National Nurse Uniform

[Texas Tornado]

Just wondering what everyone thought about having a National Nurse Uniform. Sounds like it will be throughout Wales. Is the rest of the UK planning on doing this as well?

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health-news/2010/04/08/national-nurse-uniforms-launched-in-wales-91466-26197221/

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

Uck, I prefer what we are wearing at the moment

I guess I understand the principle and agree with a standardised dress for all staff I just think they could have picked something a bit nicer.

Not sure if this is going to be rolled out in England as the Welsh Assembly government is in charge of Wales and Westminster runs the English healthcare system. It'll be up to the department of health what they do in England.

[Fiona59]

So are they going to have a chart on the wall telling patients who wears what?

I mean my patients know I'm a nurse because I'm a dinosaur that still wears a dress and hose.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

So are they going to have a chart on the wall telling patients who wears what?

I mean my patients know I'm a nurse because I'm a dinosaur that still wears a dress and hose.

I often wear skirts. Sometimes hose. The young ones get VERY annoyed when someone will walk right up to me and say, "You must be the nurse."

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

The couple of hospitals I worked in the uniform colour was generally the same Dark navy blue for sisters/charge nurses, paler blue for staff nurses, dark green was for Enrolled nurses, light green for Health care assistants and brown for auxiliary care workers. Generally meant everyone knew who was who plus we all wore name badges. Very rarely did patients/vistors etc get confused on who's who

[enca]

I loved the good old days when we used to wear our brilliant white dresses with our coloured belts. Must admit todays pyjamas are much more comfortable to work in but not as smart! Our hospital is just about to implement new scrubs, personally we ll all look like dental nurses with them not mentioning how stupid male nursing assistants will be looking in mint! poor guys:clown:

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

So are they going to have a chart on the wall telling patients who wears what?

I mean my patients know I'm a nurse because I'm a dinosaur that still wears a dress and hose.

They won't need to Fiona, it's been all over the national news with pictures of what the new uniforms will look like. Every nurse in Wales will be clearly identifiable in work and from what I understand there is no opt out option for any of the hospitals.

The plan is for all hospital staff to conform eventually to a national uniform.

[Fiona59]

But Sharri, what about the poor tourist who winds up in hospital? The confused elderly, the mentally handicapped?

I have a hard enough time figuring out who's a nurse and who isn't and I'm staff.

[ceridwyn]

I will never will complain about our uckky burnt orange shirts and tailored trousers again, ánd tailored wool cardigan (district nurse in australia) never want to wear scrubs unless I am working in theatre.

We did wear mufti before a uniform was introduced.

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

But Sharri, what about the poor tourist who winds up in hospital? The confused elderly, the mentally handicapped?

I have a hard enough time figuring out who's a nurse and who isn't and I'm staff.

I understand your point but it wouldn't matter to these particular people who was wearing what really, they either wont' be there long enough and they wouldn't have understood who was who anyway(tourist) or they won't care because they won't understand (confused patients). Because all nurses will be wearing the same, and all non qualified will be wearing the same to the vast majority of the users of the service those providing care will be easy to identify.

[Texas Tornado]

But Sharri, what about the poor tourist who winds up in hospital? The confused elderly, the mentally handicapped?

I have a hard enough time figuring out who's a nurse and who isn't and I'm staff.

We have similar uniforms to what Wales is starting and I've found that it is much more beneficial to the staff that come up to the unit than it is to the patients. Having said that, patients that are there for a long time, and our revolving door patients and their families find it helpful. Of course there are a lot of patients that have no clue and don't care.

[iNurseUK, RN]

There is definitely a need for a universal nursing uniform in the UK. This should discard the stupid dresses and tunics and replace those with scrubs, laundered in-house and never worn outside the hospital.

The stupid UK uniforms vary from one place to another. Patients and relatives are understandably confused.