Wearing all white

Ruby Vee, BSN · Nov 12, 2008

forcing nurses to wear all white is just another way to take away our autonomy and professionalism. i wore all white back in the dinosaur days -- and it didn't make me a better nurse. nor did it make me more professional. i know there are people out there who think it's a wonderful idea for nurses to wear all white -- and they're welcome to wear it. i won't try to dissuade them. but i don't want to wear white again -- like you, i'd see it as a very good reason to resign.

if the real issue is ability of patients, physicians, families, etc. to tell the nurse from the techs, housekeepers, pharmacists, etc., take everyone who doesn't have direct patient care responsibilities out of scrubs. then the rest can wear large, tricked-out name tags with their title in 4 inch high letters. color coded uniforms only works if patients, families, physicians, etc. both know there is a code and remember what the code is.

justme1972 · Nov 12, 2008

No job is worth quitting over the color of a uniform. No job.

The problem with "today's" scrubs is that they are made poorly. My aunts who wore all white, I remember their uniforms distinctly (and this has only been 10 years ago), they were better made, fit like regular clothing and stains came out rather easily...even blood.

One of the local hospitals around here is going from color coding the departments to color coding by job title.

RN's will wear all blue, LPN's khaki, etc.

All uniforms will have to be solid head to toe. No more funky prints. This is mainly due to the fact that wearing pediatric appropriate scrubs is probably not appropriate in an acute care department.

Too many staff members were also just throwing anything on and not being concerned whether it matched or not..another problem.

justme1972 · Nov 12, 2008

forcing nurses to wear all white is just another way to take away our autonomy and professionalism. i wore all white back in the dinosaur days -- and it didn't make me a better nurse. nor did it make me more professional.

i wholeheartedly disagree with you. an employee reflects on the employer..it's a job, not a social event. so things like "autonomy" doesn't even enter my mind when i think of a dress code for any place of employment.

it also doesn't take away your professionalism. it makes people appear more like they are on a team while people are dressed similarly..it's not about the employees, it's about the perception of the public...and you can rest assured changes like that are not made without a hospital doing research on it b/c any staff photos that appear in marketing must also be redone as well as any employee assisted costs, if any.

if an employer wants me to wear white, pink, blue, purple, prison stripes....it's simple...if i don't like the dress code, then i don't have to take the job...but if every hospital around your area does the same thing...then you'll be forced to move.

to me, that is money that i would rather spend on something else.

keep in mind, like in my post earlier...changes are probably d/t people not caring about how they are dressed at a hospital that is forcing the changes....employers don't change uniforms in order to make the employees change their behavior.

since i'm in school, probably 85% or better of the nurses that show up at the hospitals around here look like they crawled out of bed.

that isn't acceptable in most places where professionals work...so why should it be acceptable in a hospital?

THAT Nurse., MSN, RN, APRN · Nov 12, 2008

Hopefull makes a point I agree with, looking professional is good. However, is mandating that nurses wear all white ensuring professionalism, or is it just more like being a nanny who picks your clothes out? What is next, going back to days when all we said was "Yes Doctor"?

I personally think a very un-restrictive dress code with few guidelines would be best. Example: Nurses must wear solid color scrubs, or tastefully designed ones (I often see male nurses wear a red and black scrub design that actually works decently enough).

Those who point out that if all the hospitals switched to white only would force us to switch or move miss one key point: What if nurses refuse to work there? It makes poor economic sense to lose many nurses over a dress code. The question now is whether you would quit if such a dress code was implemented. So far, of the three posters here, 2 consider it worth quitting over. Would any hospital do well is they lost 2/3rds of the nursing staff on dress code change day?

Mods: is it too late to edit this thread and make it with a poll, asking if you would quit over a change to all white scrub designs with the possible answers of:

Yes

Very Likely

Not very likely

No

nursej22, MSN, RN · Nov 12, 2008

I also worked when the dress code was all white, although a cardigan could be white or navy blue. But there were still staff who looked like they just rolled out of bed. :yawn: Plus if they chose to wear underwear, it might be in all kinds of garish colors and patterns. :eek: So all white doesn't guarantee a professional look. :twocents:

As to the original question, I don't believe I would quit, but I would protest and demand the facility provide and launder any required uniforms. And if they were white then they better be of heavy enough fabric so I can't see what brand of undies everyone is wearing! :coollook:

CHATSDALE · Nov 12, 2008

before you take a job ask pertinent questions

what are my shifts going to be

what are your rules on manadorty overtime

DO YOU HAVE A DRESS CODE

if they change to something after you are employed decide if the change is worth finding a new job with new crew and new shifts

if you like everything except the dress code decide if it is worth the trouble

the problem with cutting and running is that you don't know that the new place won't come out with new rules two months after you are hired

know what hopeful is talking about on the issue of people coming to work looking five miles of bad road but i have seen nurses coming to work in dirty, unironed worn out uniforms so it is a lot about the person

PJarc · Nov 12, 2008

I don't know that I would quit a job I liked just because they insisted I wear all white. I do think that nurses need to maintain a professional appearance. However, I think our autonomy comes from our knowledge and skill, not just what we wear. The problem I see is that there is no longer a distinction for nursing. Even the environmental services people wear scrubs these days.

**LaurelRN, MSN · Nov 12, 2008

Hey There... I actually work in a hospital where the nurses wear all white. Does this make us look more professional?? For me, yes- I take pride in whatever I wear- so it is ironed, proper underclothing, and my hair is up and back. That doesn't mean that everyone dresses this way. If we could wear another color- I'd love it- but i wouldn't quit my job over having to wear all white.

Pudnluv, ASN, RN · Nov 12, 2008

I remember the days when we wore all white, and it was never an issue. We wore white and that was that. I do like the fact that we can wear different colors and designs now, but I certainly wouldn't quit my job if I had to wear all white again. I think the move to all white in many hospitals is because so many come to work dressed sloppily. Thongs showing out of low rise scrub pants, belly baring tight tees. Uniforms wrinkled and unkempt. If everyone dressed appropriately and neatly, the all white rule would most likely have never come back up.

RN1982 · Nov 12, 2008

Yeah, I'm not wearing all white. I agree with Ruby that wearing white does not make one more professional nor a better nurse. I like my blue scrubs and I like that I can wear print scrubs per hospital policy.

premedturnednursing · Nov 12, 2008

looking five miles of bad road

sorry but this is off topic...

I haven't heard anyone use this phrase since my favorite person, my grandfather, passed away! Brought a smile to my face!!

carry on...