No more fun scrubs

[EJBNeuroRN]

It was recently decided at my place of work that the staff is to change to all one color scrubs, for example, RN's are navy blue, PT is royal blue, LPN's are eggplant...and so on.

The hospital thought it would increase patient satisfaction because they would be able to tell what discipline is assisting them by just looking at the color of their scrubs.

The union is up in arms because we are letting the hospital decide what we wear and how do they reimburse us for all the scrubs we already own. The hospital did respond by giving each staff member a predetermined amount of money to use to buy scrubs based on hours worked.

What are some thoughts about changing to one color scrubs? Has it happened at your hospital? Was it well received or fought by the union?

I'm going to miss all my colors, patterns, and prints. I may have to go out and buy hot pink crocs!

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

When I wear prints, never flowers, disney characters or other nonsence, I sometimes get compliments from patients on my uniforms. When I wear solid colors I never do.

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

What color do physicians wear and are they color coded by specialiety or all physicians wear the same color?

In teaching hospitals are they further subdivided by residency year what about fellows? Cross covering services? I am so confused. I was one of those firm bleievers in prints are unprofessional, I then realized that is the VERY tip, if at all of the iceburg in nursing/healthcare.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

*** Certainly high standards are among the marks of a professional. What color shirt and tie did the attending order your brother to wear? I suspect that he didn't. I suspect that the attending made it clear that high standards were the expectation and trusted in your bothers abiliety to pick appropriate colors.

Apparently nurses can't be trusted like professionals can and must be dictated to in the most basic manner.

In our ER the attending physicians are to wear black scrubes (not the best color choice, but oh well) and the residents wear dark green (what shade this is, I don't know--not an expert in such things ). Some attendings wear whatever color they want, but I have a feeling that may change if the more strictly enforce the dress code for the rest of the staff.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

So after reading the responses on here the group seems pretty split as to whether of not 'color coding' scrubs by position is a good thing. In my mind, it does not really help pt's out all that much. Every hosptial is going to have different color codes and if the pt wants pain meds, a blanket, something to eat, etc. they are going to ask whomever the see first regardless if this is appropriate for their color code.

I think it does help staff to have consistent scrub colors. I recently transported a pt who was on a dilt gtt to a floor. When I got to the room I was greeted by someone in the nurse colors. While assisting the pt into bed I updated him on the rate of the gtt, the BP and HR response, etc for about 5 minutes. He stood there and listened, nodded and said 'OK' at various points. At the end of my spiel, he said "well, let me go get the nurse." Not a big deal, but he could have saved me a bit of time by telling me sooner that he was not a nurse. Oh well.

Another quick story about 'fun' tops...I once saw a male nurse on an adult unit (i.e., not peds, not OB) wearing a printed top with the pink panther all over it. It was totally ridiculous. If I was the pt and he walked it I'm not sure I would let him take care of me with that silliness. Print tops can be fine--the right top on the right person--but they can go very wrong very quickly.

[bagladyrn, RN]

I will say that as a traveler the "designated" scrubs are a real pain: buy the scrubs for a 3 month contract then go on to the next hospital where they require yet another color, etc. I now have way too many scrubs in various combinations which will only be used if I go back to one of those hospitals.