Somehow, I am sure this is a topic that has been beaten to death, but I wanted to see what the opinions of y'all were.
I saw a member here propose in another thread that nurses go back to all white. I don't blame her for wanting it that way, we all have personal desires. Personally, I hate the prospect of being forced to wear all white.
How much? If my facility went all white, I would quit. If they told us we had 1 week, then they would get 1 week of notice from me. (I expect it would be longer, which I would prefer, as I consider 2 weeks notice to be just plain courtesy.)
What do y'all think? Would you go back to all white? Would you support, would you oppose? Why?
Specializes in A little of this & a little of that.
I would hate to return to all white. I worked in those days and the same people that look unprofessional now, did then. Whites that are dingy, stained, wrinkled, don't fit properly, etc look terrible! Regardless of what people wear, dress codes should be enforced! And what's with the manufacturers who make low rise scrubs abd crop tops? Regardless of color, it used to be safe to state in a dress code that apparel must be manufactured as uniform apparel. But you see the stuff they have in those catalogs nowadays, no way is some of that appropriate for work.
I also think it is important that hospitals take other departments out of scrubs. It's not so much "if nurses looked like nurses" but "if housekeepers looked like housekeepers" that would help the patients know who is who. I find patients, especially LTC and peds, really like seeing the nurses in different attractive uniforms.
Thank God, Infection Control won out over caps. I don't really mind when I have to wear white, but would hate to go back to those stupid caps!
I wouldn't quit my job over it but I certainly wouldn't be happy about it either. I had to wear all white in nursing school and I would just feel too student-like if I had to go back to that all over again. Plus there are all the other practical reasons others have mentioned against white.
I don't think hospitals are going to color coded uniforms because people come to work looking sloppy. It has nothing to do with that at all, in my opinion. Color coding does nothing to change a person's hygiene and presentation anyway. I think it's more a trend of the times. Back in the day, nurses wore all white, dresses and caps. That was the trend back then, color coding is the new trend for our day and age.
When I was in nursing school four or five years ago, all the area hospitals where we did clinicals were color coded. It was like a high school pep rally, everyone in their colors. I recall at one place nurses could wear either all white or white top with purple bottoms. I believe techs wore all purple and ancillary staff (radiology, respiratory, etc.) wore purple polos with khaki pants. I suppose it did look professional and made people easier to identify (as long as you know the coding system) but I've just gotten too used to my current hospital where we can wear whatever scrubs we choose. I like having that freedom.
I think the big RN on my name tag should say it all but honestly, many patients just aren't that observant. These are the same ones who certainly aren't going to figure out who I am by what color I'm wearing!
I think all those things come in all white too, unfortunately. I have no problem whatsover (and would even encourage) a stated dress code barring all of those things. It could even include a policy barring cartoon and animal print scrubs in non-pediatric areas, and T-shirts in place of scrub tops. Thing is, my hospital already has such a printed policy. Management just chooses not to enforce it.
We also happen to have a policy stating that staff is not allowed to be in the building "representing XYZ Hospital" for any reason wearing blue jeans. This includes coming in for workshops, lectures, classes, and meetings. It's not hard to follow, and I either wear scrubs or business casual whenever I have to come in. However, I do think it's odd that this policy is enforced for nurses' meetings, but I saw an MD, an NP (same practice), and a case worker all ROUNDING ON PATIENTS last Sunday in jeans - how's that for unprofessional? And no, these weren't emergent situations where the physician was called in on his day off.
If we'd enforce the existing dress codes across the boards, and if mgmt would actually have the you know whats to speak to an employee the FIRST time they come in looking like crap, we wouldn't be having a silly discussion about what color of unkempt uniform we should all have to wear every day.
I think clean matched scrubs, proper ID, clean nails, neat hair, less jewelry, clean shoes, etc...is just as professional as all white uniforms. My Mom said she remembers seeing nurses in white wearing printed underwear you could see through the pants. Stains on their whites. You can't afford to throw away a uniform you've only worn once or twice because you've got a stain. Scrubs are more comfortable for the nurse and tend to make the patients feel their nurse is more approachable and don't scare children.
Now making a come back with the cap. That may be a good idea. That was the classic image of the professional nurse.
Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.
I'm just not a white scrub kind of girl. When I had to wear them a few years ago, I was so nervous and probably looked stiff as a robot trying not to stain them. I happen to be the type that always touches, spills, sits on, rubs against, or otherwise totally mars an all white uniform.
Why is it that people think white makes everyone look professional? It is funny as I type this I am watching She-Devil on tv and Roseanne has on a white nurses uniform. But back to my point. It is the person. What about the person who may have on all white but a big ole coffee stain on the top or all wrinkled with purple polka dot underwear? I do not think that is professional. No matter what color you wear it is all about the person. You can look frumpy in color scrubs and frumpy in all white.
At my hospital we can wear navy blue or white pants and print or solid tops. Out of the thousands of nurses that work there I would say that 98% wear blue bottoms. Very seldom do you see anyone with all white on.
In LTC facility I work for anything goes in terms of colors, patterns, etc. As long as its a set of scrubs its is ok to wear. Problem is I see staff coming in with Sponge Bobsquarepants scrub tops, and things of that nature. In my opinion, that type doesn't belong in a place you are taking care of grown adult men and women, in peds sure, but not LTC. Anyway, back to your question
I wouldn't quit a job that turned to an all white policy.
In fact, although I am free to wear whatever color, I always wear white pants with a white lab coat, white Dansko's and my top tends to be white with a pastel design or border but the majority of the top would be considered white. its just my choice and my taste, but I don't fault others for not liking it.
I don't believe that wearing white will stop people from appearing unkempt and wrinkled. White becomes dingy and also wrinkles just like all uniforms/scrubs. I do believe that one of those biggest reasons that many facilities are pushing to go all white is because so many nurses look unprofessional at work. I'm sorry, but I don't want to see someone's bright pink thong or belly button ring. I don't believe artificial nails are appropriate either. Wearing all white won't solve any of this. But if everyone took the time to look professional, the all white issue would probably never have reared its ugly head.
We wear white to clinicals right now and I have to admit I was completely against it at first. I thought they were as ugly as ugly can be and I always worried someone could see my underwear.
My opinion changed when I actually went to the hospital. Patients seem to feel more comfortable when we look like we belong. They automatically assume we're nurses and constantly give us compliments on looking so professional.
Will I want to wear them everyday to work? I'm not so sure yet. But I definitely won't be wearing cartoon print on any floor but peds!
I have heard that there is an attraction for Navy "Whites", (I don't get it myself, green is more my colour). So my theory is that rather than white scrubs or other type of uniform, maybe I should get a Navy Officer style uniform......anything to make me look "hot".
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Thornbird
373 Posts
I would hate to return to all white. I worked in those days and the same people that look unprofessional now, did then. Whites that are dingy, stained, wrinkled, don't fit properly, etc look terrible! Regardless of what people wear, dress codes should be enforced! And what's with the manufacturers who make low rise scrubs abd crop tops? Regardless of color, it used to be safe to state in a dress code that apparel must be manufactured as uniform apparel. But you see the stuff they have in those catalogs nowadays, no way is some of that appropriate for work.
I also think it is important that hospitals take other departments out of scrubs. It's not so much "if nurses looked like nurses" but "if housekeepers looked like housekeepers" that would help the patients know who is who. I find patients, especially LTC and peds, really like seeing the nurses in different attractive uniforms.
Thank God, Infection Control won out over caps. I don't really mind when I have to wear white, but would hate to go back to those stupid caps!