The Today Show

hogan4736, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2006

:cheers:

great post sailor...Though it's a tough debate on who works harder...probably not a fair one...

but jahara accepts your apology:chuckle

nuangel1, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2006

I could go to work in a white uniform or go in naked... What difference does it make? What we need is more staffing , better nurse to patient ratios and less paper work ...That will let the nurse have time to think, breath and she might even get to eat during her shift. Now all of America will want their nurse to dig up the hat and white dress while in the hospital because they will feel in danger ....

well said.:yeahthat:

nuangel1, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2006

i will never wear all white i graduated 20 yrs ago i didn't have a cap then and i don't want one now.

ICURN_NC · Sep 22, 2006

I actually like the idea of the white uniform or some kind of identifier. I worked very hard to become a nurse, and I was always proud to wear the uniform.
Maybe we could all get matching "grillz."

LUV it! I'll order mine anyday! :roll

ICURN_NC · Sep 22, 2006

I'm not grooving the all white uniforms... but I'm on board with other staff not wearing scrubs, with the exception of those who participate in work that exposes them to body fluids- like phlebotomy and PT.

Luckily, in our hospital, dietary and guest services/patient transp do not wear scrubs. I was a secretary in my unit before becoming a nurse there, and I only wore scrubs 2 times- when I was snowed in and it was the only thing I could change into after working 2 days in the same clothes!

Retired R.N. · Sep 22, 2006

Never in a million years will I wear an all-white uniform. They're too much of an inconvenience since they have the tendency to become dirty very quickly.

What ever gave you that idea? A white uniform doesn't get dirty any faster than any other color. The old-fashioned nurses' uniforms were 100% cotton and designed to withstand washing in hot water and treatment with chlorine bleach. The starch gave a nice smooth finish that did not irritate tender skin.

As for the white caps being difficult to keep clean, ours opened out flat, then went into the laundry with the uniforms. Instead of the ordinary starching and ironing, they were simply dipped into a very thick starch solution and "pasted" onto a smooth surface like a mirror or a refrigerator door to dry. Our stripes were then "glued" to the clean dry caps with KY jelly.

RN34TX · Sep 22, 2006

I wear my name tag, the doctors do NOT- and patients are forever confusing me w/one particular surgeon-- as IF she'd be at their bedside in the PACU for more than 30 seconds. Puleeze. I've also had surgeons walk into the PACU & not even recognize their patients that they just operated on. What I love is when a doctor walks in to visit a patient wearing scrubs, and the patient in the other bed asks for a bed pan or a pain med, and what does the Dr. say? "I'll go get the nurse." Patients also assume every MALE nurse is a Dr.-- even when we all wore white. I'd say this surgeon needs to look at her own profession-- as they say- "if you spot it you've got it"!

As a PACU RN, I loved those comments and can totally relate! I laughed so hard reading your post!

As a male RN in PACU, I am frequently mistaken for a surgeon by the patients as well.

"So how did everything go, doc? What did you find in there?" or "Are you the doctor who operated on me?"

And I'd be thinking the same as you......As IF your surgeon would actually be standing at your bedside waiting for you to wake up to reassure you and tell you how everything went, or God forbid turn you on your side and hand you a basin if you are getting sick while your nurse gets an anti-emetic out of the Pyxis!

No ma'am!

shodobe · Sep 22, 2006

I hate to say this but I did agree with some points the MD on the Today show said. Nursing in general is getting waaaaay to laid back. I started out 30 years ago when the nurses were required to wear their hats and we all wore white! I don't really like the idea of white again and definitely the ladies do not need the hats, but when you can't tell aides from nurses and housekeeping from aides there is definitely a problem to be addressed. I have worked in the OR for the past 29 years so attire isn't an issue. I go up to the floors and everyone is dressed in every color of the rainbow you can't really tell who's who. I know people say, "the patient can just read my nametag". This has been an issue also for a long time whether you want certain patients knowing your last name, especially Pysch units. Older patients seem to be able to distinguish color better than able to read the small print on a nametag. This issue has been brought up in the past with older threads and one I can remember had all departments wearing different colors so when a patient was asked who gave them a procedure, information or whatever they could state, " I can't remember the name but they were wearing such and such a color". Easy to tell what department they were from. I know white is out as well as the caps, but casual Fridays can go only so far, especially when it is every day of the week.

bklynborn · Sep 22, 2006

I read a post here not long ago about a gal who said she was going to experiment with wearing white to see if it made a difference. If you are out there come back and let us know how it went.

midcom · Sep 22, 2006

I had to join in on the conversation but apoligize that I have not read all the previous postings.

I fell in love with nursing because of the shoes, uniforms, & most of all the caps. However, that was 51 years ago & I was 4 years old at the time. I have gotten over that love affair. I am now about to start nursing school FINALLY, & am thrilled that I won't be wearing a cap or a startched white uniform. But I agree that the present lack of uniformity, is confusing to patients & family members. My sister was a patient in a large magnet hospital this summer for several weeks. It was impossible to tell the respiratory therapists, nurses, or CNAs apart by their atire & we often asked questions that could not be answered by that person, nursing questions to a RT, etc. My sister was very sick & once she was moved out of ICU, often I had to find the nurse. Several times I wasted lots of time trying to figure out who was a nurse. Heck, it was hard to tell some of the doctors from the nurses! Their nametags didn't help much as it often was impossible to see them much less read them.

It seems to me that it would be so much easier all around if each profession had something to make them distinct, be it color or whatever. They do it for school. I'll be wearing a navy polo & white uniform pants (not scrubs, my teachers informed me). Another school has their own uniforms. There will be no problem differentiating us from "real" nurses.

Dixie

gitterbug · Sep 22, 2006

I wore all white for years, liked going to colors and prints, but still have all white in the bunch. Cap is gone but will wear one if instructed, afterall, I went to school for them and was very proud to wear it. Truth is, the public does not like change, facilities want to push to blame on us for wanting a little choice in uniform. Truthfully, do you think TPTB will staff floors and units better if RN's wear all white? If that is the case then I will wear white. Would love to go back to being staffed adequately.

Fiona59 · Sep 22, 2006

I wear all white about twice every two weeks (dress, hose, shoes, or a pantsuit). I actually find that patients are politer, less demanding, in general, better behaved.

Why, I don't know. But the older people will always say its nice to "see a nurse".

Oh, and I have a far harder time getting stains out of blue for some reason than I do white.

Never tried wearing the cap, although there are a few at my hospital that still come in as a "full dressed nurse; dress, hose, shoes, cap" and they've told me they never get a hard time from the patient or the family.

Maybe stereotypes bring authority, who knows.