uniforms are killing us

Nurses General Nursing

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What do you all think of current nursing wear. it kills me to go up to a adult floor and see RN's wearing all these crazy looking tops with cartoons and teddy bears on them. personally i see why some of the public looks down to a nurse and is always wanting the DR. We look terrible. I think all floors should have set colors for each positon. RN's, LVN's, PCA's, it gives a sense of order. just wanted to know how others see it, because i just was looking at a web site for nursing uniforms, and i couldn't help but laugh at some of them.

I see the odd nurse with those awful fake nails,with those sparkles or little designs on them.....to me they are a total turn off! Yikes I can only imagine how they harbour germs-bacteria NOT TO MENTION the way they look- unprofessional!

I wear uniform pants, but often wear sweaters or vests over appropriate shirts-tops. I try to look at what we wear as an extension of ourselves...... professional-clean-responsible.

I certainly disagree with long nails, unkept hair, too much of anything. I may get blasted for this, but I often look at our ICU doc's and think we should look as professional as they do. They don't prance around in little cute printed tops. I think if we want to be taken seriously AND I DO, then we need to look the part.

Sheric you sound very upset. Are you okay?

I think that hospitals are trying certain colored uniforms....only because patients have difficulty telling which are nurses, respiratory, aides, phelbotomy and etc.

A month ago I worked at a facility where with no dress code. I'm sure the same patient could have me as their nurse in both facilities and both facilities think I'm an equally good nurse (with a uniform or non-uniform)

I hope that explains things.

Different strokes for different folks and everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Personally I don't care what anyone wears as long as it is ironed and clean.

Wally, you work in Peds though ,too, right?

I am like Stevielynn,I like all the prints, but rarely wear them myself. I am more of a navy/ceil blue with white lab coat, but I like seeing other peoples prints. In the ED where I used to work, one of the nurse managers I had managed to get our ED repainted and redecorated in "jewel tones" (dark red and green),and insisted that we all have scrubs to match! We looked like a bunch of demented Christmas elves! Luckily,she didn't last very long.

I love the printed tops! Cartoon carachters or not. I have heard many an adult say that they like the bright tops. THey have also said that the tops are cheerful and take out the monotony of a hospital stay.

And I must add that I don't iron my scrubs! I tried a few times, but I could never tell the difference between the ones I pressed and the ones straight out of the dryer.

Kristy..... yes i work in peds...grown up's scare me!

and I only wash them if there are visible stains on them.....:devil: :chuckle job security ya know....

I prefer to wear whites because it is the only uniform i can wash in bleach. i want to be sure to kill all those nasty bugs that come home with me.

Specializes in Med-Surg Nursing.

I currently work in an adult ICU. We wear hospital provided scrubs that are that seafoam green color. In ICU, I think white would be totally inappropriate, especially a Trauma unit such as mine. I'd come home looking like I'd lost a War!!!

One hospital that I used to work required all nurses to wear either all white, ciel blue, purple or burgundy. Only nurses that worked in Peds were allowed to wear print srub tops/jackets. I remember one nurse wore white. Her uniforms were that dingy white, almost grey color from too many washings. She wore old dirty shoes, her hair was in her face and her uniforms were wrinkled. Is THAT professional dress? I don't think so.

White is too hard to keep white. After washing white clothing in bleach, it starts to turn yellowish after awhile. Uniforms are expensive to begin with. I'd go through about 300 dollars worth a year if I was required to wear white.

Last facility I worked at allowed us to wear whatever color/print we liked. I received many a compliment from my elderly patients on my Precious Moments jacket or my Valentines Day jacket. It allows me to express myself while maintaining professionalism.

Currently my hair is short, I removed my acrylic nails (which only extended 1/4 inch beyond my fingertips) and well I can't help the fact that the hospital provided scrubs are wrinkled. I introduce myself to my patients as their nurse, even to the ones who are unconscious. I always wear my namebadge. Who cares what color my scrubs are?

I donnot think that the public views us as unprofessional because we choose to wear scrubs with prints. Not one patient has negatively commented on it. We send out pt surveys to all discharged patients. They complain about some pretty lame things but never our choice in wear.

Originally posted by bossynurse

I donnot think that the public views us as unprofessional because we choose to wear scrubs with prints. Not one patient has negatively commented on it. We send out pt surveys to all discharged patients. They complain about some pretty lame things but never our choice in wear.

And we have actually had people write on them how much they like the variations in the uniforms... How they fell the cheery uniforms help them feel better....

And I would wear a SpongeBob scrub top, and I don't work on a Peds unit...

As far as getting nurses and aides confused.. that is why our name tags have LPN, RN, PCA.. And we also have a board in each room where we write who the nurse and aide is for that shift...

I work in research with all different groups. We wear scrubs here; and I wear the flakey ones. My patients, docs and coworkers love them. I think the flamboyant prints put people at ease. Certainly avoids the "white coat syndrome"!

I think your attitude, knowledge, behavior, and interpersonal skills go a very long way toward how you are viewed as a professional. The only times someone assumes I'm something other than a nurse, they think I'm a doctor. Even in the silly scrubs.

Originally posted by bossynurse

I donnot think that the public views us as unprofessional because we choose to wear scrubs with prints. Not one patient has negatively commented on it. We send out pt surveys to all discharged patients. They complain about some pretty lame things but never our choice in wear.

We send out survey's too. We only get a selected few to read.

The only time I hear the publics views about uniform's is from the patients on the floor. And they say they don't know ...an aide from a R.N. Do you ever hear that?

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