I have seen many threads regarding nursing uniforms and also many comments about how when everyone wears scrubs it can be difficult to know who is who.
Once I saw a comment or two, within these discussions on uniforms and such, about not dressing in a way that is not representative of ones title. So, what is considered traditional or appropriate dress for nurses, doctors, PT, OT, RT, etc. ?
I know that traditionally, nurses wore white and that now most nurses working in bedside care wear scrubs. But what would constitute misrepresentation?
For example, I an a unit volunteer at our hospital and we have to wear a polo shirt with the hospital logo, khaki pants/slacks, and our name badge (sometimes people/patients think I'm in administration or something and ask questions that are impossible for me to answer! ) Anyway, one day on a shift I met a nurse who was from another floor. She was wearing "tailored" scrubs (in that they really didn't look like scrubs at all, but I have no other way of describing her outfit) and a long white lab coat. I may be wrong, but I though only MDs (DOs), could wear a long coat? In fact, I thought she was a physician, or NP, or some other APRN, but when I saw her name badge it just said RN (as did the lab coat!)
On the other hand, once as I was passing a meal tray to a patient (who was post-op), she asked me when she could get another dose of her pain meds. I told her that I would find ner nurse for her and relay the message. I was new to the floor and say a woman outside her room charting on the computer. She was wearing regular scrubs (not OR scrubs), so I assumed she was a nurse (name badge was turned over/obscured). Turns out she was the patient's PCP. :imbar
I thought it was very interesting and wondered if anyone had any comments. What do YOU consider appropriate?
