Need info...are you wearing scrubs, other uniform or street clothes on your psy unit?

Published

Hi,

I am a psychiatric nurse in Tucson, AZ. Our administration is wanting everyone to wear the same clothes, e.g., scrubs or khaki pants with a polo shirt. Most of the nurses do not want to give up being able to wear their personal clothing. I work the night shift and prefer scrubs.

Please let me know what your facility requires and how that is working out for both shifts. We have also been asked by our administration to submit relevant research re: whether or not psych patients prefer staff to wear uniforms.

Thanks for any and all input. Liz RNC

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Licensed Practical Nurse.

when I was in nrsg school we were told to wear regular clothing for our clinicals and the nurses on the psych unit did as well, when we asked why our instructors told us that it was because many of the patients have psych histories and that scrubs would somehow exacerbate patient conditions/emotions, etc..

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Nursing Management, WCC.

:yeahthat: We were told the same thing. No scrubs, especially not white ones. Only wore personal street clothes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I, too, went looking for literature on this topic a few years ago, and wasn't able to find anything (at least, nothing recent) -- apparently, it has been considered a settled issue in psych for so long, no one has done any research on the question in a v. long time.

The original switch to street clothes on inpt psych units took place due to the strong influence of humanistic psychology in the '60s and '70s. It was felt that uniforms on staff created an artificial barrier between the clients and staff, and the goal was to emphasize our similarities (clients and staff) rather than our differences, and to create a more natural, less medical "therapeutic community" in which we were all (clients and staff) equal participants. I came into psych at the tail end of that "golden age" of inpatient psych, and I can recall when the goal was that you couldn't tell the staff from the clients by looking -- we were extremely upset when JCAHO made us start wearing name badges; I remember when we considered it v. counter-therapeutic to wear name badges (creating artificial barriers and a caste system within the therapeutic community).

Now that psych has again become so focused on the biomedical model, maybe it makes sense to return to uniforms. It's been a long time since I was on a psych unit that could possibly be mistaken for a therapeutic milieu!

The inpt psych facility in which I currently work requires scrubs (in a specific color) for the techs; nurses are allowed to wear either scrubs or street clothes, whichever they prefer. I notice that most of the nurses wear scrubs. I wear street clothes. The milieus of the units are so "a-therapeutic" that I doubt it makes any difference, but I just can't bring myself to wear a uniform in a psych setting (unless I were required to as a condition of employment).

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I work at a psychiatric hospital on an eating disorders floor. We (as well as thru the entire hospital) are permitted to wear street clothes (no jeans though, and no logo shirts) OR scrubs. I like this because scrubs are comfortable but sometimes I also like wearing regular clothes. I've never had an issue with a patient and my scrubs; in fact, many patients compliment my Tinkerbell print scrubs :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.

;)We, too, are able to wear street clothes or scrubs at my psyche hospital. I think it is very unpractical to wear street clothes and only do so if I am going somewhere after work. It can get messy on the floor at times and I am glad I am able to wear scrubs. Also, they are so much more comfortable. I have seen no indication that the patients are upset by scrubs. In fact, with the therapists, drs, and so many other staff around, I think the patients are able to recognize the nurses better and therefore comforts them. In an emergency, a pt. or visitor know exactly who to go to when they can see that uniform.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

What's interesting is at the psych hospital where I did my clinicals a couple of years ago, patients wore scrubs (staff wore street clothes) and the patients had to earn the right to wear their own clothes. It seemed a bit punitive to me and the patients hated it. Go figure.

Most of the patients knew darn well they were in a hospital and having the staff wear scrubs wouldn't have thrown them off any.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My clinical rotation through Psych we were instruced to wear street clothing (casual business). Nothing even resembeling a uniform or scrubs would be allowed.

Like the other posters have stated, these people KNOW that they are PATIENTS and that we are NURSES, clothing won't make them forget that, they ARE in a hospital for heaven sake.

But being the good bunny I am, business casual clothing it was. Of course that called for a shopping trip :w00t:, since the only clothing I own (since I work from home for my company and I'm a student nurse) is scrubs, scrubs, and more scrubs, jeans, hoodies, sweaters etc..oh and fancier than business casual.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.

I cannot speak for other hospitals, but I know at mine, at any given time during the day there may be up to 10 people around the charts and nursing desk. 2-3 therapists, quality control looking in charts, office staff checking in charts re: insurance, drs., mental health techs, and of course, us nurses. I remain steadfast that it is necessary to be able to recognize nursing personnel. At any given time, a pt. falls, or a pt. escalates in their behavior, or pts. get into fights, etc., and another pt. (or visitor) will come looking for a nurse. I believe that the uniform gives them comfort and stability during their psychological crisis. I have seen it happen quite often during my years in psyche.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Urgent Care.

I am doing clinicals at a residential psych facility now, and staff wears street clothes. jeans are ok, so are t-shirts with no graphics on them

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am a nursing student and I have not yet done my psych rotation. I have, however, visited psychiatric hospitals and units, and I have a family member who has been a patient. I'd like to point out that he described to me being very confused as to who was coming in to talk to him. The patients MAY, as one poster said, know that they are in a hospital, but they really may NOT know that the person speaking to them is a nurse, a physician, a psychologist, a nutritionist, etc. He felt confused at times, and I think we can all agree that many patients in these situations may not have the ability to scrutinize someone's name tag, if they are wearing one.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

I worked in a state psychiatric hospital until this past August, and we wore street clothes. We were pretty much allowed to wear whatever we wanted; things that were not allowed included T shirts with *overt* references to alcohol or drugs, shorts that didn't reach the knees, clothing with studs, tank tops, jeans with holes in them... really it was a pretty loose dress code as long as you used common sense.

The only complaint I had, as did many others, is that half of the time you couldn't tell the difference between the patients and the staff!! The name badge was the only way to tell the difference; and hopefully everyone would actually be wearing their name badges!

Where I work now, a large community hospital... the psychatric staff are required to wear business casual. They can also wear scrubs of their choosing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion