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?
Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.
I wore a royal blue lab quote when in clinicals with my students. They wore royal blue scrubs.
JBudd said:
Agree with the teaching, there really aren't many lab coats in my hospital but the students could always find their instructor in the lab coat. It also gave me a place to put my hands because I am always tempted to reach in and show how it is "supposed to be done", lol.
There was a brief period when our school tried to make all of us use lab coats when in the nursing labs, but it was way too hot to be bearable.
Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.
I wear one sometimes, especially when I meet with authorities who EXPECT that I, as an American health professional would wear one. That's what their medical professionals wear, so out of respect for them I do. Otherwise, it's street clothes.
Specializes in Tele, Interventional Pain Management, OR.
OP, just stop! Seriously. Why the focus on appearances? Other readers--refer to this person's previous odd posts for reference.
I don't see how flowing hair or well-oiled hair (not even sure what that means) or white coats matter in nursing. Have one or all of these things, or don't. Cool!
As nurses, as long as we're bathed and following our facility's dress code--who cares? We have an important job to do, so let's just do it and move on. Some nurses are required to wear white coats, some aren't.
While the majority of my patients are at a facility, I am not an employee of that facility.
I wear comfortable street clothes (because sometimes I assist with patient care and need to be able to bend and stretch), mainly to differentiate myself from the facility nurses.
I also wear a lab coat because I spend most of my time on a memory care unit, most of the residents are very friendly and like to hug, and I'm just never quite sure where their hands have been. It's a more subtle barrier than a hazmat suit lol.
OP, just stop! Seriously. Why the focus on appearances? Other readers--refer to this person's previous odd posts for reference.
I don't see how flowing hair or well-oiled hair (not even sure what that means) or white coats matter in nursing. Have one or all of these things, or don't. Cool!
As nurses, as long as we're bathed and following our facility's dress code--who cares? We have an important job to do, so let's just do it and move on. Some nurses are required to wear white coats, some aren't.
And it's all okay
No!! He can't go away. He's our best free entertainment lol.
Most of us stopped taking him seriously a long time ago.
Here, have some popcorn; just pass it around and enjoy the show.
Well-oiled hair is when you have hair that is coated with a good balance of the natural oils that are produced by your skin, or is augmented with the right amount of artificial oil. It means your hair isn't frizzy and dried out, but also not wet. Well-oiled hair is shiny, but not greasy.
Specializes in Tele, Interventional Pain Management, OR.
Jensmom7 said:
No!! He can't go away. He's our best free entertainment lol.
Most of us stopped taking him seriously a long time ago.
Here, have some popcorn; just pass it around and enjoy the show. [emoji41]
Haha, you and Farawyn are so right!
Saturday night entertainment is key...and I sure do love popcorn...I guess I'm caught up in a new grad-ish "everything is so serious" mindset. Should learn to embrace the superfluity when it presents itself...
Saturday night entertainment is key...and I sure do love popcorn...I guess I'm caught up in a new grad-ish "everything is so serious" mindset. Should learn to embrace the superfluity when it presents itself...
Whispera, MSN, RN
3,458 Posts
I wore a royal blue lab quote when in clinicals with my students. They wore royal blue scrubs.