Survey: Do you think hospitals should require a uniform code for nurses?

Katnip, RN · Nov 20, 2003

One of the problems with wearing all white these days is cultural. There are some Asian cultures who see white as a color of mourning. How would you like it if you were a little old person and the most important people taking care of you were dressed like they were at a funeral?

I know and have seen a few people wear all black, but rarely, and not all the nurses do so.

mattsmom81 · Nov 21, 2003

I am tired of a dress code with no compensation. I am feeling like if facilities wish to dictate WHAT I will wear, they SHOULD be willing to give me a uniform stipend.

JMHO.

8ntth · Nov 23, 2003

Introductions and name badges are great but--- whose memory and attention span is up to par when they are sick?! I'm still in favor of a dress code that makes it easy to be identified as the nurse! instead of just another person working in the hospital.

Incidentially, false nails and strong perfumes are also not allowed.

amycar11 · Nov 23, 2003

Originally posted by SmilingBluEyes
I would LOVE every hospital to mandate NO fake/long nails, ban the use of perfume and smoking on the job, and have SOMETHING to say about loud makeup/hair and GUM POPPING!!!. I don't care the uniform (LONG AS IT IS CLEAN!!!), the UNIFORM does make the nurse really to me. But these other pet peeves of mine bug me more than silly uniforms do. I can't stand the above....they are annoying, sometimes hazardous, and definately detract from a professional image...they have NO place in professional nursing, period.

NO fake/long nails ? definitely no...even with proper handwashing, there's still a tendency for the transfer of germs... and accidental "scraping" of the patient... it's certainly not a good reason for the "lazy" nurse not to do her job for her nails might get chipped.

perfume? i think that it's quite ok - only in moderation. just so the patients will not smell our stink after the long hours of work and sweat.

smoking? it's just so ironic that we do HEALTH TEACHING about "quit smoking" blah blah blah because of blah blah blah ... only to have ourselves also smoking... sheessh!! :rolleyes:

make-up? only in moderation... just not to look pale!! it's sometimes horrifying for patients if they see their nurses paler than they are then they would think that "how can this nurse care for me if she looks as if she's about to faint"

i would like to suggest, COLOR CODING of scrub suits for a certain department... and... i hope that it would also apply for the doctors

NAMEPLATE... please!!

thanks!!!!!!

mady · Nov 25, 2003

dressing code for nurses is must, i have seen some nurses wear tank tops showing their belly and tatoo above ther bum in summer, however, hospitals should not force nurses to wear uniform.

you see, there is no uniform regulation for health professionals, such as doctors, social workers, physio etc..., then why nurses must wear uniform!!!

RN_Amy, RN · Nov 25, 2003

Hi there everyone,

My name is Amy and I am an RN. I live in Australia and I work in the Recovery Room. I wear scrubs to work provided by the hospital, as do all the staff within the operating theatre. Plain pale blue.... very boring... but better for infection control.

All the ward nursing staff have to wear uniform ie. navy slacks or skirts and a choice of blouses, shirts etc in navy, white or red. Other ward staff have differents uniforms eg. OT's, ward clerks, etc yet MOs wear what they please.

In any department other than theatre I think that nurses should be allowed to wear as they please but remain professional. I have seen a number of nurses sporting long acrylic nails, coupled with copious amounts of jewellery which is a great breeding ground for MRSA... yuck!

The way you present yourself immediately presents an image to patients' and others in terms of your professionalism... whether you like it or not!

Ask yourself... who would you to nurse either yourself or members of your family? Someone who was professionally presented... or someone who had long fake nails, overdone makeup, tonnes of jewellery, overpowering perfume and chewing gum? I know who I would want!

This is all my humble opinion of course.... :)

lanilpn · Nov 26, 2003

I don't feel that the nurses should have any dress code besides clean scrubs. what makes it confusing is when the cleaning crew has the same scrub as the nurse. there needs to be some way to tell the difference between that.

Daisy · Nov 27, 2003

Coming from a nurse that used to wear white uniforms and a CAP! I consider myself a professional. Whatever you want to call it be uniforms or scrubs we should look professional.We will never return to the old days (thank goodness) but we can look like professionals that we are. Some of the scrubs out there today look awful with those horrible prints. Our hospital has a set of solids that we can wear and it works. As long as the nurse looks neat and not trashy we will continue to display the honor of the profession. Since there is such a shortage of us in this country and we want to get paid well for the work we do,lets look the part!!

barefootlady, ADN, RN · Nov 28, 2003

No uniform code except clean, properly fitting, and name tag clearly visible. Either on a lanyard or device supplied by hospital to allow for access to time clock

If the hospital does not supply us with a realistic clothing allowance or the scrubs themselves, then. as long as we are approiately dressed, they should appreciate that they have nurses.

psychonurse · Nov 28, 2003

I always made a point of telling all my patients my name and that I would be their nurse that shift... At the hospital that I worked at if you worked ER, OR, ICU they supplied us with specific colored uniforms. We would wear regular clothes to work and change when we got there and then put them in the laundry when we were done.....it was wonderful and I liked them to supply me with scrubs.....of course the nurses on the floor had to buy thier own uniforms and it could get costly.

In corrections they don't have any real dress code...some of us wear our regular clothes with a lab coat over the top or scrubs depending on how we feel but of course we only have nurses there not housekeepers and lab techs in our place....i like the freedom of wearing what I want and how I want to express myself...... :roll

Rock, LPN, RN · Nov 29, 2003

Yes. Nurses and other hospital personnel should wear uniforms, to distinguish themselves from each other. The uniform could be white or some other color. but should be able to be bleached when washed to eliminate any organisms.

School caps look very nice on nurses, and one can determine at a glance what school was attended.

Rock

HeartsGalore · Dec 1, 2003

Over the past 23 years of my nursing career, I have definitely noticed a decline in the professional appearance of RNs.Actual uniforms(as opposed to cutesy-patterned scrub sets or street clothes-except in peds or mental health,etc respectively),conservative jewellery,hair off the collar,trimmed nails have become the exception. I always shake my head when I hear nursing colleagues, once again,protesting the fact that there exists,with good reason I think, dress codes for hospital staff,including nurses.I find it curious that you never hear police officers and firefighters(still largely male-dominated professions),complaining about being forced to conform to a certain code of dress. Nor do you often see CEOs,bank managers,airplane pilots,etcetc bucking the dress requirements of their fields to dress casually.But in this still female-dominated profession,my theory is that,we nurses still,as a whole, feel powerless to effect real change in health care decision-making.Because we don't truly value the unique perspective and potential for influence we have from the front lines of health care,we've chosen to take a stand in how we're going to dress to give us a sense of power.It is only an illusion,of course- we nurses,in large numbers,are still not lobbying governments for change, or writing letters to policy makers, or even phoning into local radio forums to make our voices heard.So we remain a largely silent majority-we can b--ch and complain over coffee with each other,blowing off steam but that will never effect change or influence people.Unfortunately for nursing,we now,as well, look less professional,less proud,less respectful of our field. You're fooling yourself if you think appearance doesn't really matter.Standards matter.