do we wear our white uniforms for pysch clinicals?

[starrys]

we wore our white uniforms for our clinicals. do we wear the uniforms for the psych clinicals as well? or business attire?

[virgo,student nurse, CNA]

Umm, no. We were told to wear regular clothes so we don't upset the patients, with all the white uniforms coming through the unit, for psych. Any other rotation we wear white uniforms.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Typically you don't wear scrubs to psych. They prefer staff dress in regular clothes.

[glencovediva]

we wore our white uniforms for our clinicals. do we wear the uniforms for the psych clinicals as well? or business attire?

I'm surprised your clinical instructor did not give you the dress code for psych. when I did my psych rotation, the instructor told us no uniforms, just street clothes.

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

Moved to General Nursing Student forum for more discussion.

[Clovery]

I just had to go buy a new (small) wardrobe for my psych rotation. We're not supposed to wear our uniforms - the letter we got says "look presentable in street clothes, no jeans, seductive attire, sandals, clogs or sneakers". So hopefully they like my plaid flannel shirts, courdory overalls, and combat boots.

Seriously, though, I bought some trouser pants, like I guess what most women wear to office jobs? and sweaters. I struggled with shoes, but found a pair of chunky mary janes I liked. It was hard for me because I'd wear jeans and a hoodie or t-shirt with flip flops or sneakers every day if I could. I very much look forward to wearing scrubs and crocs to work. We're also supposed to cover our last names on our name tags for our psych rotation. I start next week - kinda excited!

[NCRNMDM, ASN, RN]

We don't wear white scrubs, we wear ceil blue, but we can't wear them during psych. The instructors say that it stresses the psych patients out, or upsets them, to see people come in wearing scrubs. I'm not sure what the reasoning behind this is, and I don't understand it (frankly I think it's a little ridiculous) but when I have psych next semester I will just go with it.

[sandyfeet]

We wore "business casual". What was really stressed to us was that our clothing needed to remain appropriate even when we raised our arms, bent over, etc. We also couldn't wear anything with hanging strings (like a cloth belt on a sweater), jewelry, anything low cut. Very plain, non-attention-drawing clothing. I have never been to visit a prisoner in jail, but I dressed myself as if it was like that!

[Hygiene Queen]

We don't wear white scrubs, we wear ceil blue, but we can't wear them during psych. The instructors say that it stresses the psych patients out, or upsets them, to see people come in wearing scrubs. I'm not sure what the reasoning behind this is, and I don't understand it (frankly I think it's a little ridiculous) but when I have psych next semester I will just go with it.

This is B.S.

The nurses, PCT's and MHA's wear scrubs on our unit (geri-psych).

The nurse on the other units may opt for scrubs as well.

Never heard of a pt freaking out about it.

Just go with the flow, like you said.

[DoGoodThenGo]

We don't wear white scrubs, we wear ceil blue, but we can't wear them during psych. The instructors say that it stresses the psych patients out, or upsets them, to see people come in wearing scrubs. I'm not sure what the reasoning behind this is, and I don't understand it (frankly I think it's a little ridiculous) but when I have psych next semester I will just go with it.

Far back as the 1980's when I did my stint in a NP psych was the only clinical rotation student nurses from my program and most every other one heard of could go "out of uniform", and report in street clothes. At this time most all student nurses still wore uniforms with caps, so that's that.

IIRC the rationale is that all clothing can conjure associations (good or bad) in people and those in psych may have bad memories associated with nursing and or medical staff in whites or these days scrubs. You have only to look at old films or documentaries to understand why this could happen. Whenever something was *done* to a psych patient (treatments, electric shock theraphy, injections, physical restraints up to and including straight jackets, etc...) it was usually someone in whites (doctors, nurses, orderlies). These persons may not be in their right minds but they have enough basic instincts to associate whites/uniforms with unpleasantness and or pain thus begin defense mechanisms to cope with the *threat*.

Depending upon which *button* a staffer hits whilst in uniform the response from a patient can range from curling up in a ball to an aggressive and violent physical attack.

[Despareux]

No whites, no scrubs, business casual. At first I wasn't happy about having to buy a few mix and matches pieces just for that rotation, but now I'm happy I have them on hand for those "business causal" occasions.

[fltnrse2, ASN, RN]

We Worn street clothes. I assumed that all students in this rotation wear only street clothes. I

FLTNRSE