Required Nursing Uniform

[pbstrums]

My hospital is going to mandate the color and brand of scrubs we (RN's ICU) are to wear. This is apparently because patients want to know who there nurse is. (despite the fact we are all required to wear our identifying badge).We are also told we need to be uniform(no pun intended:)) because we are a magnet facility and magnet hospitals are requiring RN's to wear all the same brand and color. Personally I think this is ridiculous. I thought the magnet philosophy was to give nurses a voice? Since becoming magnet we have no voice, or options and morale has dropped considerably. In times of a bad economy when we are struggling to make ends meet, it is not going to be feasible for nurses to go out and spend money for scrubs and especially ones they do not like. Next we will be told caps are back! Also not everyone has the same shape so many of us will be wearing scrubs too tight or too loose because of the brand we will be required to wear. How professional will that look?? Can you share your thoughts on this? Thank you.

pb

[MedSurgeMess]

My hospital is going to mandate the color and brand of scrubs we (RN's ICU) are to wear. This is apparently because patients want to know who there nurse is. (despite the fact we are all required to wear our identifying badge).We are also told we need to be uniform(no pun intended:)) because we are a magnet facility and magnet hospitals are requiring RN's to wear all the same brand and color. Personally I think this is ridiculous. I thought the magnet philosophy was to give nurses a voice? Since becoming magnet we have no voice, or options and morale has dropped considerably. In times of a bad economy when we are struggling to make ends meet, it is not going to be feasible for nurses to go out and spend money for scrubs and especially ones they do not like.

pb

I work at a Magnet facility, and have not been told anything like this! Matter of fact, our Magnet coordinator stated whoever told you this is trying to feed you a line of poo-poo.

I still have my voice, along with my brother/sister RNs and LPNs, although somedays we just don't seem very loud or on the same page

Landau is my favorite brand as far as fit, wear n tear, and construction, but they are more pricey than other brands and have less options as far as patterns/colors. I think being told what brand to wear is total BS. Stating a color requirement is restraint enough. The only reason I can think as to why a particular brand is named is that the blues, reds, you name color, will all match, depending on color picked. Still stinks though--reeks of BS a mile away.

[southernbeegirl, BSN, RN]

I don't really see the need for this in LTC. You see the same people every day, and if they're cognizant enough to know what your colors mean, then they already know who you are.

I actually wouldn't MIND a color scheme, but at the same time, I like my pretty patterned tops and I've spent a lot of money on them to NOT wear them ever again. And the brand thing is ridiculous. Look how many threads there are in the scrubs forum on this website- no 2 people are alike in what size, fit, and material is most comfortable for them.

the corp. that now owns us has the same uniform requirement across the whole corp and 5 states. they say that if you were to walk in one of their facilities in say...Kansas and then walk in one in say...Kentucky....all the buildings should look the same (they are redoing all of them), all the nurses should look the same, all the CNAs, housekeepers...etc.

they even go as far to say that if you walk in the buildings anywhere in the company at the same time that all the patients should be TURNED the same way.

now, i really dont mind the color schemes. i like it in fact. we all look very professional now and the patients are able to tell the different depts by their uniform colors. we look kinda snazzy.

but to insist we all wear the same brand? then provide us with the whole gammet of sizes, not just the ones you pick and choose!

i think they take the corp wide uniform plan to the darn extreme. its like we are not even people. we are things they own.

[RNKPCE]

The thing about Magnet hospitals having to have RN's wear all the same uniforms is baloney! We are Magnet and don't. A few years back we did a trial of the same uniforms on a few units. The hospital provided a certain amount of scrubs depending on your work status. It didn't fly.

With how often the hospital calls people into work extra there would be no guarantee that a person would have a clean uniform anyways.

[RNKPCE]

t

they even go as far to say that if you walk in the buildings anywhere in the company at the same time that all the patients should be TURNED the same way.

n.

OMG who makes these things up!

[DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN]

the corp. that now owns us has the same uniform requirement across the whole corp and 5 states. they say that if you were to walk in one of their facilities in say...Kansas and then walk in one in say...Kentucky....all the buildings should look the same (they are redoing all of them), all the nurses should look the same, all the CNAs, housekeepers...etc.

they even go as far to say that if you walk in the buildings anywhere in the company at the same time that all the patients should be TURNED the same way.

now, i really dont mind the color schemes. i like it in fact. we all look very professional now and the patients are able to tell the different depts by their uniform colors. we look kinda snazzy.

but to insist we all wear the same brand? then provide us with the whole gammet of sizes, not just the ones you pick and choose!

i think they take the corp wide uniform plan to the darn extreme. its like we are not even people. we are things they own.

Oh goody! Sounds more like a McDonalds than a healthcare facility. Obviously someone in charge went and got a 3rd class MBA.