standardized uniforms

[traumamomtx30]

Ok, our hospital is wanting to go to identifying uniform colors. They claim that: the pt's are happier they know who the personnel i.e. nurses, techs, respiratory, lab, are and it gives off a much more professional appearance. This is my question: Has anyone found any research that it doesn't/ does to these things management is claiming. Our arguement is: we went to new ID badges with larger letters with our credentials, we introduce ourselves and write our names on a dry erase board in the rooms every shift, and I know for a fact my patients still don't know me after 3 nights of continuous care. They are even talking doing away with t-shirts with the hospital logos, no t-shirts, period. If anyone has any solid evidence either way I would appreciate it.

[JamesJr.]

Hello! I guess this may be coming from a patient perspective because I'm a highschooler who is looking to become a nurse after graduation. I feel that a nurse who is caring for me should not be in a t-shirt. This isn't solid evidence or a lot of information, but really, the no t-shirt policy sounds good in my opinion. Even as volunteers, we wear a polo-shirt with the hospital logo. I could not image working in a hospital wearing a t-shirt...I don't even recall being in a hospital where I have seen someone who worked there wear a t-shirt. While the color-coding by department sounds good in theory, how are the patients going to know who is who? It isn't like each patient knows what the colors mean or anything unless a chart is provided. Even then, most people would refer to the nametag, not the shirt. I personally feel that a name-badge and what you are currently doing is good enough. Just my opinion on it, which probably doesn't mean much but I don't have anything else to do, so why not!

[MedSurgeNewbie]

its funny because unless its posted some place ie "all the nurses wear navy" patients dont really know - we went to the standard color deal and it hasnt improved anything, and it blasted morale

[Always Learning, RN]

We are color coded, but it is up to each department to determine their color code. As it happens, the Tech colors for some of the med/surg floors are the RN color for other areas, like the ICU, surgery and the ED etc... .

Very confusing for the patients.

[prettylittlenurse2b]

I don't have any solid evidence, but I think it sounds like a great idea. As people in the medical field we often forget that many people don't know hospitals, and the type of people that work in them, or what those peoples roles are. Why not make it easier for a patient to pick out an RN from someone in respiratory. I don't care about what I have to wear at work, its a job, you can wear whatever you want outside of your job, it seems like maybe you are making more of a big deal out of this than is necessary. Pick your battles with the hospital.

[FlyingScot, RN]

When I worked in the ER I wore a clean, pressed good-quality white t-shirt (not an undershirt or one of the cheapo thin ones) with my clean, pressed ceil blue scrub pants and I can assure you of two things. First-I looked way more professional than some of my coworkers in stained, wrinkled scrubs and second the fact that I was wearing a t-shirt neither affected my ability to give quality care nor diminshed the amount of trust my patients had in my ability to give quality care. As to color coding, it isn't a big deal. It made my life easier because I knew what I had to wear. The patients don't get it. No matter how hard you try to educate them they just yell "nurse" at whoever walks by.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I've worked at facilities that used color coding for various departments, and it didn't eliminate any confusion. At my most recent workplace, nurses wore purple, CNAs wore island blue, housekeeping wore navy blue, dietary work black, and so forth. As long as the maintenance man is still allowed to wear scrubs of any color, patients will remain befuddled and think everyone's a nurse.

[BayouLPN]

I have worked in 3 facilities. The first, LTC, we wore Cherry Blossom PINK. The resident still call their aides "NURSE" because they are the ones who toilet them, and put them to bed. I was called by my first name and they knew the Pink people had their medicine. The second, LTC, provided us with a pearl pink uniform, and light blue uniform. But, really didn't care what we wore, as long as we showed up for our shifts and did our work. The resident's, also, knew my name or face and that I had the medicine. Now, at the hospital...I was told we all wear Royal blue...the pt's and families know who we are. In my first days there, I looked to color coding to id who I needed to ask questions from. But, did not find that it made a difference in the pt's. They are there 24hours to 3 days. On my orientation, I was set the task of transitioning babies which included setting the rooms up for delivery and helping mom to the bathroom, changing wet pads, ect. I was often mistaken for a CNA. It would not be until I explained I was a nurse or the family saw me stick the baby with the Vit K that they knew I was a nurse. My name badge often flips over and I make sure that it is turned correctly before entering a room. And because most nurses at the facility are RN's, I tell them that I am an LPN assigned to their care today. I have no concrete evidence that one color is best for id for patients. It simply looks professional. BUT, the use of color is documented in psychology as a natural mood enhancer. You could probably google this to find studies on it. While I may have had to wear a solid color at the nursing home and at the L&D...my scrub jackets are so colorful....they pop. They have matching theme of the pink or royal...But I get my colors in. I am even considering writing a paper on the use of colors as natural mood enhancer in the elderly. PLUS, I get really bored wearing the same thing day in and day out. MY opinion and it has meant nothing to administration yet but my opinion nevertheless.

[MIA-RN]

my thought has always been that unless the standardized color is white, it won't work. People associate nurses with white in our culture. Its just how its been all these years. I am a huge fan of nurses wearing white.

I worked where colors were standardized and no one really knew who was who anyway. But put on a pair of whites and they know you are a nurse.

I have no studies to offer you, just my humble opinion!

[Nicky30, BSN, RN]

We have colour coded uniforms where I work (no scrubs unless theatre of course).

To most patients everybody in uniform is a nurse (confused or not ). Some FF know the difference between the nurses uniform and services (housekeeping) staff others haven't the faintest. It probably doesn't help that the uniform is various shade of blue.

Pink, red or white stripes for administration or management.

Personally I think the uniforms colour coding is for the benefit of the doctors who can yell at you from a distance i.e. "nurse", "sister".

However, put a white polo shirt on and everybody (even the confused ) "knows" that you are a student nurse (even if you are a student physio ).

White = student, and most of the elderly will claim you look so much more professional in white.

Cheers,

Nicky.

[husker_rn, RN]

I'm not a fan of color coding either. LIke almost everyone else, I found it claridied nothing for patients. My only question is this.....why navy ?? We were polled and then told most votes were for the navy but no one admitted to wanting that color. We all decided it was rigged. Surprise, surprise.

[wonderbee, BSN, RN]

The current inpatient population is a lot of geri. Any female is scrubs of any color is a nurse in their minds. Males in scrubs are always doctors. It's the mindset, not the scrubs. Truthfully, the only way that's going to change is going back to the cap. I want a blush pink one. I don't know what to do about the guys.