While we were arguing; We disappeared

[Yep, Me]

Remember in the 70’s when we were arguing among ourselves about:

ADN vs BSN entry to practice? Caps or not? Whites: skirts or pants? White dresses? White polo shirts? Any color tops? White scrubs? Any color scrubs? Only nurses can wear white warm up jackets? Do I have to wear this cap? All floor nursing staff can wear scrubs?
Now we are unrecognizable to the general population.

But another bigger threat is raising its ugly head: Facility/employer mandated scrub colors per floor/department for everyone on duty!

Yes, every one from the RN supervisor to the CNA, ward clerk, etc wears the same colored scrub set. No patient or family can tell who is an RN & who is a respiratory tech or transportation or radiology!

Is this to “disguise the actual staffing ratio or RNs per patient?

Patients are in the hospital less than 4 days & ill don’t have the resources to learn what department wears what color scrubs!

Looking back: I think we shot ourselves in the foot.

How do you tell who is an RN in your facility?

Or can you tell?

[AlwaysLearning247, BSN]

At my hospital there are color coded scrubs for different job titles. Either way, I still don’t think the patients/families understand the difference most of the time.

[Lynker, LPN]

I honestly can't tell if anyone's anything at my first nursing job. I mistook a CNA for a nurse, a nurse for a CNA, an occupational therapist assistant as a nurse, and everything in between. Just have to ask and/or look at their name badge.

Makes me wonder what I look like to everyone, as a new LPN.

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

Read this

https://www.hellomynameis.org.uk/

[gere7404, BSN, RN]

We have big green RN badges for our nurses

[Quota, BSN, RN]

Color coded scrubs at my hospital, there is a basic guide posted in every pt’s room. Covers nurses, techs, respiratory, nutrition, secretaries, transport, radiology, food service, and probably a few others I’m forgetting. Some still have no idea but we aren’t trying to hide it from anyone.

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

Hospitals have everyone in white labs coats too, whether they are a provider or not. I remember walking past a patient’s room and seeing a person in a white lab coat, and thinking “Oh good, I know that patient wanted to speak with her doctor this morning.” The individual turned around and it was the registered dietician!

[Nunya, BSN]

On 11/7/2019 at 6:06 AM, Quota said:

Color coded scrubs at my hospital, there is a basic guide posted in every pt’s room. Covers nurses, techs, respiratory, nutrition, secretaries, transport, radiology, food service, and probably a few others I’m forgetting. Some still have no idea but we aren’t trying to hide it from anyone.

I don't think you should have to look at a piece of paper to differentiate between 8 different jobs (by your count). There was all sorts of info posted in my Mom's hospital room last week but it was across the room on just an 8x10 piece of paper, even I couldn't read it. I worked at a place where the staff had a piece of plastic under the hospital ID that was longer and in big letters it had RN, Tech, etc.

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

On 11/6/2019 at 9:35 PM, Yep, Me said:

How do you tell who is an RN in your facility?

RNs: Galaxy Blue scrubs plus RN placard under badge

PCAs: light grey

Ancillary staff (RT,OT, SLP, EEG, Radiology, Ultrasound, etc): dark gray plus corresponding title placard under badge

Housekeeping: Maroon

[lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN]

My hospital has different badges for each discipline. Unfortunately these are always turned around and the patients can’t see them anyway.

[caliotter3]

5 minutes ago, lovingtheunloved said:

My hospital has different badges for each discipline. Unfortunately these are always turned around and the patients can’t see them anyway.

The last time I was hospitalized, I noticed that the nurse who gave me crappy attention made sure her badge was turned around and she noticed me straining trying to see it too. The nursing assistants apparently had no need to position their badges turned around.

[lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN]

11 minutes ago, caliotter3 said:

The last time I was hospitalized, I noticed that the nurse who gave me crappy attention made sure her badge was turned around and she noticed me straining trying to see it too. The nursing assistants apparently had no need to position their badges turned around.

I can’t speak to that. Ours turn themselves around. You fix them, 5 minutes later they’re flipped again. May not have been intentional.