I think cutsey scrub tops look ridiculous on adult units

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The other day a co-worker strolled in wearing a scrub top festooned with furry, smiling teddy bears. On an adult cardiac floor...REALLY? On various adult units I've seen Looney Tunes, Precious Moments, rainbows and clouds, hearts, and yes...oodles and oodles of teddy bears.

I think these types of scrub tops look ridiculous unless you work in peds, in which case they would all be highly appropriate. On one hand nurses are striving to be taken seriously as professionals, yet with the other hand they are taking juvenile looking scrub tops off the hangar.

I'm a guy and pretty much have to wear solid scrubs if I don't want to look like a freak. But I am not motivated out of jealousy to kvetch about print tops on the ladies. If women want to pizazz up their uniforms, I have seen tons of very tasteful, very professional looking print scrub tops coordinated with solid pants.

If I were director of nursing of the world, I would ban dorky print scrub tops.

Okay...talk amongst yourselves.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I love prints---they hide the fact that I can't seem to eat my lunch or drink my coffee without half of it landing on the front of my scrub shirt. But teddy bears and cartoon characters on anyone over the age of 22, working on an adult care unit, and wanting to be taken seriously........nah.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

lighten up, op!! i loved wearing cute tops when i worked a cardiac step down unit and other adult med surg units at my former hospital. i also loved looking at them on my co-workers!!! they put smiles on everyone's face including really sick old patients. one of my favorite male nurses wore spiderman daily while working adult med surg. he (spidy) always put a smile on my face. the nurse now works er and continues to wear them.

the only place for mute boring solid colored tops in the civilian world is the morgue!! *ahem* i mean units with mandatory uniform solid colors so that the patients know who the nurses are vs. the aids (i work in such a hospital now).

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I agree that childish tops on an adult floor seem inappropriate. I don't think you have to have teddy bears or disney characters on your scrubs to make people happy. I just don't think it's very professional. I think wearing bright colors or interesting patterns is a much better option. It's the smile on your face and the kindness that you show that brightens someones day.

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Specializes in multispecialty ICU, SICU including CV.

Agreed, OP. I personally think that scrubs look like P.J.s to begin with. Why would we REALLY want to make them look like pajamas by adding a cutesy print? Pajamas are not professional.

I wear solids, period, in a unit where I could wear whatever I wanted as far as scrubs go. I do think you lose a little credibility with adult patients if you roll up to do their morning assessment in a tweety bird top and yellow crocs. :no:

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Its banned in my adult world ... navy, white, or white top & navy bottom is all thats allowed!

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I agree that childish tops on an adult floor seem inappropriate. I don't think you have to have teddy bears or disney characters on your scrubs to make people happy. I just don't think it's very professional. I think wearing bright colors or interesting patterns is a much better option. It's the smile on your face and the kindness that you show that brightens someones day.

I agree with the above post. In bold is my personal preference. I have never been into the cartoons.

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Specializes in cardiothoracic surgery.

I totally agree that teddy bears, rainbows, cartoon characters, etc don't belong on an adult unit. It also really bothers me when coworkers show up to working wearing zip up hoodies, tight tight t-shirts (solid color or prints), tye dye shirts, and cargo pants (not scrub pants) that look like they belong on a 16 year old going on a camping trip. If you want to be seen as a professional, dress like one. Well... best you can in scrubs anyways. :)

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Specializes in LTC, Acute Care.

My husband loved the scrub shirts I sewed for him. Three of them had chickens printed on the fabric. The old people he cared for loved the chickens. Another scrub shirt had fish, a couple more were Peanuts prints, and another was a wildlife print.

OP, you need some chickens on your scrubs. It will give the illusion that you have a sense of humor in a way that a blue scrub shirt that says "Landau" does not.

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Specializes in Emergency.

To each thier own and all....but I work in pedi neuro and I still hate those teddy bear fuzzie wuzzie tops.

I have never heard a child say "Oh this doesnt hurt now because there is a bunny hugging a baby lamb on your scrub top" I dont even think they notice what we wear.

If you want to wear looney tunes all over your top, go for it....but dont blame it on the kids. They dont care. It bothers me like those people who wear adult whinnie the pooh clothes. Why do they even make XL sweatshirts that have Eeyore on them? I mean what were you thinking when you bought that purple bomer jacket with a disney character on it?

The world may never know...

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

I wore them because my granddaughter thought I was cool.:coollook:

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Specializes in Psych.

We are not allowed to wear the cartoon type scrubs on our unit, it is an adult medsurg/ortho floor. The only ones in our hospital that are allowed to wear the cartoon scrubs are peds nurses. I personally think that is where they belong. I don't care for them myself, and I wouldn't wear them if they were allowed. I prefer brightly colored print tops with solid pants.

But....to each his/her own.

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