I think cutsey scrub tops look ridiculous on adult units

[AZO49008]

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.

[Cat_RN, ASN, BSN, RN]

I really don't care what other people wear. I can tell you, however, that whites work. They command respect without my even saying a word. I was standing at the nurses' station in a white scrub dress and a man approached me and remarked, "You're obviously the nurse in charge here."

Don't discount the power of an icon.

Haha! This is true. However, I'd never risk the whites, I'm FAR too messy.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Along with the silly cartoon scrubs, you got your army fatigue scrubs and your solid black scrubs. The black scrubs I've seen are usually acc by black nail polish and deep lip gloss and too much eyeliner..... dyed black hair or that strange deep maroon color (what's up with that). OK, got it. You want me to know you are different.

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

I tend to wear hawaiian print tops, interesting patterns...one of my favorite ones that get a lot of comments are a bunch of old muscle cars...also the ones with elvis and hawaian lais....lighten up! not all of us want to be boring and plain colors!

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i'll throw in my 2 cents, you can spend it or not...but first of all, i think that the hospitals that try to tell you what scrubs to wear to work, is just another way of controlling you! and it's all political bull--whatever happened to knowing who your nurse, tech, housekeeper, food service worker, doctor was because when they walk in the room they say "hi, my name is sally and i'm going to be your (insert title here) today" and yes you say that everytime you walk in and there are new people in the room, i don't care what color your shirt is or what you have in your hands! and #2: i second the person that said that her clinical and critical thinking skills are not affected by what she wears to work! did we or did we not all pass the same nclex? (i know not everyone acts like it), but we are all capable of completing this job, per the state, so who cares if i wear care bears to work or not? maybe that's the way i get through my day knowing that everyone around me is just trying to repress all the political bullcrap that hospitals are throwing in our faces rather than dealing with it head on? you want to people to start dealing with nurses in more of a professional light? how about all of us banding together and getting people to realize that when they come to a hospital it is a hospital and not a hotel and we are there to help them get better and not to wait on them hand and foot, because many of the patients and the management seem to think that's what nurses do now?

i truly agree that the hospitals who are trying to tell us what to wear are doing it because they want to control us. the more aspects of our lives they control, the less likely we will be to revolt . . .

i don't know what we can do to convince people that a hospital is not a hotel as long as management keeps insisting that is is a hotel, and that you can "have it your way." press gainey sucks -- i'd love to go back to the days when we had patients, not clients, and it was all about getting them well, not making them happy!

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

aw geez, if you don't like 'em, don't wear 'em.

sensible advice. i have the same advice about wearing all white -- if you want to wear it, do so. but don't try to tell me what to wear!

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i really don't care what other people wear. i can tell you, however, that whites work. they command respect without my even saying a word. i was standing at the nurses' station in a white scrub dress and a man approached me and remarked, "you're obviously the nurse in charge here."

don't discount the power of an icon.

i really do care what other people wear -- i don't want to look at fat bulging out over too tight, rolled to the hip scrubs and i don't want to know the color and style of people's underwear. it should be under your wear. i don't want to see your boobs bulging out of your top, nor do i want to see a hairy chest every time you bend over to start an iv. as for white -- wear it if you think it makes you look more professional. but don't try to make anyone else wear it.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

i really do care what other people wear .

and i really don't.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i think the hospital's uniform requirements are a way of controlling what the op is complaining of. with-out pointing fingers and creating lots of discrimination drama, they can making sure everyone's uniforms are professional and appropriate. instead of telling mary she cannot wear her winnie the pooh or rubber ducky scrub top in the icu, they simply enforce a hospital-wide uniform to ensure everyone is the same. i think it looks very neat and professional actually, as long as it's not red.

if the hospital wants to give me scrubs and launder them for me, they can tell me what to wear. and if the hospital wants to mandate wearing "conservative prints", "discreet underwear," closed toe shoes, neutral or coordinating socks and prohibit artifical and long nails, more than two earrings on each ear, bangles, and hair of a color that is never seen in nature -- i guess we haven't done an adequate job of policing ourselves.

is there anyone who doesn't know that thongs, tramp stamps and butt cracks hanging out, bright yellow crocks with tweety scrubs or scrubs that came out of the bottom of the laundry basket looks unprofessional? is there anyone who really thinks that that gal over there flipping her hair and popping her gum looks professional? (although for some reason everyone seems to believe that they can chew their gum discreetly and without attracting attention . . . just like everyone thinks they're a good driver and a great nurse!) while winnie the pooh or sponge bob scrubs don't actually detract any iq points -- at least, it's never been proven that they do -- it really does not look professional. but if you don't care about whether or not you look professional, that's your business.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

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.

Oh yes, the kids DO notice. Maybe not the neuro kids, but I've seen them ask if they were going to get the "nurse with Dora" back. And they'll ask questions about them. It gives them a little something to help develop a rapport with them.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

ahahah... sorry this comment just made my day. I would like some chicken scrubs please. Then again i work on peds.

I want them too, but I work in psych

[ShannonRN2010, BSN, RN]

I personally don't like the cuties wooties scrub tops. I prefer solid colors or low-key prints. I have about 1600 colored tank tops from Old Navy that I wear with a white short sleeved scrub jacket more times than not.

[Clear Morning]

I prefer simple looking scrubs in solid colors. Personally, I could give two sh***s what kind of prints or colors others choose to wear.