Everyone knows that scrubs are the official “uniform” of nurses. But many healthcare organizations also have their own rules about who gets to wear which hue. These color-coding standards vary from hospital to hospital. Some employers have more than half a dozen different colors in their coding system.
Fortunately, most of the typically assigned shades are readily available. For example, ceil blue unisex tops and drawstring pants are a very common choice for hospital dress codes. Navy, white, burgundy and black are other typical options that you’ll never have trouble finding in stock.
Why the Code?
The goal of color coding is simple. It offers a sort of visual shorthand that lets you differentiate one specialty or department from another. On the surface, it seems like this would make it easier to figure out who’s supposed to be doing what.
However, this strategy doesn’t always work as planned. In the experience of nurses like Brenda Britt, color rules are restrictive and pointless: “Navy blue for nurses and green for nurses’ aides…it’s ugly! Everybody else gets to wear whatever colors they want. The patients still don’t know who the nurses are.” Kim Ostrander asks this question: “Do the patients know what the colors mean? Does the rest of your own hospital staff know the color code?” Too often, the answer seems to be no.
However, color coding can serve a useful function if everyone makes an effort to communicate effectively. Angel Kirkbride finds that adhering to the dress code at her hospital is actually helpful: “I think it’s important to stand out. Before, patients were confusing PCAs and nurses. Now, we inform them from the get-go that RNs wear navy and blue…and I don’t have to worry about deciding what to wear!” A bright blue top can be particularly eye-catching and feminine when it includes details like piped princess seams to show off curves.
Why Nurses Like Having Assigned Colors
As Kirkbride mentioned, taking the guesswork out of choosing daily work attire is one thing that many nurses like about dress codes that specify scrub colors. Nicole Bonney had this to say: “Solid colors make getting dressed so simple. Black is our color of choice—we got to take a poll!” The slimming effect of black scrubs is accentuated with features like back elastic that can give a square-neck top additional shaping at the waist.
Limiting choices can also make it less expensive to maintain a wardrobe. Amber Ammann likes the fact that her employer doesn’t have a dress code, but does point out that this freedom has a downside: “It is very expensive buying enough scrubs so it doesn’t look like you’re wearing the same clothes all the time.”
Some nurses are lucky to work for employers who supply and launder their employees’ scrubs—something that’s only possible if colors are standardized. Cindy Blanco Pacheco is fine with this approach: “I don’t care what I wear, so long as I don’t have to take all the germs home with me.”
Why Nurses Hate Color-Coded Scrubs
For every nurse who likes wearing only one color, there appear to be two more nurses who can’t stand it. Some object to the specific color they have to wear. Nurse Terry Farley complains, “Navy fades something AWFUL and no two pieces match each other!” Farley believes a switch to strict color coding from a more relaxed dress code can negatively affect morale as well.
Most individuals who work in facilities that allow staff to wear a wide variety of scrubs don’t see the point in color coding. Josie Hufhand echoes the opinion of many nurses with the following sentiment: “We get to wear whatever we want. I guess showing up for work is more important than what color you are wearing.” With nursing professionals in high demand and short supply, Hufhand definitely has a point!
If your employer enforces a color code for scrubs, what do you do to personalize your uniform? Do you accessorize with a vibrant undershirt to show a little pop of contrasting color in the V-neck of your scrubs? Or do you kick it up a notch by sporting a fashionable zebra print clog?
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There is a hospital in town that does that and I HATE it and wouldn’t work there for that reason. Number 1: I think it’s devisive for the staff. It’s bad for the whole “teamwork” spirit. Number 2: What ever happened to individuality? I don’t want to be just “Nurse number 301 in the black uniform” or whatever. I hate looking like everyone else!
Personalizing our color coded scrubs is not an option at my facilty. No piping or “bling” allowed. White or black undershirts only. Showes are about the only thing that hasn’t been very strictly limited.
I did a travel assignment at an NYU hospital where the nurses were required to wear white and the nurses aides wore maroon. I can’t tell you how many pt’s would say “oh I get 2 nurses today”!! Pls such an insult to nursing.
I work in nursing home and we are color coded. Nurses wear white tops, aids wear purple tops, kitchen wears black, maintainance wears red, housekeeping wears navy, therapy wears maroon. The facility provides us with tops that have the name of the facility embroidered on the top. There are several types of tops to choose from: scrub, Tshirt, sweat shirt, polo, etc. We do get to individualize be the type of bottom we wear. As long as the bottoms are khaki or brown in color, you can wear whatever style you want. A lot of us nurses wear capris or shorts because of the temp inside. I like the color coding because residents, and staff, can tell the departments apart. Not sure if I’d like it in the hospital setting, but I really like it in the long-term setting.
Isn’t it our ID badges and not what color we wear that tell patients who we are and what we do? Being forced and policed to look like every other nurse on the unit does drag morale down. We can look professional and express our individual style without being color coded. For those who think maintaining a wardrobe is expensive…being color coded is just as costly. But instead of a variety of cute scrubs, I am stuck with a closet full of the same drab uniform.
We just recently went to color coded scrubs at my hospital and although I don’t really like wearing the same color all the time it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. At least in my unit, NICU, we can wear print tops as long as it has the color of our pants in it. We are the only ones that can wear prints in the whole hospital. But I know that it really doesn’t make much difference in whether the pts know who’s who unless they look at our name badge. It’s not like there’s a sign up somewhere that tells them what the colors mean…
I did a travel assignment at an NYU hospital where the nurses were required to wear white and the nurses aides wore maroon. I can’t tell you how many pt’s would say “oh I get 2 nurses today”!! Pls such an insult to nursing.
I like color coded uniforms. It makes it much easier to know who is who. Of course, when each hospital has their own separate coding, it kind of defeats the point as blue can mean something else. Not to mention the shade of blue.
But its either color coding or going back to the days of all white uniforms including the dress and hat.
Hospitals need uniformity. I know too many patients who feel uncomfortable around someone who is not dressed for their profession.
If you don’t want to wear uniforms then go into private practice or just leave the profession. A hospital should never be a fashion show.
We have color codes for each department in our facility.
Nurses wear royal blue, xray hunter green, OR staff ceil blue, etc. No blinging allowed though. not allowed any contrast colors, threads or logos on the uniforms. Also if you wear an undershirt it has to be either white or the same color as your scrubs. May only have one pair of earrings for facial jewelry, although they do allow a nurse from India to wear a tiny rhinestone in her nose. They actually have in our dress code, that underwear must be worn. I have yet to see them check that one yet though. No artifical nails of any kind, real nails have to be less than 1/4 inch long and if you polish is chipped, you have to remove it. Dress code also forbids perfumes and colongnes, strong smelling hairsprays or deoderants, and you can be sent home if they can smell cigarette smoke on your clothing.
I have had many patients who come to the medical clinic I work in comment on how nice we look in yellow, blue, green, etc. I wonder what they will say when we will all be in royal blue as per corporate mandate. We will no longer be individuals. I think it’s a control issue by corporate and has nothing to do with how patients identify us.
I hate being limited to one color and no designs. We tell the patients who wears what color and also have the colored scrub tops on their info board with RN next to Navy and CNA next to Maroon. The patients still don’t know the difference and don’t really care as long as their light is answered promptly and they receive good care.
LPN
Licensed Practical Nurse
I have worked in a busy hopital that recently went to color coding the different levels of care. How nice it is to know who the RNs, LPNs, Techs, and Maint people are by the color of their uniform. The Doctors are no longer confused by the Tech wearing the fancy scrubs that looks like an RN. The delays in finding the RN, LPN, or Tech are reduced with color designations. However the color coding does affect individualism. Why are we there though? To show off designer scrubs? Or do we come to work looking for a new and exciting day of healthcare. The Pts really don’t care what color scrub we wear. All the patient wants is comfort and to be discharged as soon as possible.
The facility I work at is a rehab that focuses on physical, occupational therapy and nursing care. Next month we will be required to wear uniform colors per department. The only problem I have with this is that RNs and LPNs wear the same uniform as CNAs. In my opinion it is an insult to be lumped into the same category as unlicensed personnel. I’m sure its also confusing for staff and patients too. I’m sorry, but CNA and RN are not the same. This decision probably came from non-nursing management.
I have worked in a busy hopital that recently went to color coding the different levels of care. www jimmychoobagssales com