This thread is designed to explore why nursing professionals and other professionals wear white lab coats to work. As most of us know, medical doctors have had a long history of wearing white lab coats. We also see PAs and APRNs wearing white lab coats, which makes sense to me, given that mid-levels are quasi-colleagues of MDs and prescribers in their own right.
However, I have even seen nurse managers, nurse educators, case managers, and skin team nurses running around hospitals in those long white lab coats. Why? It has even gotten to the point where sometimes I'll walk onto a unit and there are more people wearing white lab coats than there are "normal employees." It's hardly even a status symbol anymore, certainly not when more people are wearing them in a given situation than not.
Some of you may disagree with this, but I think white lab coats are ugly as hell and that wearing one demonstrates an utter lack of style. It's become what people are wear when they can't figure out how to put together an impressive outfit. If I were a mid-level practitioner, I wouldn't EVER wear a white lab coat if I could help it. I'd rather wear well-fitted, professional clothing.
Besides having no style, there are other downsides to wearing those long white lab coats. For one thing, they show everything. I can't even begin to count how many times I've seen people in those coats with black pen marks all over. That's professional looking. Or how about when people drape their lab coats over the backs of swivel chairs? Someone then sits down and starts idly rolling their chair around while the bottom of the person's lab coat drags along a nice gritty, dirty floor. Then they can come back and put on their nice, gritty, dirty lab coat. Ewwwwww.
Alternatively, someone will sit down in a chair with the lab coat still on and it gets all scrunched up under their buttocks. Have you ever noticed how EXTREMELY wrinkled those long white lab coats are in the back? Bingo. That's why. Just look around next time you're at work. The backs of everyone's lab coats are wrinkled and it looks terrible.
So... what is the point of them? If you wear one of these white coats, what is the purpose? Do you like how it looks? Is there some amazing utility to these coats than isn't afforded by normal clothing? Okay -- they have a lot of pockets. I can see the benefit of those pockets if you're working in a lab or are carrying a lot of instruments. However, if you're a paper pusher like a case manager or a unit manager, then what are all the pockets for? What am I missing here?
I feel that white lab coats show professionalism of non-direct care providing professionals. I know plenty of NP's and PA's that wear them, as well as some nursing supervisors. I've never seen a white lab coat worn by a staff nurse. I even know an NP (DNP) that keeps one in the hospitalist office just to put on when he has to attend meetings and/or meet with families. I think it shows class, professionalism and a general understanding that these white lab coat wearing professionals are educated beyond a staff nurse- just my opinion, and what I've seen at the facilities I work at. I think they look nice and respectable (unless they're dingy/not ironed/dirty).
This thread is designed to explore why nursing professionals and other professionals wear white lab coats to work.
Why do I wear it? Because I'm required to wear one everytime I leave the OR suites where I work (anesthesia). It's simply a barrier to help keep my scrubs reasonably clean. They aren't allowed in direct patient care since the long sleeves are a possible vector for nasty stuff.
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Some of you may disagree with this, but I think white lab coats are ugly as hell and that wearing one demonstrates an utter lack of style.
I haven't really given it much thought. Work isn't a fashion contest. As long as it's comfortable and clean, I'm content.
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If I were a mid-level practitioner, I wouldn't EVER wear a white lab coat if I could help it. I'd rather wear well-fitted, professional clothing.
This simply isn't allowed in any hospital in my country. Everybody who works close to patients, regardless of profession, wears hospital-laundered scrubs (and white coats in some cases).
Working in an elem school, I keep a white lab jacket for days I don't wear scrubs. I just think it makes a more professional impression when I meet with parents if not in scrubs. Of course I do sometimes participate in the fun days with the kids and teachers, hat day, crazy hair day, wacky socks, etc., I just try not to have parent meetings on those days.
This simply isn't allowed in any hospital in my country. Everybody, regardless of profession, wears hospital-laundered scrubs (and white coats in some cases).
Here it's not that way. People who wear street clothes rather than scrubs while going about their job will often wear the white lab coats. Possibly to protect their clothing, but also perhaps to signify that they are on the health care team even though they are not providing direct patient care. Just one example would be the Nurse Practitioner who works primarily at the MD's office, but does do rounds for the physician occasionally or even regularly.
Here it's not that way. People who wear street clothes rather than scrubs while going about their job will often wear the white lab coats. Possibly to protect their clothing, but also perhaps to signify that they are on the health care team even though they are not providing direct patient care. Just one example would be the Nurse Practitioner who works primarily at the MD's office, but does do rounds for the physician occasionally or even regularly.
Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.
RNdynamic said:
How did you derive that "expectation" that you'd wear a white coat? Did it say in your job description "Expectation: the employee will wear a long white loab coat each they are scheduled to work?" Or did someone tell you they expected it? Or did your peers wear white lab coats, and you took a nod from them?
RNtoACGNP
48 Posts
I feel that white lab coats show professionalism of non-direct care providing professionals. I know plenty of NP's and PA's that wear them, as well as some nursing supervisors. I've never seen a white lab coat worn by a staff nurse. I even know an NP (DNP) that keeps one in the hospitalist office just to put on when he has to attend meetings and/or meet with families. I think it shows class, professionalism and a general understanding that these white lab coat wearing professionals are educated beyond a staff nurse- just my opinion, and what I've seen at the facilities I work at. I think they look nice and respectable (unless they're dingy/not ironed/dirty).