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.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

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

It isn't about the patients knowing whom to call "nurse". It's about management keeping a collective foot on our collective necks. As a trend, it's been going on long enough that it may (and in some areas HAS) start going away soon.

[blackribbon]

I have worked at a small hospital that didn't care what color scrubs you wore and I now work at a huge teaching hospital where we are color-coded. Personally I like it better when I can look across the hall and know that someone I don't know (like from the pool) has a particular role and know what their responsibilities are. It makes it easy to grab a respiratory therapist for a quick evaluation while they are still on our floor or recognize someone from housekeeping versus a transporter.