Should nurses return to wearing uniforms?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I am taking part in a research project in my post-bacc nursing program which is looking at the history of nursing uniforms, as well as asking the question, "Should nurses return to wearing uniforms?" We are surveying nurses at a local hospital to get an idea of our area nurses' opinions; but would also like to get a wider variety of responses.

So, if you'd like to be part of this discussion, please answer the following:

1. How long have you been a nurse?

2. In what field of nursing are you working (I.e. long term care, acute care, rehab, etc.)?

3. Where geographically are you located?

4. What is your level of training? (I.e., ADN, LPN, CNA, BSN, masters or higher education level, CNP, CRNA, etc.)

5. Do you think nurses should return to wearing a uniform? Why or why not?

***to clarify-- By "uniform", I mean a move away from scrubs, to a uniform style that would be recognized across regions as belonging to "nursing". This could include the "all-white" uniform, or nursing caps. Whatever it would be, the standard would be set by the nursing profession, for all professionals to follow***

6. If you think nurses should return to a uniform, what type of uniform do you think nurses should wear?

Thanks so much for your help!

1
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OK I'll go first. I graduated in 1976 with my BSN and have been practicing in critical care in hospitals ever since. Mostly at my current location, a large teaching hospital in the Southwest. We wear scrubs which is the best for acute care work. When you ask about returning to "uniforms" are you meaning white uniforms instead of scrubs? This is what I'm assuming. I would not first of all wear white, would look filthy by the end of my shift which would not look professional or very sanitary; also, I would not ever ever wear a "dress" or skirt and white hose and all that. Our work is very physical and this type of clothing would not be conducive or appropriate, I don't think.

Good luck with your project.

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

1. I have been a nurse for 28 years

2. Med/Surg Hospital

3. Nashville, Tenn

4. ADN

5. I think we already wear a uniform. I'm not allowed to wear whatever I want to work. I wear scrubs. I do have the luxury to choose any scrubs I want. I have probably 35 scrub tops. I like to reflect my feelings for the day when I go to work. I have worn all white, dress, hose, shoes, the whole nine yards, I hated it then and hated it now. I have worn a cap. It was a thrill and a priviledge to do so and I would not be against going back to wearing a cap though I doubt that will ever happen. I do believe we need something to make us stand out from the rest of the hospital staff. I have seen the "RN" patches and would definately vote to use them. I am proud of my education and my accompolishments as a nurse. I have my name & title stitched on quite a few of my tops.

6. Obviously I think white is out. It's just not practical with the nursing of today. I think white tends to turn people off and scares children. I think patients perceive the nurses in scrubs as being more approachable. My scrubs are always an avenue for conversation. The patient will comment, oh I like dogs too, or I love those kind of flowers, etc....Our agency staff has to wear all white and the patients realize they stand out and ask for a "regular" nurse. They perceive the agency nurses as not being as qualified. Our agency nurses are wonderful !!!! Our regular agency nurses are now allowed to wear scrubs. The doctors don't like to deal with the nurses dressed in all white. I think it's strange but it's definately true. They will address the nurse in all white by their last name and the one's in scrubs by their first name. Some nurses may prefer to be called by their last name but not me. I think professionalism is in your work and mannerism and not in your uniform and last name. I hope your project goes very well, it sounds totally interesting. I'll be looking forward to reading more comments! Thanks!

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Specializes in CCU (Coronary Care); Clinical Research.

* I have been an RN for two years.

*I have worked in critical care since graduation, specifically a CCU.

*Pacific Northwest.

*BSN

*I am with hellerd2003 on this one. I think of scrubs as a uniform. I too have the luxery to wear whatever colors I choose (well not whatever, we had one RN who work cow printed scrubs to work and that didn't go over well at all!).

Personally, I like to stick to darker colors-black, navy, cecil blue, purple...those seem to be my basics. I can think of another type of outfit that would be as comfortable to wear for 12 hours. I am not a fan at all of white. It looks good on hardly anybody, it gets dirty, and you can see through it. I suppose I could wear a white top but white pants are definately out for me. I am going to have to say no on caps too...the last thing I need is something on my head while I am running around trying to keep a sterile field or code someone...

I see your point in trying to distinguish nurses from other hospital personnel...however, most people wear scrubs because of how well they fit the job, IMHO. It is true that everyone in the hospital wears them though, and the different personnell do look the same. I think that we just have to be good with our introductions. Hi I am Jane...your nurse for the day. We have white boards up in the rooms on our floors that give the name of the RN, the CNA, etc...I am interested to hear other people's new uniform ideas, but I am not a big fan of going back to "the old way".

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30+ years in Nursing, 18 as an RN

RN-ADN, Ph.D. Integrative Medicine

Calif, Hawaii, North carolina

NICU and Assisted Living

Uniforms of some type - Yes.......Universal, i am not so sure

Nursing caps...........no problem. I enjoy mine, my clients enjoy it as well. What do I hear. "you look so nice", You look like the nurses used to look". "I am glad you wear your whites, you look professional". Most of those comments come from the seniors I work with. Those, that make up a very large percent of our population with health care needs.

I am all for something, not quite sure what, but I feel a change is needed. I wear dress clothes with a white consultation jacket for assisted living and in the NICU, white scrub pants and white consultation jacket with a colored top. When I am in the mood, I wear my white dress uniforms as well.

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Specializes in MDS coordinator, hospice, ortho/ neuro.

1) 21 yrs

2) MDS ....have done rehab, hospice, long term care

3) Ohio

4) ADN w. CRRN RAC-C

5) I agree that scrubs are the current most common uniform. I can wear either office casual or scrubs at my current job.

6) I hated wearing a cap, and white is extremely unpractical. The patients seem to like the variety most and find the white intimidating.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, LTC.

1. 7 years as a CNA, and 4 years as a LPN.

2. LTC

3. Michigan and briefly in Tennessee

4. LPN

5 & 6. I think white uniforms are no longer practical, they do not stay clean and neat looking very long and with todays economy no one can afford to constantly buy new uniforms. In LTC I find the residents just adore our colorful prints on our scrubs, some have even expressed intrest in having some for themselves because they are so cute and comfy looking. I cannot imagine having an emergency and trying to move around in a restricting made up uniform, scrubs are much easier to move in. As far as caps go, they are not sanitary, they collect too much crud.

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Specializes in ER.

1. How long have you been a nurse? 31 years

2. In what field of nursing are you working (i.e. long term care, acute care, rehab, etc.)? Acute care, ER

3. Where geographically are you located? Live in Arkansas, work as traveler.

4. What is your level of training? (i.e., ADN, LPN, CNA, BSN, masters or higher education level, CNP, CRNA, etc.) BSN

5. Do you think nurses should return to wearing a uniform? Why or why not?

***to clarify-- By "uniform", I mean a move away from scrubs, to a uniform style that would be recognized across regions as belonging to "nursing". This could include the "all-white" uniform, or nursing caps. Whatever it would be, the standard would be set by the nursing profession, for all professionals to follow***

No to uniforms, no to caps especially. White uniforms are difficult to maintain in an ER situation as well as many others. It is impossible to keep them unstained from betadine, blood, ink, etc. If you live in an area with a high mineral content in the water, you can never keep the white. Nurses do not need a "uniform" to make them a professional any more than a business man, bank teller, school teacher does. Let me wear something practical, comfortable and easy to care for like scrubs. The kids especially like to see "interesting" scrubs on the staff. I have been able to distract a small child from many painful treatments while talking about my bears, dogs or whatever might be on my scrub top. I wear a name tag with the letters RN clearly displayed, as well as embroidered on my solid top scrubs. Nurses have to be on their knees starting IV's, climb on beds to pull patients over, standing on stools doing CPR, stretched tall hanging IV fluids on IV polls hanging from the ceiling (obviously designed by a basketball player), sprawled across a drunk or OD who is kicking and screaming while someone is getting the restraints on....no, white uniforms are not practical and I will never go back!

6. If you think nurses should return to a uniform, what type of uniform do you think nurses should wear? Let us wear scrubs. If you must color code it, then at least be practical about it. Navy blue, royal blue, purple, etc...something that does not show stains! Give us name tags that are 2 inches tall if you must identify us from a distance!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

1. How long have you been a nurse? 10 yrs

2. In what field of nursing are you working peds oncology (also per diem supervision in a peds LTC facility)

3. Where geographically are you located? New york

4. What is your level of training? BSN, currently MSN (education) student

5. Do you think nurses should return to wearing a uniform? Why or why not?

Yes, but not necessarily the old traditional white starchy dress or pantsuit. I personally have no problem w/ white. We need to stand apart from everyone else, (cnas, dietary, unit receptionists, and other staff) and maintain a professional image. Apparently some of us need some help in figuring out what 'professional attire' is. It is not a uniform, if everyone is wearing whatever color or style they want (even if they are all scrubs)

6. If you think nurses should return to a uniform, what type of uniform do you think nurses should wear? Not really sure. Something comfortable, durable, that immediately says 'I am a nurse'. Honestly, I can't see myself with a cap on. At least not the traditional caps.

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I am an ADN nurse with 4 years experience in long term care and med - surg. Personally, I would not mind wearing a uniform as long as it is practical and comfortable. Also, the facility should launder it for me!:) This would be practical too since I hate the thought of bringing home any nasty things to my kids. I know certain specialties in my area ( OB and ICU ) have their own scrubs which they launder for staff and are shared. In the long term care facility where I work, the LPNs and RNs are supposed to wear whites. Some times I wish I could wear the different printed scrubs, some of them are really cute. Our residents like that we wear whites though, that way they can tell if we are licensed staff or not. The med surg floor I worked on was more lenient, you could wear any colored scrubs. It was confusing for the patients since the aides, techs and enviromental services also wear scrubs.

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Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

I have been in nursing for 28 years and work in the OR.

I think we MUST go back to a system where patients and visitors know who is their nurse and who works in houskeeping. I obviously have to where a "uniform" because of the area I work in, but it really "irks" me to walk around the hospital and not know what area or what level someone is. I want to know who is an RN and who is a CNA and who is whatever. I think there was an article in a magazine recently, not sure which one, that proposed putting staff into certain color schemes where the public knows who they are talking with.You cant't have everyone in the hospital wearing everything from solid colors to Hawaiian prints. I know this sounds tough but we need to get back to traditional values. When I started years ago you knew who was a nurse and who wasn't. In today's hospitals, you go in and you just don't know who is who. I wish I could remember the magazine, I think it might have been either my AORN or Outpatient Surgery magazines. I just know that the article made alot of sense because there are many hospitals around the country that are making it mandatory to either go back to white or a color coded system. I bet if you went into a major hospital like UCLA or cedar-sinai, without looking at name badges, you wouldn't know an RN from a cafeteria worker. Something to think about.Mike

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Where I work the nurses, CNA's and housekeeping all wear very different uniforms. Nurses= blue, CNA's = lavender, and housekeeping=green. And the patients still cannot figure out who is who. :uhoh3:

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