What do you wear at work?

Fiona59 · Jul 21, 2008

Up here in Capital Hell, it's pretty much our choice. Dresses with white hose and white shoes (no colour restriction on dress). Scrubs I have seen in every colour and print. Usually only OR, dialysis, and ortho techs in the cast room get hospital issue.

Footwear, closed heels and toes due to WCB regulations. People wear clogs but WCB can and will refuse injuries due to footwear.

Marks WorkWearHouse have good lines and the prices are good (check the sale rack $9.99 top or bottom). Army and Navy sell scrub pieces as well. The little specialty stores are a good source of different styles or prints but tend to be more $$.

If you see something you like in the States by it but the prices are often the same. Just the styles vary.

VPL, least of my worries. Most tops cover my backside but I'm short. Dresses you don't worry as most are so roomy you can hide a multitude of sins.

You need room for two pens, a stethescope, roll of tape, scissors, etc. I like to keep a small wallet on me (d/l and some cash for breaks)

I find that I need four pockets to work. That's why you see alot of people wear warm up jackets.

Fiona59 · Jul 21, 2008

Shoes are up to you. I've seen black shoes with dark pants, white or bone coloured with everything else. Some wear Nikes, others Nursemates. It's what your feet are comfortable in. Some of the Dr. Scholls are great, others are trash (but they seem to have disappeared from the shelves) Avoid the ones with the gel circle in the heel, they squish into lumps. Wallyworld sells them for around $45/pair.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jul 21, 2008

I wear white Ryka walking shoes. They're the most comfortable shoes I've ever had for work. Not grossly expensive either. I buy two pairs at a time.

Funny Fiona59 that you listed the areas at your hospital that will provide scrubs for staff... seems like at our place anybody with a hospital ID can wear them. Makes it really hard to know just who you're talking to sometimes: nurse, RT, nursing assistant, service attendant, physician, x-ray tech, housekeeping... I've seen 'em all in hospital-issue scrubs.

I wear my own clothes, usually a patterned top and dark pants. I have a selection of special-occasion tops and one red scrub top for Fridays. I get most of my scrubs at Mark's Work Wearhouse, and make good use of the discount they have for employees of Capital Health. I'm sure Calgary Health Region has the same arrangement.

Fiona59 · Jul 21, 2008

What?? We get a discount? Learn something new everyday.

Pretty much everybody gets hospital issue except staff nurses! We usually beg them from ICU when we've had spillage onto us. Lately, they are hard to come by and we've been told to try the OR or go downstairs? First off, we usually have bodily fluids on us, so going through the hospital isn't a great idea. Second we don't know where to go downstairs is and finally porters get them, so we've actually scrounged a pair from a porter when needed.

Hospital issue at my place is hard to get and once we get it we try and keep it in our bags for emergencies after we've washed and dried them, so we don't have to go scrounging.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jul 21, 2008

Heck yeah we get a discount! It's 10% off Dakota work pants and shirts, coveralls and overalls; DH and WR jackets; jeans; DH cotton twill pants, wovens, polos, sweatshirts and t-shirts; scrub tops and bottoms; thermal underwear; work gloves and socks and casual and CSA approved footwear. Check on your intranet site.

We have a scrubs PYXIS station. Authorization is through your program. Our UMs can sign for it, and then you're good to go. The people who set up access don't care who you are or what you do as long as you have that piece of paper... But the machine will only allow you to have two sets out at a time.

Fiona59 · Jul 21, 2008

aah, we no have pixi machines....or enough ivacs...or stafff...or parking....

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jul 21, 2008

aah, we no have pixi machines....or enough ivacs...or stafff...or parking....

We've only got the PYXIS... the rest we're scrounging for too. We've lost three parking lots to the LRT and the Edmonton Clinic. Where do they think we're going park now? At Foote Field?? But we're hijacking RGN1's thread here. We should start our own...

RGN1 · Jul 22, 2008

Hijack away - it's fascinating reading!!

loriangel14, RN · Jul 22, 2008

I am in Ontario, but I will chime in anyways. Where I work anything seems to go. Scrubs of any colour or design, scrub pants with t-shirts, nice track suits with a t-shirt, one gal wears pants and vest outfits that match with a t-shirt(AND long dangly earrings) and the charge nurse likes to wear capris to show off her nice tatts on her leg. Me I just stick with my scrub pants(usually navy or white) and a print top.I wear new balance running shoes. I wouls like to wear Crocs but i have foot problems so they kill my feet.

yoo jin · Jul 24, 2008

That really bad in your place of work? Hope it wont be my workplace when I get to AB.

Fiona59 · Jul 24, 2008

There ARE reasons people don't want to work here. There are a lot of nurses of both grades in this province who refuse to work in hospitals. I know four that I graduated with that left the profession completely (and that was within five years of graduation).

The grass isn't always greener on the other side.