Wearing white

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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.

Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.

I'm starting a new travel position - in the ED (yeah, that special place that we do on occasion give folks charcoal) where the nurses wear WHITE!

At first, I thought - no, everything sounds great but the white thing, nah...I'll just pass on the assignment. (But it is in the right place, for the right time, money):p But, maybe they are on to something. It is hard to "figure" who the nurse is...that would clear it up.

I've also noted when the any "color" rule is in effect, that some take great liberty with it...and a few look downright sloppy!

As to the optical issues with the size of the bum bum, I think my talent for "dribble" will curtail my eating to clear foods at work. :( Problem solved! :)

I will report back...maybe the "angels" in white will be treated as such???

Anyway, my mom was a nurse - I can remember her getting ready for work, crisp (always pressed) white uniforms, snow white polished shoes and well done hair/makeup. I thought she was beautiful! I bet her patients appreciated being cared for by someone that took care! :saint:

Hmmm...stay tuned!

PS. I have not gone too far over the deep end, I really don't expect any difference - save for the fact that I'll most likely be tossing many pieces that will become unwearable.

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I wear print scrub tops and not white for one simple reason.....I spill/dribble my coffee on the way to work. I like the look/idea of nurses wearing all white, but it is just not practical. Maybe I should consider a bib?

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I think I should consider a bib too! No doubt whenever I wear white I end up getting something on it. Whether it's coffee, a pen exploding, pasta sauce ~ anything.

I think I would feel too "uptight" in all white. Almost like always dressed up to the hilt with nylons and everything. Yes, but honestly, white does look professional and it does almost say nurse. However, I am most comfortable in my scrubs. They are always ironed and in no way sloppy.

My patients know who I am because I am always introducing myself. Also the PCAs are good at defining who they are and reminding them who their nurse is.

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I like the look/idea of nurses wearing all white, but it is just not practical.

The idea of nurses wearing white was not especially meant to be practical, but was a constant reminder back in the days before antibiotics that cleanliness was very, very important to the welfare of the patients and the nurses. Those old white uniforms were machine washable, could be bleached with chlorine, and had removable buttons for easy ironing. The heavy starch was used because it allowed many spills to be wiped off quickly before they sank into the cloth and to provide an opaque finish that did not allow the stitching on one's underwear to show through.

Scrubs were worn only in areas where uniforms were too impractical, and were not to be worn outside the area. This was to prevent infectious organisms being carried from one department to another, or out into the community, and cut down on the amount and variety of pathogens being carried into sensitive areas on street clothes.

As for those little white caps - everyone knew that only nurses were allowed to wear them in hospitals or nursing homes.

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No white. No way for me. I lived through the days of white turned yellow polyester pantsuits..YUK!!! You could not pick a worse look. Not to mention, I'd have to go buy a legion of white undies, unless I want to have my cute little hearts or fish peeking through those translucent white pants! Caps are not practical. I agree white was once all about cleanliness, but it is very difficult to keep it clean in today's environment. I think that scrub clothing which is neat, clean, and well-fitting looks great. I tell pt's I am their NURSE. I tell them Sally Sue is our tech, etc. I have been mistaken for a doctor on occasion, but I set them straight immediately. I don't get taken for housekeeping or dietary. You make the uniform. It doesn't make you! If you are neat and you have the professional manner, it is usually pretty clear that YOU are the nurse.

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Specializes in Home Health Care.

I love wearing white , it goes great with my complexion. :D

I carry around those little disposable "shout ", wipes so I never have to worry about stains.

Side note on the caps: I was trying my cap on for my pinning ceremony and my 10 year old daughter, said "mom, I've never seen a nurse before, you look like a real nurse from those movies on t.v!":chuckle .....I said thanks, and explained I'm still a student and won't be a real nurse until I pass a huge test.

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Specializes in Acute, Geriatrics.

Even though I am not a big fan of white I wear white pants, colored top and a white jacket. I want patients to know when I walk into a room that I am a nurse. Of course I was flabbergasted to see a CNA wearing white pants and adminstration didn't have a problem with her choice.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I was just at an interview yesterday at a LTC facility and I asked about thier dress code for nurse and she said there were only 2 colors we were NOT allowed to wear.....WHITE and the "surgical blue"!! I was stunned that they didn't allow white. They like to keep it "homey" and they feel some residents get fearful when someone in white approaches them.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, OB/GYN, L/D, NBN.

I have one white uniform that I will wear every once in a while. But, like many others have said, it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep clean. I end up with something black on it before I leave my house in the morning. I will, however, buy different color or print tops and wear white pants with them... But that is more for the sake of matching my clothes easily than anything. I do know how hard it is, though, for people to know who the nurse is... but that is why they could ask. I end up doing a lot of the ward secretary work (mostly because it ends up being me and another RN who can not operate the computer) and I have a lot of people who simply think I am the secretary. That is...until I come in the room and push something IV.. LOL!

However, I make rounds in the morning and introduce myself and that I am one of their nurses. No reason really for them not to know who I am. But I know people forget. I try to keep my badge turned around the right way.

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I have just switched to solids from using print tops. Our facility used to have a policy for nurses wearing white pants. The only reason I wouldn't like to wear all white is because of the trouble of keeping it clean throughout the shift and then because the materials scrubs are made out of are too thin and show underwear.

Reason for solids v. prints after giving a couple of tylenol and compazine to a patient a week ago she had a projectile vomiting episode and a small amount ended up on my scrub top. Didn't have a clean top in my bag so ended up wiping it off with water and alcohol and sanitizer, but couldn't really see where the vomit had gone as the top was so heavily printed.

She had norovirus (Norwalk virus) I got the Norwalk virus too. First thing I've ever picked up from a patient. I hope it's the last.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

I have had a white nursing cap on my head exactly one time in my life.

For my nursing school picture. :) Nope, they didn't even make us wear them for our pinning ceremony.

As far as wearing white... every once in a while I'll wear my white top, or every once in a while I'll wear a printed scrub top over white pants. But never an entire white outfit, ewww. Washes me out.

There's a nurse at work who has been a nurse about 30 years, and she will ONLY wear white. There's another nurse here at the hospital who also only wears white, but it's always a little white dress and she always just looks SO CUTE in her little white dress. :)

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At my hospital all PCA's have to wear dark teal. Nurses are required to wear white pants but can wear any top they want. The dietary, secretaries, etc. wear dk blue only. I think it works pretty well. We also have the dry-erase boards in the room where we keep the date and who the nurse and PCAs are.

We have a couple of girls that wear solid white sometimes. They look so good! But hats, no way.

K

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