Uniforms- i get to wear coloured

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Hi every1

I'm beginning nursing school this September, and I just found out that we are not required to wear white scrubs for clinicals or labs. :lol2:

We can either wear business attire (no sneakers, jeans, midriff showing or sleeveless), or we can wear coloured scrubs of our choice (sneakers here are ok).

I am going to go for the scrubs as i assume business attire is more expensive. Why would i want to wash that every night after i have lab or clinicals, and reduce its life.

I'm going to get light pink, lilac and orange scrubs. im so happy, i thought id be stuck wearing white.

Also, do you girls wear any thing underneath. Im thinking of getting a few fitted 3/4 sleeved shirts, as the scrub sleeves are baggy, and im not too good at maintaining armpit hair. Dont want any1 catching a glance at it.

lol. it is an anonymous forum.

crazyzanymad

Hi Jilaweez

Red and black sounds neat. i never even thought of mixing colours.

Aah..........the possibilities

CrazyZanyMad

Thanks, I think it sounds pretty neat too. It'll be fun to show school spirit, better than the all whites, but I'd wear whatever I had to to get through NS. At least it won't show every little stain!

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Specializes in Neuro.

Ours will be all black with a gold patch. Our school colors! Hot...but definitely better than all white, and everyone says that they are super comfy!!!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.

I know I'm in the minority but I think students should have a uniform. We wear a white uniform. It is very clear that we are not nurses. Now somebody may not know exactly what we are until we tell them but I think it's clear we are some type of student. When we walk into a room with a pt who had a student before they know exactly what we are.

I honestly believe that hospitals need to start differentiating nurses from nurse aids and unit clerks and students from nurses.

When I graduate the temptation to wear cute scrubs will be there but if I'm working with adults I will at the very least wear a white top. I plan to go pediatrics though. I haven't figured out what I'm going to do if I get lucky enough to go to the ped hospital here (have kids myself and might need to stay close to home the first couple of years). I think the cute scrubs are nice to wear around kids but again I think it's important for nurses to stand out. I will probably go with a cute top but a white bottom in that case but not sure.

I just think the RNs should be different then the LPNs who should be different then aids and clerks. I think it's important for the patients.

So I'm proud of my uniform.

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Specializes in Junior Year of BSN.
Cherish - do the guys have to wear caps too?

No the guys do not wear caps or dresses, :lol2: .

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I understand your concern SAH.

It is also possible that in final semester, the hospital where we do final clinical might stipulate a specific uniform/colour, but before then its what we want.

I have seen though, that most dont stipulate colur, and the nurses regardless of type wear whichever colour they choose. I personally prefer it that way, keeps us all as equals. If a patient does ask a CNA a question, that should be directed at the RN, the CNA can always direct the patient to the RN.

To distinguish us as students we wear a large name tag with our schools name and logo on it.

It works for us, or else the rules would have been changed.

Plus schools ( highschools or colleges) in Southern Ontario are not on the patriotic side like US, into school spirit and all that ( dont mean this to be negative or positive, just an observation).

Wearing school colours is completely unheard of.

Im quite happy with my coloured scrubs and large name tag

CrazyZanyMad

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I was horrified when I found out I had to wear all white scrubs for school clinicals, but I have to admit that I like it now. It feels very "nursey".;)

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.

I have seen though, that most dont stipulate colur, and the nurses regardless of type wear whichever colour they choose. I personally prefer it that way, keeps us all as equals. If a patient does ask a CNA a question, that should be directed at the RN, the CNA can always direct the patient to the RN.

Most don't...there's no doubt there.

I just see this as a patient thing. I have spent a fair amount of time in hospitals either as a patient or with children as the patient. I really didn't like people coming in the room and I have to ask them their position. I want you to come in the room and not only introduce yourself and your position but I want it to stand out...because sometimes you get an RN and CNA that look similar. So I'm looking at it from a patient viewpoint.

I could see being equal except we aren't equal. Somebody who graduates with their RN is equal socially with a CNA but not professionally.

I know a hospital here has been tossing around the idea of having the RN staff wear white. They already have the food service people in a specific scrub and the OR and ER and I believe maybe L&D. But they aren't separated by position...just by where they work. The RNs do have a red badge holder but not every RN has one.

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Specializes in Hemodialysis.

Not trying to sound too odd. But I have to wear all white scrubs, I just bought a pack of the mens a-shirt aka "wife-beater" (hate that term) and some briefs. I love the fit of the mens briefs and everything stays in place!

BTW, Yes I'm a female!

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SAH.

I never thought of it that way. as in the patient asking the nurse, Are you RN or LPN. Maybe it does make sense for LPNs and RNs to wear a different colour, when together on the same unit.

Where i live in Southern Ontario many hospitals have gone RN only, especially the teaching hospitals. As for those that do still hire RPNs (equivalent to your LPN), the RPNs only work on specific units.

Its a somewhat different culture i guess, and i think not assigning colours seems to work for us.

Akai. lol you made me laugh. my reason for wearing an undershirt is for it to also have long fitted sleeves, so my arm pits dont show, so no wife beaters for me. I own a lot of brief type underwear too. But i get the ones for girls. They are called hipsters.

lol

CrazyZanyMad

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Specializes in ICU, PACU, Cath Lab.

We had colored scrubs...they were this blue color...we looked like a big group of demented smurfs!!! We will be having a bon fire to take care of them after graduation....IN 10 days!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
SAH.

I never thought of it that way. as in the patient asking the nurse, Are you RN or LPN. Maybe it does make sense for LPNs and RNs to wear a different colour, when together on the same unit.

Where i live in Southern Ontario many hospitals have gone RN only, especially the teaching hospitals. As for those that do still hire RPNs (equivalent to your LPN), the RPNs only work on specific units.

Its a somewhat different culture i guess, and i think not assigning colours seems to work for us.

Yeah I'm totally looking at it from a patient point of view. The LPNs here can do a lot but they can't do everything. There are also some patients who are going to want to talk to their "real" nurse (and again this is based on stuff I hear from patients and see and I'm in no way saying an LPN isn't a real nurse). They want to know who is who because it can make a difference.

There are places here going RN only. I worked on a floor where the LPNs were told that they would be phased out. The LPNs were really upset. One said "if I can't beat them join them" and applied to school for her RN. Another just recently ask me about the program I'm in and asked if it was full. I took her to my instructor at the time who was on the admissions committee who told her it was full but apply anyway. There are jobs for LPNs but there are many places pushing for RN only.

Heck even if the RN and LPN were something the same...at the very least you should be able to know a nurse (RN or LPN) from an aid.

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hello

well i think each hospital should discuss it, and come up with a policy of thier own. Have a townhall with patients invited as well. Ask them what they would like as well.

And maybe with badges and stuff, they get lenient with staff, but not with students. We have to have our name tag on at all times. Im sure they will have a few temporary ones at the nursing station for those that forget. Therefore no one should have a problem differentiating us.

hey calla, smurf blue sounds yucky, not any better than white. I would get 50 different kinds if i could afford it, but i think ill stick to three. have to find three favorite ones. Will let you know the colours i get when i do

And congrats on graduating

CrazyZanyMad

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