I think cutsey scrub tops look ridiculous on adult units

Nurses Uniform/Gear

Published

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.

Very few people do not judge, in part, on presentation. Those that say they don't judge others on how they look are unlikely to rank very high on self awareness or self honesty or both. One may refuse to be judged but it doesn't really work that way.

How likely is a patient, reliant on a nurses' care, going to say, "you need to rethink the dappy scrubs". Not many. Why would they risk offending their nurse?

Exactly. What are we supposed to do, come in with stains and holes in our clothes because we're so "self-confident"? Is there something wrong with wanting to look put together and professional? If your CEO showed up in sweats and a bandana everyday, wouldn't someone say say WTH is going on????? What if he wore jeans and a polo as a step up from the sweats? Isn't it still inappropriate for his job? You're not working at Chucky Cheese's...you're working in a hospital. To be honest, I don't even think that you should wear cartoon scrubs in Peds/NICU, but I would turn a blind eye to that just in case it might help some poor little kid. But with NICU, how old are the kids? Would they even benefit from those scrubs? And wearing cartoon scrubs doesn't show that you're comfortable in your skin. I'm comfortable with a lot of things too, but that doesn't mean they're appropriate for work.

Interestingly enough from a patient's perspective I have heard them say that some of these tops look like "beachwear" or "casual tops you'd see with jeans" -- from the above links.

I feel the same about flowery tops as I do the cartoon etc. ones. Don't like them. Don't think they project the image I want to project. Would prefer if other nurses didn't wear them because I think it lets the side down a bit.

I agree, the tops are cute but the first link looks like something I would wear with jeans and the second looks like a pajama top! I keep thinking "flirty" when I look at the first top and that is NOT something I want to be saying at work! The fact that they're so casual would make me feel uncomfortable at work, but it's cute otherwise.

Some days I wear plain colors, other days patterns and some days I do wear scrubs with prints and I work with adult patients. I get far more compliments on my scrubs with cute prints on them.

Professionalism is the way you care for your patients, the way you speak to others, the way you do your job, the integrity you have while on the job. While I would not like to see a nurse with stained or ripped clothes, I think clean pressed scrubs should be a personal choice.

1 Votes
Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.

When I was @ 5, I had surgery at the NY Eye and Ear Infirmary and still to this day remember the lovely nurse in white cap and dress at my bedside taking care of me and bringing me tiny cups of ice cream with a smile. While I don't advocate that nurses need to return to that type of dress (esp males :D) I did appreciate the fact (even at that age) that she projected the image of a person of trust with neat and uniform attire. I knew at first glance who was a nurse and who was not. These days, I have to visually fish for an ID badge on someone's chest to determine if someone is an RN. I'm all for color coding scrubs, so we know quickly who is who. But I must say as well, white scrubs can be harsh :)

Even flight attendants don't project the neat image of yesteryear, what a shame. These days they have that "who did it and ran" look ... :eek: .. anywayz ...

For the record, I would actually love to see the occasional nurse bring back the white uniform and cap for a day, that would be cool.

We have a large blue RN patch we have to wear. No problem knowing who is who. The LPN's, CNT's, etc likewise have their own patches. I think it's terrific. I have worn all white in the past and while it's very professional looking it's not practical. I would agree with going back to wearing caps.

i totally, thoroughly, and passionately, love Love LOVE my whites.

i wear white pants and white jacket/lab coat a lot.

leslie

For the record, I would actually love to see the occasional nurse bring back the white uniform and cap for a day, that would be cool.

When you get your RN, go for it. Don't forget the hose.

I would love the starched/bleached all-white uniforms as well...perhaps even a cap..but I'm not sure that will ever happen. I thought that was a classy look.

Specializes in IMCU.
We have a large blue RN patch we have to wear. No problem knowing who is who. The LPN's, CNT's, etc likewise have their own patches. I think it's terrific. I have worn all white in the past and while it's very professional looking it's not practical. I would agree with going back to wearing caps.

The patch is a good idea. I hate feeling like I have to grab someone's ID to see what they do.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
n and i prefer to dig out my cute print tops when i work pedi/nicu and wear my solids elsewhere.

were we talking about all prints, or just cutesy prints? i have no problem with adult-looking prints. they help hide the mishaps i might have with the fork on the way to my mouth, or opening the betadine packet or whatever. but betty boop, sponge bob and the ilk do nothing to enhance the professionalism of the wearer.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
the patch is a good idea. i hate feeling like i have to grab someone's id to see what they do.

you're the second person i've seen on this page of the thread complaining about having to "fish for" or "grab" someone's id to see what they do. what in the world are you guys doing invading someone's space like that? if someone "fished for" or "grabbed" my id at work, i'd be inclined to smack them. that's just too close and personal for strangers!

the other thing i don't understand is if you work there, why don't you know who they are and what they do? and if you don't work there why just not ask?

Specializes in IMCU.
you're the second person i've seen on this page of the thread complaining about having to "fish for" or "grab" someone's id to see what they do. what in the world are you guys doing invading someone's space like that? if someone "fished for" or "grabbed" my id at work, i'd be inclined to smack them. that's just too close and personal for strangers!

the other thing i don't understand is if you work there, why don't you know who they are and what they do? and if you don't work there why just not ask?

of course i don't really grab someone's id i was working of the first comment -- i wasn't born in a field. lol

if i don't work there i expect someone to introduce themselves when they enter a room for the first time. it is usually not the nurses who fail to introduce themselves -- but that is another thread entirely.

+ Add a Comment