psychiatric nursing - clothing

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 3, 2013

Main reason--in my experience, anyway--is to make the patients feel more comfortable...kind of heading off the psychiatric version of "white coat syndrome."

Both of my jobs allow me to wear street clothes if I choose: one limits me to business casual; the other I could wear jeans. I'll admit, after having to wear scrubs to work, it felt odd for me NOT to wear them to the floor. For the business casual job I just stick with the scrubs since that's easier than me having to iron khakis...plus if I'm in scrubs, I can wear my sneakers, where they'd be a no-no if I was in civilian wear :)

For the jeans job, I wear jeans with a scrub top.

TerpGal02, ASN · May 3, 2013

The rationale behind street clothes is to more "normalize" the experience per se. When someone is in an evironment where the caregivers are wearing scrubs, like on a medical floor, we have been socialized that scrubs sort of mean "this person is here to take care of me". So add that to the learned helplessness a lot of pts have going on, it takes away from the idea that they are supposed to be learning how to empower themselves. That said, my facility allows scrubs or business casual. Almost all the older nurses where I work wear street clothes. I wear scrubs cause I like em :)

RN315 · May 3, 2013

That makes sense but at the hospital I work for we are to wear scrubs white top nd blue bottoms

allnurses Guide · May 8, 2013

Most of our staff wear street clothes... and I do wonder how the heck some of them could run in heels.

A new young nurse showed up in a little skirt... well, it wasn't my unit and I wasn't charge, so I kept my mouth shut.

The key is to look "normal", but I wonder where common sense is sometimes.

I work in geri so we mostly wear scrubs... it can get messy.

I would not give up my scrubs for anything and I'm grateful we can wear them. I'm comfy and I don't have to worry about putting an outfit together!

I have never had a pt concerned or bothered by my scrubs.

I wonder if this was a problem when nurses wore all white and caps... even though, I do believe psych nurses were among the first to give their caps up. I could see us appearing a bit Nurse Ratched-y... :confused:

I believe it is a bigger problem when staff dress in inappropriate street clothes. There is some attention you just don't want and you want to be able to move freely and hustle when you have to!

edie1 · May 9, 2013

haha Hygiene Queen

i wont wear heels - funny :) thanks

edie

PatMinotaur · May 10, 2013

I just buy thrift store clothes en masse. Big, shapeless, baggy, and non bits-displaying would be my favorite look. Good running shoes would be advisable. OH and layers! Wear layers!

sharpeimom · May 10, 2013

I worked in a state psych hospital and in a few buildings, jeans were acceptable wear, on the geri-psych units, scrubs were what most wore. In a couple of buildings, casual dress (khakis, sweaters, turtlenecks, loafers, flats, etc.) with a lab coat were standard. In the two buildings I rotated between most, either khakis or navy Docker-like pants with either a khaki or navy long or short sleeved polo shirt with the hospital's name, your first name, and RN machine embroidered on them. Psych aides wore the same pants but with white or yellow tops that were also embroidered as above, but with aide.

Makes you look much less official, less scary, and look more approachable and easier to talk with.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 10, 2013

I believe it is a bigger problem when staff dress in inappropriate street clothes. There is some attention you just don't want and you want to be able to move freely and hustle when you have to!

I tell people to dress as though they are going to church or to court, but with sensible shoes. And yet I'm still amazed at how many students/staff show up looking like they're going to go to a nightclub when the shift's over.

allnurses Guide · May 10, 2013

I tell people to dress as though they are going to church or to court, but with sensible shoes. And yet I'm still amazed at how many students/staff show up looking like they're going to go to a nightclub when the shift's over.

LOL!

I mentioned elsewhere about a student who showed up in spangly glitzy heels :facepalm:

My favorite was the MHA who floated from our nice and clean adult unit to our geri unit.

This girl comes over with a rotten attitude and I'm annoyed, because ya know, I love my geri's! I resent people acting like they are going to get some disease or talking like they were sent over as some weird punishment :sarcastic:

Anyway, the charge tells this MHA that she is going to want to take off her pretty long scarf... helloooooooo! You're giving the pt's something to choke you with! :dead:

Then she found out she was going to have to help with the toileting... :yes:

I know I sound mean, but as soon as I hear the phrase "I didn't spend four years in college to wipe a butt/change diapers/make a bed/etc..." then I begin to find that my "kindness compass" gets a wee bit skewed :cautious:

So, when she kicked up a fuss because she got a little boo-boo and winkle on her brand-new Coach shoes, I had to leave for I was doubled over and laughing... :roflmao:

She wouldn't stop going on and on about it... she acted like a complete fool.

Of course, she was mad at us!

People forget that we are in a hospital!!

So many reasons why people are there and so many reasons why they may be physically ill or have B&B issues... psych related or not.

Why on earth someone would wear such expensive shoes in a hospital setting is beyond me... especially if you're going to cry over them getting ruined!

I mean, even a reasonably healthy psych pt can suddenly barf on your shoes after taking a new med or whatever...

Keep the expensive stuff at home...

But for those who don't, I sure don't want to hear any crying over it...

edie1 · May 11, 2013

hi Hygiene Queen

that is really odd/funny because even though I have worked in medical and just new to psych, i certainly would know better than to wear something around my neck :) i did work with a super rich nurse one time who lost her rolex in a laundry bag and of course we helped her look but she knew she was an idiot and really did not complain. i always look at it like a germ thing and though i may be ocd about it i am a nurse and hospitals are the germiest places in the universe so my rolex stays at home (yeah right rolex) :)

moschika · May 14, 2013

so i'm about to start my first nursing gig at a psych facility and I was told we could wear either scrubs or civilian clothes. my question is, wouldn't consistency be an important consideration? I think it's strange it's an "either/or". I think it would be confusing if some staff were in scrubs while others weren't. how does that play out where you're at?