Everyone wears scrubs!

Nurses Uniform/Gear

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Specializes in Med Surg.

i was just wondering if anyone else found it odd that everyone wears scrubs in medical facilities. i personally do not understand why the dietary staff or the housekeeper needs to wear scrubs. i think it confuses patients because they associate the a person in scrubs as a care provider. maybe i wrong, but i feel like in a way i earned the right to be in scrubs and be a health care provider when i went to school. i even see the wal-mart workers (cashiers, door greeters, etc.) wear navy blue scrub tops now:)! i don't know maybe i'm wrong, what do you think?

Walmart employees wear scrubs? Huh?

I agree with you. I haven't earned my scrubs yet (I'm starting my ABSN program next month), but I think that with clinicals my first day of class, I'll earn them pretty darn quickly. I used to volunteer at a hospital and you're right, everyone and their brother wears scrubs.

Specializes in Med Surg.
Walmart employees wear scrubs? Huh?

Yep, around here a lot of them wear dark blue scrub tops, and I just seen that now Walgreens' uniform in the pharmacy is scrubs.

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I find it very easy to understand. Scrubs are extremely practical -- comfortable, easy to launder, and cheap. And in a "free country," there are no laws that say that only people in certain jobs can wear the most practical clothes. It would be like saying, "Only cowboys or farmers can wear blue jeans."

However, I do support that facilities that try to help people identify the various types of staff members by doing things like color-coding their scrubs. It does people confusing when everyone dresses exactly alike.

I think scrubs add to the professional atmosphere. I get what you mean about "earning" them, but scrubs are practical and professional for all different types of workers. I would think that they would want housekeeping to wear some sort of uniform and not just street clothes...what's better than scrubs? Scrubs seem to have a connotation of "sterile" and "clean" even though we all know hospitals are far from it.

A quick story: at my local animal shelter where I adopted my first dog, the employees all wear t-shirts and jeans. At a shelter in a different city, all the employees wore scrubs, even at the front desk. I perceived it as being a more professional and even a more sanitary environment. If that's what patients think, then that's a good reason to wear scrubs.

Specializes in Med Surg.
I think scrubs add to the professional atmosphere. I get what you mean about "earning" them, but scrubs are practical and professional for all different types of workers. I would think that they would want housekeeping to wear some sort of uniform and not just street clothes...what's better than scrubs? Scrubs seem to have a connotation of "sterile" and "clean" even though we all know hospitals are far from it.

A quick story: at my local animal shelter where I adopted my first dog, the employees all wear t-shirts and jeans. At a shelter in a different city, all the employees wore scrubs, even at the front desk. I perceived it as being a more professional and even a more sanitary environment. If that's what patients think, then that's a good reason to wear scrubs.

Yeah that is true, it does seem to convey a cleaner image.

Specializes in ICU.

I totally agree with you. I think that we have earned the right to wear scrubs and it irks me when I see others doing it. It confuses patients and can be potentially dangerous.

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I wish I could wear scrubs. As an LPN, RN, etc., I've always worn scrubs. Now, as an APN, I have to wear dress clothes and believe me, I go thru lots of clothes - ugh!

Prisoners wear scrubs, Detox clients wear scrubs, People wear scubs in wal-mart,vet tech wears scrubs . My gr daughters wear scrub pants to bed. They are model and commercialized everywhere. I've noticed this and I think its not right-oh well- my opinion is just an opinion. And I agree 100%. Nice to see others have noticed too

Specializes in Med Surg, ER, OR.

Yes. I feel the same way, too, but it appears that we will all have to keep thinking these thoughts and nothing will change :) I have found it very practical and professional when I see various position (RN/LPN, NA, RT, PT, etc) wearing different color scrubs to signify each division. It makes it much more clear to the patient who is the nurse and who is the NA or other position. I try to keep my colors fairly uniform for ease of laundering, but as a man in this profession would have no problem going with a certain color to denote who I am. Its all about the patients anyway. Right?

My son's 1st grade teacher wore scrubs to school last year. To TEACH in! She probably wore them once a week and every time I saw her I thought it was the oddest thing. Like some of you, I feel like scrubs are "earned" and am look forward to buying my first set next week for school. I've seen them at walmart and know I could just buy some if I really wanted to wear them that bad, but I feel like I don't have that right yet.

My third day as an STNA I rushed to the first Nurse I could find to inform her that my Ct told me he was going to kill himself, and was now chewing on his IV, and was frankly scaring the helll out of me. (I was one on one with a bad gunshot wound in a rehab wing in LTC facility, a no restraint facility might I add.) At this moment I, like my Ct believed air bubbles in his IV would be deadly. She was a housekeeper.

I get the reasons for scrubs and don't mind others wearing them. But it does seem like very poor management to allow confusing situations when you're talking about possible life and death situations or a person's confidential information. A simple badge or patch identifying housekeeping, dietitian, STNA, Nurse, etc would be inexpensive and really improve patient care and satisfaction. As a Ct, I'd definitely want to know who I'm talking to.

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