Wearing white

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Specializes in GERIATRICS, DEMENTIA CARE, MED-SURG.

Anyone choose to wear white as a way to differentiate from NAC's? I have been off on medical leave after a surgery. While in the hospital I had a hard time telling who was who (they all looked the same and it is impossible to read the print on the name tags)

I will be returning to work this month and am seriously considering wearing at least a white top to help patients tell the difference.

Any thoughts or comments are appreciated.

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Specializes in Long Term Care.

I am considering between solid colors and white. I love the print tops and the scrubs, but I think they leave a less than professional impression. So, I will be wearing at the least a solid color most likely either white or dark blue. If I can get that darn lil cap to stay on my head maybe that too.

I completely agree with trying to tell the nurses from everyone else. I want to be comfortable but not at the expense of being unprofessional.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Oh no white for me thank you...pain to clean, usually pretty sheer (I may look dull on the outside but my choice in undergarments is fun...no need for pts to see that!), and it makes me look so pale people ask me if I am sick! (and I say it adds 20 lbs to me too...LOL!!!!!).

Naaaaa, I use blue or purple solids (I call it my blueberry or grape umpaloompa day dependant), or I have gotten some same color prints that look very nice with my solid color coverup. I also wear a nursing apron with all my gear so no doubt I am an RN (my fellow nurses saw it, told the facility administration and now they are buying those for everyone! We love them!).

Whites..nope, glad to be out of those...and had a count down on my calendar in RN school to the day I never had to wear white again (heck, didn't even wear white in my wedding...LOL {shhhhhhh...considering I had a son already no one was too suprised I didn't wear white! LOL!}).

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Specializes in GERIATRICS, DEMENTIA CARE, MED-SURG.

Yeah I hear ya, but there is NO WAY I would wear a cap.......they have lots of comfortable looking white scrubs. I won't wear white pants either.........I think that's overkill.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

My hubby (paramedic) just told me that for nursing appreciation week a nursing home he went to to pick up a patient celebrated in white caps for the week! I guess the administration bought them all white caps as a gift...and the nurses thought it would be funny to wear them for that week (the caps were meant to be a memento).

Then it got fun! Nurses started wearing the white dress or with some...even older nursing uniforms they had (either themselves or some had some old old ones for halloween or relatives that were nurses)...I would have loved to see that!!!!!!!!

For fun..sure....all the time........no thanks! LOL! I tried to wear my cap once...bobby pins couldn't keep that sucker on my head and I about poked a few eyes out..LOL!

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Specializes in Progressive Care.

I am a nursing student in my senior year of getting my BSN. I have a hard time figuring out who the nurses are and who the PCAs or CNAs are. If I have a hard time, then I know the patients do. In fact, I have had patients tell me that they had no clue who there nurse was but there had been a lot of different people in to take care of them.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

It does not make any ounce of sense for ward secretaries, housekeepers, maintenance people, porters, and dietary staff to wear scrubs. If the person is not involved in patient care, they should not be allowed to wear scrubs. This is just my honest opinion.

I work at a facility where nurses wear blue scrub pants, aides wear maroon scrub pants, and other staff members wear scrubs but are excluded from wearing blue or maroon.

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Specializes in GERIATRICS, DEMENTIA CARE, MED-SURG.

Where I work (hospital) they just made the Unit secretarys start wearing scrubs............go figure.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.
I am a nursing student in my senior year of getting my BSN. I have a hard time figuring out who the nurses are and who the PCAs or CNAs are. If I have a hard time, then I know the patients do. In fact, I have had patients tell me that they had no clue who there nurse was but there had been a lot of different people in to take care of them.

Lesson for ya for the future! Many patients...especially ones with narcs on board or elderly won't know a nurse dress whites or not from a CNA or RT or Dietary or anything! They simply don't know, forget, or have meds that make them not realize!

It is your persona and professionalism..and telling the patient (sometimes ad nauseum) that you are their NURSE!

I started having people address me as "Nurse _____". That typically kept it in their minds! Lately my hospital has put in these dry erase boards that say the Date: Nurse: and CNA: and it is large enough for large lettering for those with vision probelms! Those have been wonderful!!!!!!!!!! But all in all being addressed as "nurse_____" seems to get more respect and people seem to remember better!!!!!!! (I tried this out for a few weeks after I had a rash of disrespectful pts who I made address me by my rank and last name....then I noted we have a few Sisters that are known by 'Sister _____" and it worked out so wonderfully!!!!!!! I adapted that, and so far so great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Specializes in Burn/Trauma PCU.
I also wear a nursing apron with all my gear so no doubt I am an RN (my fellow nurses saw it, told the facility administration and now they are buying those for everyone! We love them!).

That sounds awesome - where did you get a nursing apron?

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Specializes in Adult ER.

just my :twocents: i will never ever ever wear white scrubs again .... well ok i guess if its policy then yes but other wise no.

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Where I work (hospital) they just made the Unit secretarys start wearing scrubs............go figure.

I think facilities do this so it looks like there are a lot more nurses than there actually are on the unit.

Of course this can backfire when patients and their families see "nurses" sitting at the desk most of the day.

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