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.

[NewGrad2014]

I wouldn't bet on that. My facility, as well as the other three local facilities, mandate scrub colors. Staff are required to buy them on their own dime from the place of their choosing. They are not purchased through the facility nor is a uniform allowance provided.

Okay, well either way we have to buy scrubs anyway. Would be a nice perk though!

[AmyRN303, BSN, RN]

I find that royal is not my colour, and most mandated color scrubs hospitals in my state are royal/black :) Kidding. I don't care what color I wear. I worked for a non-nursing company which mandated uniforms with the company logo on them, so a mandated color doesn't bug me. One of the jobs I recently applied for mandates and one doesn't. My only concern is my shoes, and in each place I can wear what I want, so it's a win for me. I prefer solid colours over prints anyway.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

We have color coding and I really like it, for the reasons that others have stated- patients and staff can tell each other apart easily. Our nurses wear light (ceil) blue; techs wear teal; pt wears 'carribbean blue'; resp therapists wear royal blue; peds can wear any kind of "happy" color or print and then surgery has their own special color which I like to call "surgical green".

I would think your patient would be easy to distinguish even without color coding him carribbean blue. Color coding patients has gone WAT too far!

Patients probably still don't know who's who even if they have a color chart posted prominently in their rooms. They don't in my facility.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I would love to have colour coded scrubs- as long as they are comfortable and practical and NOT white I am all in. Plus since they would likely be institution ordered they would probably be discounted. While I agree that it may not help all patients identify staff and *might* be confusing as I've seen as an argument, it's far less confusing than all the disciplines wearing whatever scrubs/tops/patterns/ect they please. I think a really big positive is staff being able to quickly identify who belongs to which discipline, which could be very useful in an emergency or something.

Institutional scrubs are discounted, but they are also of poor quality. They fall apart quickly and fade even more quickly. They don't help patients identify staff, which is the stated reason for wearing them. As for staff being able to quiclkly identify who belongs to which discipline, I guess it would help if you were brand new. Otherwise, you should (and most DO) know your colleagues. Color coded scrubs are just another way for management to step on our necks.

[NewGrad2014]

Institutional scrubs are discounted, but they are also of poor quality. They fall apart quickly and fade even more quickly. They don't help patients identify staff, which is the stated reason for wearing them. As for staff being able to quiclkly identify who belongs to which discipline, I guess it would help if you were brand new. Otherwise, you should (and most DO) know your colleagues. Color coded scrubs are just another way for management to step on our necks.

I disagree. I think that nursing is a profession and trying to take a more uniform (haha) approach is understandable.. So long as it's practical and there are reasons for it. And while you seem to have 100% knowledge that they do not help patients nor should they help staff identify each other cause we should all be magicians, I'm sure there are instances where it comes in handy to have a colour coded system instead of a free for all with patterns, colour, style, ect. I also don't see how nursing going in this direction has anything to do with management stepping on our necks. I guess some people need to go against the grain so badly they will find anything to complain about.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I disagree. I think that nursing is a profession and trying to take a more uniform (haha) approach is understandable.. So long as it's practical and there are reasons for it. And while you seem to have 100% knowledge that they do not help patients nor should they help staff identify each other cause we should all be magicians, I'm sure there are instances where it comes in handy to have a colour coded system instead of a free for all with patterns, colour, style, ect. I also don't see how nursing going in this direction has anything to do with management stepping on our necks. I guess some people need to go against the grain so badly they will find anything to complain about.

I see that you are a new grad. Perhaps, in my 37 years of experience I've learned a thing or two that you haven't yet learned.

Nahhhhh . . . that could never happen.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

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

LOL! NO! More like a "blast from the past". Back in the day color coding was all the rage, a fad that passed when studies showed that color coding did not help patients determine who was who.

IMO Any hospital that institutes color coding at this late date, is demonstrating their ignorance of EBP.

Nowdays more modern hospitals have their nurses wear badges that say RN in big bold letters. Other workers do the same but with CNA or whatever is appropiate. This has actually been shown to assist patient's understanding of who is who in the hospital.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I disagree. I think that nursing is a profession and trying to take a more uniform (haha) approach is understandable.

More like what some old fashioned, out of toutch administrator thinks will make their nurses look pretty.

[NewGrad2014]

I see that you are a new grad. Perhaps, in my 37 years of experience I've learned a thing or two that you haven't yet learned.

Nahhhhh . . . that could never happen.

I'm not refuting you know way more than I do - doesn't mean I can't make a valid argument for why colour coded scrubs aren't a horrible direction to go in.

[CaliBoy760]

I am a contract nurse for the VA and they are implementing color coded scrubs. LVN's have been tagged for Teal Green, UGH! I can't think of a more nauseous color, especially on men. Luckily, as a contract nurse, I am exempt from uniform requirements. I am, however, required to wear, and prominently display, my name badge w/rank (LVN).

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

the trend a few years ago was to just put "nursing staff" on an ID badge so as to make a patient believe that anyone wearing one of these badges was an RN, when in fact they could mean RN, LPN, MA or CNA. Pretty underhanded IMO...

LOL! NO! More like a "blast from the past". Back in the day color coding was all the rage, a fad that passed when studies showed that color coding did not help patients determine who was who.

IMO Any hospital that institutes color coding at this late date, is demonstrating their ignorance of EBP.

Nowdays more modern hospitals have their nurses wear badges that say RN in big bold letters. Other workers do the same but with CNA or whatever is appropiate. This has actually been shown to assist patient's understanding of who is who in the hospital.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I am a contract nurse for the VA and they are implementing color coded scrubs.

Maybe that one faciliety, or VISN is going to color coded scrubs, not the VA as a whole. Besides the VA has never been known for being up to date in EBP.