will wear slacks. Denim is strictly forbidden in my hospital.

The degree of "dressiness vs casual" will depend upon my activities for the day. If I have meetings with higher-level administrators ... or if I am representing the hospital by teaching a large class ... etc. ... I'll wear clothes that are a little more dressy and formal. For example, I might wear a skirt that's a little more on the conservative side and a cardigan sweater. However, if I am just going to be in my office writing, preparing classes, doing paperwork, etc. and/or just meeting with people I worth with regularly ... the outfit will be a little more casual.

I always wear comfortable shoes. I am experienced enough to know the value of sensible, comfortable shoes.

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Sep 10, 2011

Business attire, not business casual, real business attire. Lab coat is optional, I opt out. Clothing is my only vice. I fully admit to being a clothes horse, and I'm not ruining my look with an ugly, cheap polyester piece of cr@p. I am usually the best dressed person everywhere I go. I love clothes.

ccoombs · Sep 10, 2011

I work in a state hospital, and generally wear business casual.

Amanda.RN · Sep 10, 2011

I wear dress clothes -- usually dress pants with a business casual top. I could wear scrubs if I wanted to, but I choose not to...it's much funner to dress up (and I can wear these clothes outside of work, whereas I can't do that with the scrubs). :) I don't miss scrubs at all. Whenever I meet with a patient (to do a cath, IV, dressing change, teaching, etc), I wear my lab coat.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2011

depends. when i work in my home office, in winter sometimes i wear the same fleece shirt and pants every day for a week (eeewwww). when i travel to the attorney's office where i consult, it's business casual-ish. then when i am on the road, it's a step down from business casual so i don't look like a slob when i have to argue with airlines personnel or those fools in the tsa but i can be comfortable in those wretched seats. meeting with a new attorney, my very best expensive italian business suit (of which i have exactly one and i hope i never get too fat to wear it because it cost me a fortune). right now, i'm in my office, but it's warm, so denim shorts, barefoot, and a tee shirt with a celtic-knot-like design with three rabbits interwoven in it (born in the year of the rabbit). when i worked in hospitals i was in critical care mostly so i always wore scrubs (which i did not have to wash, hooray!) now everyone wears them everywhere.

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 10, 2011

i work away from bedside. i wear business (suits and pumps) or business-casual with a white scrub coat. once i have more money, i will purchase more business suits and strictly wear business attire more often than not. :up:

anc33 · Sep 10, 2011

I am in research and 90% of the time I am behind a desk. While we are allowed to wear scrubs, I wear business casual attire. I will sometimes break out a suit depending on what I need to do for the day. If I am with a patient in clinic or processing samples in the lab I throw on a lab coat.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Sep 11, 2011

I'm on the casual side of "business casual" most days, but if Corporate is coming or I'm going to be doing something involving the public, I'll definitely err on the side of conservative business attire. No heels, though.......EVER. :)

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Sep 11, 2011

I work home health. I wear a lot of t-shirts, casual pants, jeans that aren't blue, and skirts. I figure that we're not in a hospital, so why dress like I work in one? it can be hard to find skirts and dresses with pockets, especially in the summertime.