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.

[DoGoodThenGo]

And if that is the problem, just mandate that everyone and there mother don't wear scrubs to work unless they are nurses.

Ok, you got me there! *LOL*

Think however what complicates things is that often UAPs and non-nursing staff are union employees where the process of "uniforms" can be made part of contract negotiations.

For instance awhile back the housekeeping staff of a major Manhattan, NYC hospital "voted" to wear the same uniform dress (blue with white bib) that several nursing programs still used for their students. In fact one day ran into one of the housekeeping staff at a local supermarket and seeing her in uniform asked what which school she was attending.... *LOL*

[RedInScrubs, ASN, RN]

We have several hospitals in our area that color-code their uniforms, and I work at one currently. After having done some clinicals at a hospital that didn't, I prefer the color by discipline system.

It makes it easier for me as an RN since I can identify people at a single glance, and act much more quickly if I need to know who is qualified to do what. It also makes it nicer for the patients when they know who is in their room and why, so the entire stay is less confusing. When I was at a hospital that didn't utilize that system, I found myself feeling a bit lost, since I couldn't identify people without a pretty thorough glance at their name tag, which was a very inefficient and slow process, not to mention confusing for the patients who had no idea who was coming into their room.

Really, the whole set-up also helped with getting oriented into the "feel" of my new position. The entire staff and patients at the hospital also could tell I was an RN just by glancing at me, and treated me as such right at the beginning of interactions. It helps to believe you belong somewhere when you already look like you do.

(Plus our facility gives us an allowance for scrubs per year based on FT or PT status, and as a FT employee, that bought about three pairs with the facility embroidery. I think I had to pay shipping, but it was something like $9. Not a bad deal at all.)

[laKrugRN]

The hospital I work at has colors they are supposed to wear, but they can do different shades and hues but must stay within reason. I am so thankful in the clinic where I work I can wear whatever color I please! I feel the pros would be the staff would know your unit (in a bigger hospital) and patients would know you are a nurse or a CNA, etc. CONS: What fun is it? You can't mix it up!

[FLCrackerPN]

I have no problem with color coded scrubs so long as I can choose the brand/style scrubs that I wear, because we all know that not all styles/brands fit everyone the same way. I actually quit working for a certain medical group in my area after only a month of employment, due to the ill fitting uniforms I was required to wear, I asked them why I couldn't just purchase my own scrubs the same color in a brand that fits my body better and they said that I couldn't do that because they had a contract with a certain uniform company. Well, you can only work so many hours in itchy scrubs that are constantly sagging between your crotch before you snap and tell them to take their job and shove it. Ironically, they scrapped that uniform supplier about 6 months after I quit and allowed the nurses to buy brands of their choice so long as it was in the required color.

[Wrench Party]

I work at one hospital that mandates scrub colors, and one that does not. I prefer to wear what I want as a professional, but it is nice to tell who's a nurse by just a glance.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

We are actually in the process of reverting back to no mandatory scrub colors.

Granted I prefer dark colors due to my messy nature, however, when working with children, I surmised wearing a mandatory color like black to be to some children like the black Minecraft character, so having a variety of dark shade scrubs and the option to wear t-shirts that are acceptable (not the belly shirt ones) is something I look forward to.

[NursingNerd1]

Our hospital has all RNs wear a white scrub top with their unit's designated color bottoms and the other departments like RT, Lab, CNAs, Sitters, etc all have specified solid color sets. Luckily (I reckon), we can purchase any brand as long as it meets the color requirement. Because I'm picky about the material my scrubs are made from (I hate ironing, so... certain materials just don't fly with me) and like getting to select something semi-"stylish" (for scrubs, that is).

[Icooka4u]

Like applesxoranges I had to wear the light blue stamped scrubs when I worked in L&D, High-Risk OB, & the Birthing Suites. My hospital also did not permit you to leave the building in them. I didn't mind the hospital scrubs. Some of these newer scrubs are too busy & too clingy imo.

[SAS2016]

San Antonio, TX is color coded so there isn't any confusion at the hospitals. Blue for RN, marroon for PCAs, etc. I think it is helpful for the patients so there isn't any confusion and they are not trying to hard to look at everyone's badge.

[Xantee]

Trend for the future? This is old dress code policies, many hospitals for many years have had color-coded positions. Depending on the hospital, colors can vary by nursing departments or by type of position. So this has been around and is here to stay, but it always depends on the facility you work at.

[Wuzzie]

San Antonio, TX is color coded so there isn't any confusion at the hospitals. Blue for RN, marroon for PCAs, etc. I think it is helpful for the patients so there isn't any confusion and they are not trying to hard to look at everyone's badge.

This has been used for years and years all over the country. The end result? Patients still call everyone "nurse".

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

This has been used for years and years all over the country. The end result? Patients still call everyone "nurse".

Especially when considering that it isn't uniform facility to facility. My facility, nurses wear navy and white, UAP wears green, allied health wears maroon. The facility across town? Nurses are maroon and white. No, that doesn't confuse patients at all.