Are you a "Bonified" Nurse?

[gentlegiver, ASN, LPN, RN]

The other day I had an elderly patient approach me. She looked very concerned, so I asked her what was bothering her. She told me she wanted to ask a question, then asked if I was a "Bonified" Nurse or a helper nurse. I could not help it, I cracked up, I assured her I was indeed "Bonified" and took her to a room where she could ask her questions in private.

The next day, as I sat (amazing I was able to find time to sit!) doing the ever-present paperwork we all do, I over heard two sweet patients discussing Nursing uniforms. Both stated they had a very hard time telling the Nurse from all the rest of the staff. While we do have our titles on our name tags, they complained that thier aging eyes could not see the title unless we were practically sitting on thier laps. I began looking around at the uniforms the staff wears. Every single person employed by the company wears scrubs, from housekeeping on up. I suddenly realized how difficult it must be for our elderly, who's vision is not as good as it used to be, to recognise the Nurse from the Kitchen help. They suggested it might be better if the Nurse went back to the all white scrubs and let everyone else wear colors. So, my question is, how many of us would be willing to wear white if it helps out patients recognise us when they need us?

[SweetOldWorld, BSN, RN]

Do you mean bona fide?

Or is this your way of saying we should all grow a backbone and wear white?

[noahsmama]

I would be willing to wear a designated color, but white would be pretty much my last choice. I don't think anyone looks good in white, I know for sure that I don't. My own first choice would be royal blue.

[MizzERRN]

Where I work, everyone is color coded. Nurses navy/white, PCT's grey, etc. They have signs up all over the hospital with the colors posted.

I like to think i'm a "bonafied" nurse...otherwise, who did i steal that BSN diploma from? lol

[NaKcl, BSN, RN]

I agree with differentiating scrub colors among health care workers.

But white scrub is not practical in reality.

We do so much bedside cares and I don't know how to keep up with this white colored scrubs.

May be different solid color might work out better than white color.

I personally choose printed scrub tops because in case I get splash on pt's body fluid or something, it hids spots better.

[Flo., BSN, RN]

We are color coded at my hospital. White was voted down.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

We used to be color coded. The patients complained, saying we're the only people they see some days and it's boring for us to always look the same, so now we wear what we want. We have RN in HUGE letters, though, on a separate tag.

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

If a pt. doesn't know who their current nurse is.........................there are issues going on that outweigh scrub colors by TONS.

[sharpeimom]

if i were still physically able to work, i would hate hate hate to go back to all white because i have always felt you could show movies and use me as the screen, when i'm in all white. i worked psych, and

rns wore either tan or navy docker-like pants with either white, tan, or navy polo shirts with the state

hospital name embroidered on the pocket and rn in good-sized letters. aides were mostly male in our

building, and wore jeans and plain t-shirts without any text.

[MedSurgeMe]

I like uniforms. Nurses wear light blue at my hospital. Supposedly this was supposed to distinguish us from the rest of staff. But the physical therapists, physical therapists techs, and some physicians wear the exact same color blue. I think it would be great if nurses all wore one color. My suggestion would be red. Hides dirt, easy to spot, and hearkens back to the old red cross on hats and other nurse ware. I also think black pants look REALLY nice.

[mystory, BSN, RN]

I find it strange that I've come across several nurses advocating for all white scrubs/uniform on this site. I wore them at clinicals and hated them! They were so impractical, and also disarmed me from my secret weapon-wearing hidden matching colored bra & undies lol .

I work psych now and wear street clothes which I love as I'm a bit of a bargain hunting fashionista.

When I worked Med/Surg we had this problem and then color-coded the different disciplines. Nurses in navy, PCAs in teal, Housekeeping in maroon, XRay in green, etc...

[danh3190]

I like color coded scrubs. Nurses are supposed to wear white on my floor and a lot of us do. I see lot's of people complsining that they can't do bedside care in white but when I get home, aside from some wrinkles, my uniform looks pretty much the same as the beginning of the day.

We also have the RN tags that ride behind our hospital name tags, but I've yet to find a way to keep the front of the tag facing outward for more than half the time. The nametag is on one of those strings taht pull out of a spring loaded clip since we use the badges to swipe in etc. So as we move around it just turns freely.