are mandatory scrub color-coding in hospitals the wave of the future?

[kelligracie]

The hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho has recently gone to a color-coding system. Every position is color-coded and everyone MUST wear the color assigned to their position. This cannot even vary in shade. Is this how it is in the rest of the country? How about the rest of Idaho? Do you see this as a trend or something here to stay? Pros and cons?

Thank you for your input.

[RNperdiem, RN]

I suspect the move helped people get into wearing solid colors and away from the tacky prints for a more professional look.

My hospital moved to uniforms a few years ago and it worked out fine. The nurses can wear unit t-shirts as long as they are one of two colors. The uniform shop stocks the company-logo embroidered scrub tops in many different styles.

It is not just nurses here. Dietary is easily recognizable, so is RT, and so are the doctors(they never gave up the white coats of various lengths).

[Emergent, RN]

My hospital went to navy scrubs back in around 2007-08. Hospital logo is embroidered in scrub top, hospital pays for 3 scrubs sets a year for 3 day a week workers. We can buy more for a discounted price. Last year they changed to white tops and navy bottoms, logo inscribed. Not a very practical color, white...

We can go back to colorful scrubs on payday Friday.

I personally don't mind, but the white was a bad idea, in my opinion. I do think things got a bit out of hand when we were in the hippy, anything goes, era. I had my fair share of fanciful scrubs. I have them packed in a box, maybe things will change back before I retire.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

Every hospital I have worked in for 25 years now, has had specific colors assigned to specific units. I have NEVER worked anywhere that gave us a uniform allowance.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

Even if it doesn't help the patients, I think it does help the staff. I like floating to a unit and knowing immediatly who's a RN, who's a LPN and who's a CNA.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Our CNO is pushing for RNs to have a standard uniform (except for the units that wear hospital issued scrubs--Burn, NICU, L&D/PP; and Peds/PICU can wear cheerful ones for the kids)...our union is arguing.

An LTACH that I worked in had every dept. in their own color--RNs/LPNs were ceil blue, RTs were royal blue, PT/OT were navy, lab was burgundy, HUCs were green, CNAs were beige.

[DoGoodThenGo]

The specialty hospital where I work has been color-coding scrubs for years. Licensed nurses wear royal blue, CNAs wear gray, unit secretaries wear khaki, PT/OT wears ciel blue, dietary wears black and white, and housekeeping wears hunter green.

With all these colors, patients still do not know who's who!

Well there is only one sure fire way to solve *that* problem *LOL*!

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I can't find my cap. I only wore it once, and it wouldn't stay on my head. Still, it might be useful for a Halloween costume.

[suanna]

I hope so. At my hospital we see scrubs, old style uniforms, even t shirts and a cover up sweater. Name badges are always flipped backwards(I want to do a study of why this happens), and many of the RNs look like we are moving back to the roots of our profession(Prostitution). I would love to know what dept. that staff member down the hall works in, and in what capacity, just by the color of the scrubs.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

In my area, there are several facilities that have been "color coding" for decades; at my sub acute/LTC employer, nurses are supposed to wear solid-color scrubs, CNAs print; at my pedi post acute job, nurses wear navy, nurse techs ceil blue, RTs burgundy; full time staff gets three pair of scrubs, part time two, per diem one pair...it's the first job where the employer provided the scrubs I don't mind the tax deductible.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

I can't find my cap. I only wore it once, and it wouldn't stay on my head. Still, it might be useful for a Halloween costume.

I have mine from my diploma school pinning in a box of nursing mementos...always ready for Halloween unless they go back in style... :)

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I hope so. At my hospital we see scrubs, old style uniforms, even t shirts and a cover up sweater. Name badges are always flipped backwards(I want to do a study of why this happens), and many of the RNs look like we are moving back to the roots of our profession(Prostitution). I would love to know what dept. that staff member down the hall works in, and in what capacity, just by the color of the scrubs.

If you work there and make an effort to get to know the staff you work with, you'll KNOW what department that staff member down the hall works in and in what capacity.

[suanna]

If you work there and make an effort to get to know the staff you work with, you'll KNOW what department that staff member down the hall works in and in what capacity.

Really?- I work ar a 450 bed facillity with close to 100 nurses working any given shift, Add in 10 or 15 resp therapists, 20 people in the lab, half a dozen supervisors from various departments- residents, interrns, med students, university students, housekeeping staff, maintenance staff, dietary.......... You have time to memorize all those peoples names and positions each shift and keep up with those changes as staff change in departments you see maybe once a mos? I wish I had your memory skills- you shouldn't be working in nursing, you should be counting cards in Vegas.