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

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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.

Calling color-coded scrubs an example of "evidence based practice" is taking the whole EBP thing a bit too far.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Calling color-coded scrubs an example of "evidence based practice" is taking the whole EBP thing a bit too far.

Especially since the evidence shows that color coded scrubs don't actually help the patients at all!

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I think it looks more professional when everyone is wearing the same.

It's also good to immediately know who is who if your new to the unit without awkward moments like asking the occupational therapist to write new orders for IV morphine...

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I think it looks more professional when everyone is wearing the same.

Hmmm, different strokes I guesss. To me it looks VASTLY less professonal. One of the hallmarks of a blue collor worker is wearing a uniform. The more uniform it looks the more blue collor and the less professional we look, at least to me.

It's also good to immediately know who is who if your new to the unit without awkward moments like asking the occupational therapist to write new orders for IV morphine.

I get you but there are more effective ways of dealing with this. I can't see that happening on my hospital because OTs have "OT" in big read letters on their ID badge on BOTH sides so it can be easily seen.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Calling color-coded scrubs an example of "evidence based practice" is taking the whole EBP thing a bit too far.

Who has done that?

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Hmmm, different strokes I guesss. To me it looks VASTLY less professonal. One of the hallmarks of a blue collor worker is wearing a uniform. The more uniform it looks the more blue collor and the less professional we look, at least to me.

I get you but there are more effective ways of dealing with this. I can't see that happening on my hospital because OTs have "OT" in big read letters on their ID badge on BOTH sides so it can be easily seen.

I guess it's just a preference thing. I think the NHS UK nurse uniforms (granted not scrubs) for example look very professional. Every color equals a different level of nurse or allied health worker. But everyone has different ideas on what looks professional.

I've watched documentary shows about the UK hospitals and I think it was very handy in the code blue situations where the doctors knew who the senior nurses were, the nurse practitioners, the techs etc. Everyone knew what each other's role was based on the uniforms they were wearing. It worked well.

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Who has done that?

I got the impression you were saying the reason the VA doesn't have color-coded scrubs is because they aren't always up to date on EBP.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I got the impression you were saying the reason the VA doesn't have color-coded scrubs is because they aren't always up to date on EBP.

Adopting color coded scrubs is evidence that a facility is NOT up to date on EBP. or that they are simply ignoring it.

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Specializes in Hyperbaric Medicine and Wound Care.

It's definitely a local decision, and I've yet to talk to anyone who is happy about it...

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Adopting color coded scrubs is evidence that a facility is NOT up to date on EBP. or that they are simply ignoring it.

Oh, okay. gotcha.

I think the fact that any studies at all were done re: color of scrubs is evidence of time and money being wasted.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
It's definitely a local decision, and I've yet to talk to anyone who is happy about it...

Yet there are all those people on this thread who think it's a great idea. Mostly, I'll admit, young'uns who are "proud to have earned my navy blue scrubs." I've yet to talk to anyone with much experience who is happy about it, though.

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Specializes in Women's Health Care.

The last two hospitals I worked for had color coding (in PA and NC respectively). I was there when the switch happened from "where whatever you want" to nurses being burgundy, aides grey, etc. I was hired into the hospital in NC with color coding. There it was nursing: royal blue, respiratory: black (which always made me think of black lung disease), aides: burgundy, med clerks: grey, etc.

Personally, I like it. I looked good in both colors (lol) ;) and it made getting ready for work EXTRA simple. But mostly I loved making it easy to narrow down who the last "nurse" was that my patients talked to. Before the color coding it was, "the nurse was just in here and said x,y,z" and it could be a PITA trying to figure out who it was. After the switch it became, "Tell me what color they were wearing? Was it this color that I am wearing or something else?" - anyway, it helped.

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