Required to wear girly scrubs

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Hi All,

I have a bit of a dilemma on my hands. I am considering accepting a position in a Level III NICU, and just found out from the staff that I will be required to wear lavender scrubs or all-white scrubs. Lavender I could MAYBE deal with, but all white and even lavender almost makes me want to reconsider. How am I supposed to maintain any dignity while wearing those colors? Any suggestions? Should I approach the manager? Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks!

But no one is asking you to wear a dress, merely a color. And colors are not that relevant to sexual identity. I know plenty of male MDs wearing pink and lavender shirts to work.

But is one that really worried about being perceived as "feminine" because of a mere color, then the title "nurse" could be a much bigger problem.

Maybe it's a combination of the two.

It is interesting that many tell us here to stand up, we have power as nurses, and yet when one of us does the others knock him down.

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

We are not knocking anyone down. No one is being denigrated.

We are merely injecting some common sense and offering comparisons to real life examples.

It is a color, for goodness sake. And as noted, often worn by other healthcare professionals that have a large masculine presence in the healthcare field.

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.
But no one is asking you to wear a dress, merely a color. And colors are not that relevant to sexual identity. I know plenty of male MDs wearing pink and lavender shirts to work.
They can keep doing it too! I wouldn't be caught dead wearing 'em if I had the choice! :p

But is one that really worried about being perceived as "feminine" because of a mere color, then the title "nurse" could be a much bigger problem.
Possibily.

But I have to agree with what mingez said - the conotations aren't the same.

But I also agree that they're just colors - the job is completely worth it :)

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Specializes in Psych, Ortho, Stroke, and TBI.
But no one is asking you to wear a dress, merely a color. And colors are not that relevant to sexual identity. I know plenty of male MDs wearing pink and lavender shirts to work.

But is one that really worried about being perceived as "feminine" because of a mere color, then the title "nurse" could be a much bigger problem.

Don't get me wrong. I personally think that the idea of colors suggesting feminity or masculinity is silly, but it's not me I'm talking about. Society at large as decided that certain colors are "Feminine" and others aren't.

Don't take my word for it. Even Wikipedia speaks of this notion:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink

Pink in gender and sexuality

Someone in a pink sweatshirt knitting a pink scarf

Enlarge

Someone in a pink sweatshirt knitting a pink scarf

* The color of pink, is now associated with womanhood, just like blue is associated with boys and manhood, although in 1918 "Infant's Department" (an industry publication) said the reverse was the "generally accepted rule", describing pink as "more decided and stronger" while blue was "more delicate and dainty"". Pink continued to be used for both boys' and girls' clothing through the early 1960s, though associated more and more with femininity. Carrie, from Sex and the City, for example, is seen wearing pink dresses very often in the television series, and Elle, from the Legally Blonde movie series, pink is her signature color.

* The color pink also has an association with female genitalia. Used as a slang term to refer to female genitalia.

* Some feminists have decried the color pink [citation needed], along with dresses and skirts, as something related to the pre-feminism "old-style female", which they view as a symbol of the oppression and limitations of that era. Although this trend persists, the current wave of feminism advocates choice, and many women have sought to reclaim aspects of the old-style female, including pink (and indeed dresses and skirts), as something to be proud of. For example, the Swedish radical feminist party Feminist Initiative uses pink as its colour.

* Males today are buying pink clothes, which was until recently considered taboo for men (at least in the West). American rapper, Cam'ron is widely credited with popularizing the color pink in urban men's fashion.

* Pink, is also associated with gays, lesbians, and bisexuals, often in the form of a pink triangle. This symbolic usage stems from the symbols used by the Nazis to label their prisoners in the concentration camps [1]. Where Jews were forced to wear the familiar yellow stars of David, men imprisoned on accusations of homosexuality or same sex sexual activity were forced to wear a pink triangle. Nowadays, it is often worn with pride. A Dutch newsgroup about homosexuality is called nl.roze, roze being the Dutch word for pink. In Britain, Pink News is a leading gay newspaper and online news service. In business, 'the pink pound' or 'pink dollar' refers to the spending power of the GLBT community.

It DOES mention how it's recently been popularized amongst some celebrities. However, traditionally it's been associated with women, girls, femininity, and the gay and lesbian movement. But the point to take home here is that there are ingrained connotations associated with color, both concious and subconcious, and to simply dismiss that psychological factor might be a bit short-sighted.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I am just a pre-nursing student so I haven't had to deal with this yet but here is my thoughts on it. In my personal life I wouldn't choose to wear lavender or pink or anything like that. Not because I think its too girly or anything but to be honest I am just not crazy about the colors in general. But if I want to work in a certain department and that department's nursing scrub colors are lavender or pink or whatever then I will wear them. I personally don't really think its a big issue but I can see where it might bother some people. Personally, if I were you I would put on the scrubs and "brush your sholder off" all pimp-like and just rock the lavender colors. Let your quality of nursing speak for you and not your scrub colors.

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I couldn't care less what the hospital requires me to wear. If they want to take care of my laundry, thats great. But I would expect a place to change before I go home.

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Yea, I agree, all white is girly!! As a matter of fact, in our graduation in cermony in May, we were required to wear all white..I felt girly..To top that off, in our pinning ceremony, every student had to carry a flower..Now that was girly..I felt girly..:(If you want to get over the stigma, over being a male nurse, I feel that men have to speak up for themeselves or if you dont, you would feel even more girly!

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Will you be the only male working in NICU? If you're the first, you could ask to wear a different color, like burgundy or navy. If not, wear the lavender. It's a job of a lifetime. The female nurses will understand that you don't have a choice. Wear the lavender proudly. You are an RN in NICU and you deserve to be respected, no matter what you wear.

I think the profession needs to wake up and realize that men are nurses and that not every male nurse is gay. And if you are gay that doesn't mean you wear girly colors. There is such a stigma attached to it. I'm sick of hearing that all male nurses are gay. That's derogatory and stereotypical. I am sick of it - and I'm a woman. I can't imagine what you men go through. How in the world do you handle it?

On a positive note, I had a male nurse take care of me a few years ago. I thought I would feel uncomfortable with it but it turns out he was so compassionate and understanding about my needs. You guys rock!

Good luck!!

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Specializes in Psych, Ortho, Stroke, and TBI.

I think the profession needs to wake up and realize that men are nurses and that not every male nurse is gay. And if you are gay that doesn't mean you wear girly colors. There is such a stigma attached to it. I'm sick of hearing that all male nurses are gay. That's derogatory and stereotypical. I am sick of it - and I'm a woman. I can't imagine what you men go through. How in the world do you handle it?

Thank goodness there are female nurses like you!!! Thanks for your support!!

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Specializes in Psych, Ortho, Stroke, and TBI.

So, I just found out that the scrubs we are going to be required to wear in my program this fall are green. When I asked what kind of green, the director said 'bright" green.

I'm hoping they are teal or forest, but not florescent green.

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
So, I just found out that the scrubs we are going to be required to wear in my program this fall are green. When I asked what kind of green, the director said 'bright" green.

I'm hoping they are teal or forest, but not florescent green.

Love, if they are fluorescent green, the females will want to revolt.

(Very few people look good in fluorecent green, and few hospitals will permit fluorescent colors...they are actually on the "banned" list in most places).

Most schools go with seafoam or forest green. Though my program did have us wear white w/ a pale mint green stripe pinafore - the guys got to avoid the pinafore.

As far as white being a "girly" color, that is extremely debatable. Beyond wedding dresses, where it is symbolic (much like nursing or medicine), few women look good in flat plain white and most of us avoid large amounts of white attire like the plague because it makes even thin women look heavy. Unless you are really tan and thin, it is a difficult color to pull off. It is also difficult to keep clean.

And MDs have been long been identified by their white coats, and are hardly considered girly.

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MDs, just wear a white lab coat and they choose what shirt and pants to wear....They dont wear all white..A white lab coat does not mean anything..

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