I need two people to respond to this question about nurses and attire.

[Spikey9001, BSN, RN]

I'm doing a general survey for one of my nursing classes and I need the input and opinions of 2 adults in regards to nurses and their attire.

Do you prefer a nurse wear:

-Starched white uniforms

-Street clothes with a lab coat

-colorful print scrubs

Choose one and give me the rationale behind it please. Also, if you don't mind, state your age as well as this factors in to the survey.

Thanks.

[lorettap]

Up until recently I would have said starched white uniforms but i truly believe that colorful print scrubs are much better . I think they make patients less afraid and feel more comfortable. And my age is 51

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I'm doing a general survey for one of my nursing classes and I need the input and opinions of 2 adults in regards to nurses and their attire.

Do you prefer a nurse wear:

-Starched white uniforms

-Street clothes with a lab coat

-colorful print scrubs

Choose one and give me the rationale behind it please. Also, if you don't mind, state your age as well as this factors in to the survey.

Thanks.

*** I don't consider any of those to be appropriate attire for an RN.

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

My age is 38, and my choice is none of the above. Colorful print scrubs are distracting in my opinion (especially those with characters) and are often unprofessional. Patients often don't take you seriously when nurses are wearing Dora the Explorer or bright flower print tops when explaining critical discharge instructions. Starched white uniforms while professional, are rather uncomfortable and outdated. Street clothes are appropriate for a clinic or office setting, not hospital (unless management or administration).

I think that a solid uniform color scrub (such as all nurses wear white and/or royal blue scrubs) is more professional. When I worked ER, the nurses wore navy and/or white. Techs (PCA/PCT/CNA) wore ceil blue. Secretaries could wear business casual with lab coat or teal scrubs. Only nurses wore white. It made it easier for patients to determine who were the licensed personnel and who were the UAP.

[Spikey9001, BSN, RN]

*** I don't consider any of those to be appropriate attire for an RN.

Well, how come? And what do you consider appropriate clothing for an RN?

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

I'm doing a general survey for one of my nursing classes and I need the input and opinions of 2 adults in regards to nurses and their attire.

Do you prefer a nurse wear:

-Starched white uniforms

-Street clothes with a lab coat

-colorful print scrubs

Choose one and give me the rationale behind it please. Also, if you don't mind, state your age as well as this factors in to the survey.

Thanks.

I think the answer really truly depends on what sort of setting the nurse is working in. If I was a home health nurse or perhaps working a health fair, I might wear professional looking street clothes with a lab coat. In the hospital setting, scrubs are a must, the design or prints vs solids really doesn't matter to me. I have worked places where "nurse's where white," and understand the reasoning behind it, although I personally would not want to wear white everyday. I currently work in a facility that believes in shared governance. When this facility decided to adopt a nursing uniform policy they took it to the staff nurses, who, as a unified group, decided they wanted to freedom to wear and style/pattern of scrubs they so choose. I am 22.

[Asystole RN]

Depends upon the situation.

For home health and psych street clothes with lab coat

For peds, colorful prints

For acute care I would like to see starched whites come back

[ZippyGBR, BSN, RN]

*** I don't consider any of those to be appropriate attire for an RN.

i agree

and have never worn any of the options described.

when i worked in the OR and one of the emergency depts I worked in i wore scrubs ( plain colours - the OR was green and the ED was mid blue) - these weren't pressed as the OR was hospital supplied and the ED scrubs pressing damaged the coating

In the other EDs and on the wards i wore Dark trousers ( dark royal as a student and navy in all but one place where they wore grey ) and either hospital blue uniform tops or white uniform tops with hospital blue epualettes) - again hospital supplied as part of a standard dress code.

yes the uniforms were/are freshly laundered and pressed but never starched - they are not after all Barrack Dress ...

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Well, how come? And what do you consider appropriate clothing for an RN?

*** I suppose some might be appropriate for certain situations, but not for hospital work. Starched whites are uncomfortable and outdated. They give the appearance of nurses being servile hand maidens of the physicians. Street clothes are inappropriate for acute care. Printed scrubs make nurses look juvenile. Hard to take a guy seriously as a professional who has Snoopy all over his clothes. Those who only with children might be an exception.

The appropriate acute care attire for an RN is solid color or two color combination scrubs.

I am 39 years old.

[ZippyGBR, BSN, RN]

Well, how come? And what do you consider appropriate clothing for an RN?

i suspect like me (and in my previous post agreeing ) the post who said none of the above feels that

a pressed uniform which is not necessarily all in white but is common across the facility and identifies different grades and or professions in better

and/or

that plain scrubs in solid colours are a valid, suitable and professionally appropriate answer.

[LegzRN]

*** I don't consider any of those to be appropriate attire for an RN.

Agreed. I prefer hospital uniforms (navy blue scrubs for nurses, maroon for aides/techs, green for unit secretaries, etc)

[millhouse]

I too believe what you wear is dependent on your job. If you are a ped's nurse then print scrubs are okay. White starched uniforms are a NO NO in my book. My personal opinion would be solid scrubs. I am 35!