Nursing Uniform Policy

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What if your employer decided that all RNs must wear navy scrubs? No white. No patterns. Just navy blue. LPNs must wear royal blue and all techs wear burgundy. What is your opinion?

Specializes in MPCU.

Yeah, it's a minor battle. If you really hate the new policy. Be cheerfully compliant. Then in a couple months go back to your favorites. Of course, it would be a shame to miss out on the "excellent" level pay raise for loss of a couple points on appearance.

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Specializes in ER, Medicine.

Our hospital is like that, all nurses wear royal blue, CNA's wear powder blue, clerks wear burgandy, RT wear Hunter green, etc.

It makes it easy for the staff to realize who's who. And sometimes the patients catch on to the color system as well which helps them to know who is responsible for what aspect of their care.

I really like it.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

I would also hope that your hospital gives a uniform allowance. It can get expensive to have to buy a whole new set of uniforms.

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Specializes in ER, Infusion therapy, Oncology.

We are color-coded at our hospital also. It is professional looking, but it would be so nice to wear something different.

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As long as it's not white I will wear whatever color I'm told. If I wanted people to see my underwear I would wear it on the outside.:p

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i wear navy blue scrubs...its fine...and yeah less stains show (blood,code browns, etc..)

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What if your employer decided that all RNs must wear navy scrubs? No white. No patterns. Just navy blue. LPNs must wear royal blue and all techs wear burgundy. What is your opinion?

This is common now and a good idea. In our hospital all nurses must wear navyblue or a navy blue white combo.

nursing assistants/techs wear hunter green

lab staff wear burgandy

RRT- wear a sand color scrub

RPA-C and NP if they wear scrubs wear all black scrubs.

It is just a easy way to ID who is on the floor or in the room.

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Personally, I find the policy demeaning and not too effective for their stated goal. Patients can't tell the difference based on the color of the uniform and as a physician friend of mine stated while in the hospital as a patient,"When you have to go to the bathroom, you could care less what color anyone is wearing". She never could tell a nurse from a tech from a lab person. Housekeeper had a mop or that would have been baffling as well. Another ill-conceived idea from administrators who feel the need to control their sheep. Wake up folks, you say it is no big deal, that there are bigger problems but nothing gets done about the big problems so why not tackle a smaller, more manageable one? At least you hone your negotiation skills.

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This is common now and a good idea. In our hospital all nurses must wear navyblue or a navy blue white combo.

nursing assistants/techs wear hunter green

lab staff wear burgandy

RRT- wear a sand color scrub

RPA-C and NP if they wear scrubs wear all black scrubs.

It is just a easy way to ID who is on the floor or in the room.

I didn't think the policy was instituted for the nurses. I thought it was so the patients could tell since they can't seem to read the big "RN" on your name badge. This is just control, pure and simple.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.
Why don't they color-code the people at the bank, so I will know who handles loans and who handles christmas club accounts?

I agree. I have worked at two facilities where they tried to color code the staff and it did not work. The patients/families/doctors, none of them tried to learn who was who and they still asked the wrong people for the wrong things, as usual. All it did was tick off the staff, who had to buy the newly mandated color. :twocents::p

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Specializes in Oncology, OR, Surgical, Orthopedics.

So I'm a traveler, and the assignment I'm currently at requires nurse to wear navy blue. I really didn't like the idea, but I complied. 6 weeks later, I really like it. I mean I have 1 load of laundry a week that all matches, and last week when we ran a code, it was really easy to know who to look for. Another nice part about it is when those stains happen-- I'm not in the ER but my post ops do occasionally get a few drops of blood on me, and I don't have to worry about it staining. I agree with those others, there are plenty of things to worry about, but now, picking out what to wear to work it's one of them.

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It Doesnt Matter..policy Is Policy

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