Is there power in the color white?

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Oct 9, 2006

Yikes! The color white (is it really a color?) just screams "DON'T TAKE ME SERIOUSLY!"
My hospital has color coded nursing uniforms for the different units in the hospital and for certain non-nursing staff - like respiratory therapy. However, we're not required to wear the colors so it matters not. Still, sort of a nice idea if a) you actually wear the chosen colors and b) your color isn't a bad one - like white or pink.
-S

Really? White screams "don't take me seriously" and yet perhaps blue screams the opposite? How does green or tan rank on screaming seriousness?

Interesting.

piper_for_hire · Oct 9, 2006

I suppose I look at how I would be taken seriously in the non-hospital world. If I showed up for work in a pink or white suit, well, I'd be a mockery. I don't think too many guys in a pink suit are taken seriously. Not too many women are either - at least in my "business" experience before my nursing life. Green, brown, gray, etc. are considered serious colors for whatever reason society thinks so. This is also true of docs who may wear the white coat, but often show up in the ICU in a nice suit underneath. Why? Because of tradition? Of course not, I'm sure they'd rather show up at 3am in their PJs just like anyone else would. Obviously it's because they want to be taken seriously! Nursing is a serious business and should project an image of seriousness.

imenid37 · Oct 9, 2006

The LPN students in my hospital wear lt. pink. Even the males. Now at least everyone has white pants, not all pink like several years ago. It looks silly on the men, especially. Where my daughter does her clinicals, they have LPN students who wear maroon scrubs w/ their school's logo. They look much more appropriate. My daughter's nursing class still wears all white w/ a patch for the university on their sleeve. Personally, I do think the LPN students look better. The darker colour is more flattering to a lot of people's build. Also, it doesn't get stained or worse yet yellow. I had yellow armpits from all of the sweating I did in school and had to bleach them out. White is very impractical!

bbfw2 · Oct 15, 2006

Wow! You've submitted some strong and wonderful replies. I get the feeling that basically we need to take ourselves, and each other, seriously as professionals. Respect each other and others will respect us in turn. Too true. There in lies some new problems we need solutions to;

1. How to stop sniping at each other?

2. How to get upper management to take the role of the hands on nurse more seriously?

3. How to open the eyes of the public at large to the true power of nursing and the profession?

The uniform thing....some style, or color, that distinguishes us from other workers, at a mere glance. Certainly does not need to be white.

Thanks all

Wendy

BethBSN · Oct 15, 2006

I graduate this May, and I also work as a student nurse... at my part time hospital job, there is one nurse who often wears an all-white uniform. And I have to be honest, it makes her stand out and it says, "I'm a nurse!" In my opinion, I am all for the all-white uniform, it DOES look very professional, and it would separate us from housekeeping, techs, food service, etc (just about every other employee).

rockytopRN2b · Oct 15, 2006

We had to wear all white scrubs during clinicals, and overwhelmingly, everyone hated it. I recall one girl commenting she'd dropped her son off at school on her way in and was asked by a teacher which school cafeteria she worked at. She was not amused. :rolleyes:

Nurse-To-Be-Joy · Oct 16, 2006

I have been in the hospital a few times and I personally think a nurse in all white looks cold. I'd much prefer seeing my nurses wearing upbeat scrubs, something fun or pretty I can look at. And I always knew who my nurse was because she identified herself at the beginning of the shift. Just because you wear white does not automatically mean people are going to think you're sooooo professional. You gotta earn it.

DusktilDawn · Oct 16, 2006

IMO, introducing yourself, explaining your position (RN for example), is the first step in creating mutal respect. In fact, it should be par for the course for all employees to introduce themselves and state their position when entering the patient room: housekeeping, dietary, respiratory, residents, attendings, PT/OT, etc. Unfortunately I do notice alot of staff that will enter a room WITHOUT introducing themselves and proceed to do whatever task they came in to do.

AS to white uniforms, I think they beckon towards a more archaic era when nurses were handmaidens and female. I seem to remember once upon a time when the only males in hospitals that wore all white were ORDERLIES.

swartzrn · Oct 16, 2006

Hey, I'm new to the board but I did want to say this about the white uniforms. I think they look nice and they do look professional--when I always think of nurses, I think of white. With that said, I'll also say this--white is not practical in alot of fields. I have worked ER most of my career and granted, everytime I step into the ER in white anything (pants, top or a print on a white background) something gets spilled, sprayed on or splattered. I still have activated charcoal stains on a white top from about 6 years ago to remind me why white isn't practical. Nursing practice has evolved so much over the years from the sterotypical white starched uniform with the cap and everything to a more relaxed uniform I agree and many would argue that it is not as professional. I agree and I also think white looks clean unless you have stuff splattered all over it. I usually stick with darker colors as we do not have a color code in my department right now.

I think as many have already said that respect for many professions has decreased. We forget to say "thank you" or "I'm sorry" or many of the niceties that we once had. Just my opinion and this is a very good topic!

(PS--I work in a military hospital as a civilian and last year when I had surgery at this same hospital, my mother was very shocked to see nurses coming in and out in BDU's (now ACU's.) That's a big deviation from the starched white, huh?!!)

Julie

casualjim · Oct 16, 2006

Hey, I'm new to the board but I did want to say this about the white uniforms. I think they look nice and they do look professional--when I always think of nurses, I think of white. With that said, I'll also say this--white is not practical in alot of fields. I have worked ER most of my career and granted, everytime I step into the ER in white anything (pants, top or a print on a white background) something gets spilled, sprayed on or splattered. I still have activated charcoal stains on a white top from about 6 years ago to remind me why white isn't practical. Nursing practice has evolved so much over the years from the sterotypical white starched uniform with the cap and everything to a more relaxed uniform I agree and many would argue that it is not as professional. I agree and I also think white looks clean unless you have stuff splattered all over it. I usually stick with darker colors as we do not have a color code in my department right now.
I think as many have already said that respect for many professions has decreased. We forget to say "thank you" or "I'm sorry" or many of the niceties that we once had. Just my opinion and this is a very good topic!
(PS--I work in a military hospital as a civilian and last year when I had surgery at this same hospital, my mother was very shocked to see nurses coming in and out in BDU's (now ACU's.) That's a big deviation from the starched white, huh?!!)
Julie

White schmite ! There's just something about a nurse in body armor that says "professional!"

aloha

Jim

pyrolady · Oct 16, 2006

When I first worked as a nurse in '95 the place I was employed at required us to wear caps. I was sooooooooooo happy !!! My cap was beautiful with the stripe that represented the university I graduated from on it (dark green with a gold overlay) - I was a registered nurse !! My patient's knew automatically that the nurse was there when they saw us and it had an immediate calming effect for them ( a SNF ). I'd give anything to go back to wearing that cap - and NO, I'm not ancient. A cap does not get in the way when you are giving care either - never had a problem with it, and for heaven's sake - bobbypins keep them on, no problem (and I have short hair).

My most recent experience with hospital nursing was at a large hospital in Detroit. All RN's are required to wear the same shade of blue scrubs. Doesn't matter what the style is as long as it is the required shade of blue. Scrub jackets had to have that blue as the major color in it as well. All physicians were aware that we were RN's if we were wearing that color. The professionalism there was awesome. My point is, I think nurses should be a certain color and others who are not nurses should be dressed in something else. It's so hard to tell if a nurse is caring for you or not anymore - and nametags aren't that helpful as older people or people in pain don't really look at them or able to read them. The color you are wearing, as long as it's consistent, is what sets you apart in your facility. In any case, I STILL WANT MY CAP !!! :nurse:

slinkeecat · Oct 16, 2006

Gee, We have Huge NAME TAGS... picture ID w/ credentials and then another tag that has RN in Huge letters..... Blackletters on a Yellow background...

White uniforms look great on me at the beginning of the 12 hr shift ... about 2 hrs in I have coffee spilt on it, and some ink, and whatever else... so, I prefer my colorful scrubs and my patients like them to, as i wear alot of unique patterns and fabrics...I have a girl friend who sews and makes my scrub tops for me...I buy scrub pants...in every color and prefer "DICKIES" scrub pants w. the elastic waist and mutiple pockets.... they look great and are wrinkle free....