Our facility is looking to go to white uniforms for RN's because of uniform recognition. Research shows that when test members are shown pictures of people in scrubs, they almost always pick the person in white as the nurse. Currently, we have no restrictions as such; except our ICU's wear blue and OB/OR wears hospital issued. There is a group of us that do NOT WISH to wear all white.
What color do you wear at your facility? I am looking for where you are from, what type of nursing you do, and what the rationale is for what color you wear.
Location: Pittsburgh PA
type of nursing: Progressive Cardiac Care Unit - post ops, step down, telemetry
color of scrubs: maroon
rationale: I wear maroon because that is our floor color :redpinkhe
Thanks in advance for your help. I am attending a focus group committee and would like some data to take that helps our cause.
Specializes in Surgery, Tele, OB, Peds,ED-True Float RN.
I know. I guess I was just naive in thinking they would actually listen. And care. Ohh how I hate to be wrong.:chuckle
The last hospital that I worked in had badges that clipped on behind our name tags. It was longer than our name badges so it would show from underneath. That badge was color coded and had a BIG BULE RN, BIG PINK LPN. BIG GREEN PCT, and other ppl like house keeping had their own color + "housekeeping" or "dietary" wrote on it in BIG letter. There was no confusion except from the patients that were just gonna ask whoever walked in the room for the bedpan. Some pt's don't even open their eyes and just bark demands. I don't know if I explained this well but it something that you can suggest to management.
The last hospital that I worked in had badges that clipped on behind our name tags. It was longer than our name badges so it would show from underneath. That badge was color coded and had a BIG BULE RN, BIG PINK LPN. BIG GREEN PCT, and other ppl like house keeping had their own color + "housekeeping" or "dietary" wrote on it in BIG letter. There was no confusion except from the patients that were just gonna ask whoever walked in the room for the bedpan. Some pt's don't even open their eyes and just bark demands. I don't know if I explained this well but it something that you can suggest to management.
we asked for those because they are used at other facilities in our hospital system; but they are bent on all white.
Several nurses express the thought that it would be insulting to have to wear a standard uniform. I don't see it that way. Uniforms are *not* about how much education and training one's line of work requires, it's *not* about how much autonomy one has in their role. Instead, it's about recognizability both by the public and by other staff members about what role one is playing in the environment in which they working. The following jobs often require uniforms, not because they are menial labor or not professional, it's because it's useful to be able to quickly identify them: airline pilots, flight attendants, fire-fighters, police officers, national park rangers, security guards, restaurant staff, retail staff, etc.
Hospital units have lots of different people coming and going who have very different roles (PT, RT, CNA, transport, etc). It's not just about patients having a better chance of picking out who the nurses are; it's also about other hospital personnel being able to quickly pick out the nurses from all of the other various staff members on the floor.
Of course, there will always be people who will never differentiate the different roles of various personnel or attend to the visual cues provided by a uniform: asking a security guard if the sweaters are on sale, asking an airline pilot if chicken is being served on the upcoming flight, etc. Just because some people won't get it, doesn't mean that uniforms are a total waste.
It's not that I think nurses should definitely wear uniforms, there are many good reasons why they may not be necessary, I just don't think it's insulting for it to be suggested.
Specializes in ICU,ANTICOAG,ACUTE STROKE,EDU,RESEARCH.
I prefer not to wear white and I chew gum (part of the smoking/not smoking behavior). Regardless, I am a nurse and a professional. I prefer to pick out my own clothes but I will comply with "dress codes" if necessary to maintain a good job. It does irk me, however, for employers to require certain clothing and then not assist in the purchase of same. Years ago, if the hospital required the nurses to wear a particular style or color of scub they provided and laundered them. So the ER staff and the OB nursery staff were provided scrubs even though they were not working in the infection control areas (BURNS, NICU, OR, L&D, ETC).
YUK-chewing gum looks sooooooooo unprofessional. The patients and visitors don't know what qualifications you have, but their first impression of you will not be a good one if you are chewing gum.
rn's and lpn's- white scrubs, white shoes, white socks/hosery, white undergarments
cna's/pct's- purple
rt's- green scrubs
lab- beige scrubs
housekeeping- navy blue uniforms not scrubs
dietary- black and white uniforms not scrubs
patient transporters- burgundy scrubs
all rn's and lpn'sare mandated to wear all white uniforms, including shoes, socks, hosery, and undergarments. by the way now they are threatening to terminate any nurse, regardless of color if their undergarments are not white! i refuse to wear white undergarments because they will show under my uniforms and i know this is inappropiate. this is wrong on so many levels and infringes upon our rights. this has been in practice for quite some time. of course the nurses complain about it, including me, but there is nothing that we can do about it. the cno made the decision, and based this on a so called model of prfessionalism. wearing white scrubs does not make one more professional than a nurse who wears navy or any other color. i protect my uniforms with pocket protectors so therefore i never get ink marks on my clothing. i also like my whites to remain white, not beige, and refuse to wear a discolored uniform. it irritates me that a lot of nurses wear old dingy almost grey or beige wrinkled scrubs just because they refuse to purchase another white uniform. how professional is that?
grady is one of the most difficult places to work and instead of being appreciated for all we do as nurses, we are closely criticised for our uniforms.
in my experience, when a patient needs assistance or wants medication for pain, they really don't care if it is the housekeeper or cna, if they are wearing scrubs the patient will ask them for assistance.
Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.
We are going to navy/white in January here in Atlanta. You know why? Because of increasing incidences of low-rise scrubs and tiny tees.
I refuse to wear white, and intended to find a new job if they inforced white solely. I am a 38 HH and it is not my idea of showing the world my very expensive, very expansive bras. Good thing I love navy blue and already have several sets of it.
Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.
hospital: grady memorial hospital
location: atlanta, ga
rn's and lpn's- white scrubs, white shoes, white socks/hosery, white undergarments
cna's/pct's- purple
rt's- green scrubs
lab- beige scrubs
housekeeping- navy blue uniforms not scrubs
dietary- black and white uniforms not scrubs
patient transporters- burgundy scrubs
all rn's and lpn'sare mandated to wear all white uniforms, including shoes, socks, hosery, and undergarments. by the way now they are threatening to terminate any nurse, regardless of color if their undergarments are not white! i refuse to wear white undergarments because they will show under my uniforms and i know this is inappropiate. this is wrong on so many levels and infringes upon our rights. this has been in practice for quite some time. of course the nurses complain about it, including me, but there is nothing that we can do about it. the cno made the decision, and based this on a so called model of prfessionalism. wearing white scrubs does not make one more professional than a nurse who wears navy or any other color. i protect my uniforms with pocket protectors so therefore i never get ink marks on my clothing. i also like my whites to remain white, not beige, and refuse to wear a discolored uniform. it irritates me that a lot of nurses wear old dingy almost grey or beige wrinkled scrubs just because they refuse to purchase another white uniform. how professional is that?
grady is one of the most difficult places to work and instead of being appreciated for all we do as nurses, we are closely criticised for our uniforms.
in my experience, when a patient needs assistance or wants medication for pain, they really don't care if it is the housekeeper or cna, if they are wearing scrubs the patient will ask them for assistance.
Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
YUK-chewing gum looks sooooooooo unprofessional. The patients and visitors don't know what qualifications you have, but their first impression of you will not be a good one if you are chewing gum.
So you assume that when I say that I chew gum that I chew gum on my first meeting with a patient and family? If I say that I chew gum do you assume that I stick it under the diner table?, or throw it on the side walk for you to step in? You might notice that I am no spring chicken... I was raised in the day when "good manners" were expected not just suggested, I educated as a nurse when many nurses stood up when a physician entered the room...I am quite sure that I do not require a public lecture on chewing gum and making first impressions. But, thanks anyway...
I suppose that if we still had a nursing shortage, nurses would be more able to negotiate about uniforms etc. Unfortunately, in this area anyhow, there are lots of nursing students having trouble finding jobs so I'm afraid nurses don't have a lot of bargaining power. Just your basic supply and demand. If my hospital required me to wear pink I'd wear it (58 year old fat bald male) and be happy I'm working.
Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
I suppose that if we still had a nursing shortage, nurses would be more able to negotiate about uniforms etc. Unfortunately, in this area anyhow, there are lots of nursing students having trouble finding jobs so I'm afraid nurses don't have a lot of bargaining power. Just your basic supply and demand. If my hospital required me to wear pink I'd wear it (58 year old fat bald male) and be happy I'm working.
Starting my morning out with a smile thanks to this post and the mental image I know have in my head...
miss81, BSN, RN
342 Posts
The last hospital that I worked in had badges that clipped on behind our name tags. It was longer than our name badges so it would show from underneath. That badge was color coded and had a BIG BULE RN, BIG PINK LPN. BIG GREEN PCT, and other ppl like house keeping had their own color + "housekeeping" or "dietary" wrote on it in BIG letter. There was no confusion except from the patients that were just gonna ask whoever walked in the room for the bedpan. Some pt's don't even open their eyes and just bark demands. I don't know if I explained this well but it something that you can suggest to management.