Scrubs for NICU nurses

[Betty Earley]

I am searching for current practices and rationales for NICU nurses wearing scrubs versus regular uniforms? Are scrub uniforms required by any national association standards? If so why required? Does hospital purchase them? If yes do they also launder? Any assistance would be appreciated. Please list state so I can determine if practice is geographical. Thanks

[JennieBSN]

I assume you are asking about wearing hospital issue scrubs (those worn by OR personnel) versus personal scrubs the nurse wears from home?

In both of the major NICUs in my area, the nurses wear their own scrub clothes, not hospital provided ones. In the special care nursery @ my hospital, the nurses wear hospital scrubs like the L&D staff, but it is for security reasons as the special care nursery is part of the NBN.

I live in NC.

Hope this answers your question.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

We wear white pants and our choice of scrub shirts and jackets. We wore hospital issued scrubs up until about 5 years ago and someone from higher up did a survey of people at the mall...I am NOT joking...and the public wants nurses in whites...okay...whatever!!! We hate the whites as formula, and misc other things permanently stain them. Yuck! But we do like the variety of scrub tops everyone wear. There is no state regulated thing for NICU in scrubs....the labor and delivery wear them as they scrub into surgeries.

[prmenrs, RN]

We buy and wear our own scrubs; no we don't change clothes at work, although most of us keep extra stuff for that unexpected power burp, or worse.

We also do our own laundry.

Rationale?: Clothes don't cause infections. The hospital ONLY provides scrubs for the OR; their national standards require it.