Alternatives to Pajam...I Mean, Scrubs

[NursingAgainstdaOdds]

OK, in one sense I feel lucky that I work in a profession where I can wear such comfortable clothing to work. It's really unrestrictive and fairly easy to launder. My gosh darn shoes are made of some kind of plastic and are super duper comfy.

However, I cannot shake the feeling that I'm going to work in my PJs! This not only affects the way others see me, but (actually more importantly) affects how I see me. I feel like a slouch.

Anyway. Could ya'll please share your alternatives to pajama scrubs with me? Links to pictures are helpful and appreciated!

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

My wife always keeps my scrubs very neat and tidy

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

I iron them. A crease helps.

Try Dickies' pants. They have a fitted slack that launders like scrubs but looks like chinos.

I wear a lot of tee shirts - not grotty and worn out. However, that leaves me in need of pockets so I wear cargo pants with them.

[Indy, LPN, LVN]

For the small people: don't forget Urbane Scrubs actually fit the rear end nicely and their small/petite size pants fit my 26 inch inseam...

It's not impossible to look tailored if you're little.

[Spatialized]

Before I was a nurse I worked as a cargo loadmaster and was required to wear slacks, shirt and tie. After hours of sliding around cargo compartments, helping the crew load and being outside my clothes were grungy, oily covered with dirt and occasionally blood. All because I wasn't afraid to get in and solve problems. When I quit I swore I would never wear that outfit again. The clothes laundered horribly and I ended up replacing them frequently. The clothes were not appropriate for the work I was doing. For the front office guys? Yes. Not for me on the back end.

That's the thing about scrubs. They are appropriate for the work we do. The deep down, up to our elbows in poop, blood, vomit and all nature of body fluids. I wouldn't change that for anything. Do people take it too far? Sure. I agree with some of the above folks that cutesy prints shouldn't be seen outside peds. That just because they're like pajamas doesn't mean we have to wear them like pajamas. They can be pressed (or at least not horribly wrinkly) and look professional. Now I know that professional comes from the inside, but people judge by the outside and if we look like we've just rolled out of bed into PJs we're going to get treated that way..

As for alternatives, I've thought of using medic-type pants, or cargo pants with a nice scrub top. Just haven't gone there, yet.

And for folks out at the store in their scrubs...I'm not even going there.

Cheers,

Tom

[Sunflowerinsc, ADN, RN]

Ishould change outfits. The ideal outfit would be to dress like for example a secretary of an office manager would with low heels at least 1 1/2 inches, or with a clean pair sneakers with nice suits, trousers, beautiful dress or skursts and a lab coat or blouse on top. And, nurses should not be wearing their lab coats outside facility but only inside. Each nurses should have at least 5-7 lab coats to wear each a day. evening or night before we go to work, we would try different beautiful and confortable outfit to go to work with, and I am sure this would changing nurses view in the eyes of public opinion.

Ceresk

I can't help woundering just what kind of nursing you do ,or are planning to do dressed like a office manager with 1 1/2 heels,beautiful dress ,ect? I have been a nurse many years and I will admit I am not crazy about how some nurses dress "now days". I have worked wearing starched white uniforms(dresses),white hose and white nurse shoes. I very well remember about '75 or so ,working in Fla. we were able to wear pants, pant suits that is ,not scrubs. Still white hose ,and nurse shoes. There was a big "flap" about nurses wearing pants to work. Thank goodness now for scrubs, sport socks, sneakers or crocks! I am not wild about all the prints, but scrubs that fit and are clean makes working and taking care of pt's so much easier. Passing meds, starting IV's , turning and cleaning pts, and even

basic daily nursing and white starched dresses do not go well together. I can not even think about how to pick out a dress or slacks ,ect and I sure don't have time

(or engery) to try on a differernt beautiful outfit the night before. But I guess that would work out side of the hospital. I do tend to forget not all nuses work in the hospital.!!! :

[a21chdchic]

Sorry people, I work 12 hour shifts, and I need to be comfortable for those 12 hours. You can look professional in scrubs, just be choosey about the style. Make sure they are clean, neat, and ironed if it makes you feel better, and by all means not torn, or stained. I personally would not do white anything if I could help it. It might look nice, professional to some, but rarely do we all wear white underwear. And I certainly do not want to go out buy them just for work. I hope nobody is advocating for that one!

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

Sorry people, I work 12 hour shifts, and I need to be comfortable for those 12 hours. You can look professional in scrubs, just be choosey about the style. Make sure they are clean, neat, and ironed if it makes you feel better, and by all means not torn, or stained. I personally would not do white anything if I could help it. It might look nice, professional to some, but rarely do we all wear white underwear. And I certainly do not want to go out buy them just for work. I hope nobody is advocating for that one!

I thought all underwear was white

[gina gina]

i loooovvve scrubs!!!!so comfortable,good price,easy to launder.go to life uniform store for the versatility in nursing wear.if u don't want them i'll take em!i am a size large!!

[a21chdchic]

teeituptom,

all underwear was white, when? the 1800's? hehehehe By the way how old are you? More than a 100?

[goingCOASTAL]

I don't know why we have to dress in a manner that usurps our professionalism and authority. "Uniforms" made us look like handmaidens, and scrubs make us look like we're all about to have a big sleep-over ... REAL convincing when we're going toe-to-toe with a physician that may be compromising patient safety.

I'm trying to convince folks in my facility that perhaps something more professional is in order - maybe "polo" shirts of one color to designate nursing staff over khaki slacks, or HECK ... why is it such a sin for us to just wear casual dress with a lab coat? If a doctor can wear the same thing he wears to the bank, why is it such a affront for me to wear a button up shirt over slacks to work?

The fact that some of us will *bristle* at such a suggestion shows you that what nurses wear to work is all about power ... power we don't have and should have as professionals equally responsible for patient outcomes, and handmaidens to no one.

[SWS RN, ASN, RN]

WOW, do you actually work in a hospital and at the bedside?

I can not for the life of me imagine working 12 hours in heels and a skirt!

While they may not be fashion forward, scrubs are the only way to go in the down and dirty trenchs of the hospital.

Oh gee, do my Jimmy Choos go with these scrubs? or should I wear the Manolos?

only joking, my Crocs go with all of them!

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

Iron them. I've had patients tell me they remembered me because I iron my scrubs.

Takes five minutes and makes them look a whole lot better.