Poll: Uniform Policy

[deespoohbear]

Our hospital just recently made all clinical personel go to navy scrubs with white jackets. This includes nurses, CNAs, respiratory, lab, PT, etc. We hate it. We were told by the powers to be that it "would make us look more professional." Ha. Since this new uniform policy went into effect 9 months ago (along with some other new rules), our Press Ganey scores have gone down considerably. Administration is shaking their heads trying to figure out why scores have gone down. We told that a strict uniform policy doesn't necessarily equate professionalism. They still don't get it.

I definitely don't want all white. Our DON talked about that when they were going to change the uniform policy, and the nurses pretty much told her that would we quit en masse if she insisted on that. She backed down pretty quick.

I think the idea of khaki pants and a polo shirt are more "professional" looking than "pajamas" but I can live with the scrubs as long as they are not white.

[faviola]

Ever since I got out of nursing school the one thing i looked forward to was getting rid of the white scrubs. I had no idea that this was an issue in hospitals. I do agree that nurses should be able to show their individuality through the type of scrubs that they wear. Maybe you should try gettin a petition started and see how other nurses feel around your hospital.

[maggiedanurse]

you get another job. i did. there was no way anyone was going to take my individuality from me or make me wear something they wanted me to wear. that stems from control issues and i don't need to be around people who have issues. my gosh just think keeping my individual look, with more pay and better benefits.

[cougarnurse]

I have quite a few white scrubs.....if they get gunked up, they can be bleached. Yes, I have other colours, too; I love the landau pants with the 'scrunched' cuffs (I hate having to hem...too busy to do that, for one). As long as the dang things are clean, etc....no real set policy.

[The unexplainable Moo Cow]

Wow! This post is over a year old and some people are still responding. So here I go...

The policy of my hospital is navy blue for RNs, burgondy (sp?) for PCTs, NTs, LPNs. Respiratory, PT/OT, ect, all have their own uniform colors.

I believe here in Michigan all the hospitals (at least in metro Detroit) are stipulating navy blue scrubs for the RNs. There are a few hospitals where it is hard to "convert" their RNs from wearing any color scrubs to the navy blue. Perhaps these RNs would be benefited if they received coupons or rebates from their employer to get them started.

Personally I think the stipulation on color is a good idea. That way the patients and other staff can identify a nurse immediately out of all the other disciplines working in the hospital.

But I'm sure some people have a differernt opinion than mine.

[Ricu]

Wow! This post is over a year old and some people are still responding. So here I go...

The policy of my hospital is navy blue for RNs, burgondy (sp?) for PCTs, NTs, LPNs. Respiratory, PT/OT, ect, all have their own uniform colors.

I believe here in Michigan all the hospitals (at least in metro Detroit) are stipulating navy blue scrubs for the RNs. There are a few hospitals where it is hard to "convert" their RNs from wearing any color scrubs to the navy blue. Perhaps these RNs would be benefited if they received coupons or rebates from their employer to get them started.

Personally I think the stipulation on color is a good idea. That way the patients and other staff can identify a nurse immediately out of all the other disciplines working in the hospital.

But I'm sure some people have a differernt opinion than mine.

Hi again, Moo,

I agree with you that patients need to be able to differentiate who is who. I don't think color matters but I agree that institutions need to make uniform consistent throughout the facility. Finally, I don't think there is a substitute for a name badge with the photo and credentials of the owner. Patients and family deserve to be able to identify facility staff; not to mention how it simplifies staff identifying each other.

R

[canrunner05]

Our hospital has gone to a uniform policy also. Most of the RNs and the LVNs hate it. As RNs we "get" to wear army green and a couple of various shades and the LVNs wear khaki. We went to this policy because the MDs and administration decided we needed more uniformity throughout the hospital and because nobody could tell who was who, even though we have name badges with our name and titles in BOLD BLACK letters. But, at least it is not just the nursing staff, this was hospital wide, even the clinical managers have to wear the same colors.

[amytrav]

The facility I'm currently contracted in allows staff to wear any color except all black. I keep some solid white on hand because I'm a traveler and some facilites require nurses to wear white, but I haven't run across that in a while.

[LTC LPN 2006]

With no rules on uniform colors in the nursing home I work at I find that no one can tell a nurse from a CNA from a housekeeper. While I don't feel nurses should have to wear ALL white, I do feel that no other department should be allowed to wear white. The other day I had a CNA wearing a white jacket over her scrub top and to me she looked like a nurse. Most days I wear white pants and a print top that either has a white background or white in the pattern. But that is just my personal preference. To me white = nurse and I'm a new nurse and take a little bit of pride in wanting to look like a nurse... just not completely in white!

[Mom-n-More]

I wear white pants sometimes, but I hate that they tend to get dirty. Also, I don't like having to remember to wear white underwear. I work in pediatrics, where we are encouraged to wear bright, child-friendly scrubs. The rest of my hospital is pretty conservative. I would love to see the hospital provide us with scrubs of their color choice and we could just change as necessary. As a matter of fact, as I type this, I am sitting at work at the end of my shift wearing hospital issued ceil blue scrubs because a 2 month old barfed all over me at the beginning of my shift. Now I have to go home and do that laundry, which is gross to me. I would love to be able to throw my scrubs into a linen bag at the end of the day and walk out wearing my jeans. Some of the nurses in my hospital, mostly ICU nurses, wear all white. I think if I were to work with adults I wouldn't wear the scrubs I wear now because I would never be able to tell someone their mother or father has passed on and do it wearing scrubs with Snoopy or Strawberry Shortcake on them. It would seem like I wasn't being serious during a very serious time. I think nurses need to distinguish themselves from the PCTs, RTs, and other staff though. It must be so confusing for patients to see so many people in scrubs and not know who is a nurse and who isn't. If the traditional white uniform isn't going to be used anymore, then nurses as a profession should come up with a new "universal look" to distinguish ourselves. Nowdays everyone wears scrubs, even the ladies who come to clean my house!