Nursing uniform policies have been changing over the past few years—causing some hapless nurses to fall through the cracks when it comes to scrubs style. Here are the top six gripes from nurses and nursing students about the goofier side of following dress codes.
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1. White scrubs with whatever underneath
Many hospitals and nursing schools require nurses to wear white scrub pants. Some nurses actually love this. However, no nurse loves seeing her coworker’s purple leopard-print undies barely disguised under her white pants. Hey administrators…how about providing nurses with the option of colored pants?
I remember seeing a young lady wearing white scrub pants on a cardiac unit with a patient on telemetry all things wearing underwear that read: JUICY and SLIPPERY WHEN WET. Talk about causing another heart attack or increased heart rates in patients rooms that have had cardiac issues or being monitored. This person was asked to come outside the room and was talked to about this. She had to change and apologized because she said she had just threw on a pair of white underwear and did not realize she grabbed the white pair with neon pink and green writing with the phrases mentioned above. She did laugh it off and said good thing she did not cause any heart attacks during her shift and was glad to have had someone bring it to her attention because she was really tired that morning and just threw a pair on thinking she grabbed her solids. Now what if a pt had a cardiac event and was questioned what events took place before your symptoms started? Or what were you doing when you started feeling symptoms??? That would have been an interesting story for sure…..Well I was watching the nurse empty my foley and when she bent down to….I seen the phrase……through her white scrub pants and well……that’s when I started feeling those heart palpatations and that’s all I remember….
There is also the problem of mandated hospital issue scrubs with ONE pocket. seriously? do i need to start wearing a fanny pack now?
All Black Scrubs for Peds RNs! We look like the “Black wall of death” !
That would at least match the “gothic” look of the adolescences…smile
I went 4 years to school & am required to wear navy (I work in a cancer center, can we pick something more cheerful?). The MAs and other staff can wear any scrubs they want. Shouldn’t it be the opposite? You should be able to tell I’m an RN by what I’m saying not what I’m wearing!! Sorry, touchy subject.
Wearing white nursing uniforms- not only dorky and ugly but very very hot in a state with HIGH TEMPS in the summer!!
In Nursing school We had to wear burgundy tops and white scrub pants. I hated it! Burgundy tops were fine. But I’m a dirt magnet and stains would jump out of nowhere and attack my pants!!! We took a vote for the following class. They were able to wear solid burgundy!!!
I worked at a facility that required color coded scrubs, badges,and our names and titles on our scrubs.
We had to wear sage green and white checked scrubs in school. It wasn’t so bad because we had the option of solid pants, but when we had to wear all checks, I felt like I had on jammies! The same goes when we had to wear solid tops and printed bottoms, except I felt like a chef! I wanted to burn them all by the end of school!
Just to let everyone know, we offer a heavier weight white fabric, which also happens to be 100% cotton, for just this reason. Seeing one co-worker’s red thong outlined in their lightweight white pants was enough. We make sure to keep this no-see-through white fabric in stock. Hope this helps those how are mandated to wear white scrub pants….
I am old school. In nursing school, white dress, white hose, white non-tennis shoes with a blue tunic covering the white dress or if you were lucky to own a second uniform white pants/shirt with a nurse cap. It should not be the hospital policy what colored panties one should wear, that is the individuals responsibility. Even with light ceil blue, I had a peer inform me the design showing through on pants.
I remember when nursing went from white to colors/prints. The patients like it but I do believe it helps to distinguish between disciplines with set colors. Once the patient is aware who is who it is great.
Although, I did a visitor back in the day when patients had to pay for the TV ask if I was the TV Hostess (one they paid) and I had my nurses cap on and simply stated no ma’am..
I wore that stupid cap for years~ It carried more germs than an TB ward. It would get tangled in my IV lines during trauma codes and every time I tried to lavage an OD, I would get charcoal dots from the patient’s emesis that went everywhere..PLEASE lets NEVER go back there!
One side note though..since I originally came from a school with no cap, I got to put whatever ribbon on it. We would change the ribbon with the holiday season. It made for some great looks on a crazy day!
@Sassy……….. When I did have to wear whites all the time, I bought the twill Docker white pants instead of the thin ones the uniform shop carried. Yes, they were twice a much but lasted longer and did not show through as bad.
All I’ve worn since I graduated is navy.
All navy, all the time. It gets really old. We can’t wear any type of pattern, just navy top and bottom.
While it makes getting dressed simple, its seriously boring after only a few months.
I have worked at the same hospital for 10 years and with the first 9 where you could wear what you want. I happen to like the tropical print, but not in bright orange as shown. They were tastful. Now this year we have gone to white tops and navy blue bottoms. Navy blue no problem, because that is all I wore, but white. Yike what a hard color to keep clean. Wearing two colors like these is no more excitng then wearing all blue. Plus patients miss the fun tops we used to wear, but I do agree cartoons do not belong in ICU.
the other thing about wearing white is not only trying to keep it clean but we have to sew our uniform patch on and they dont give them out for free
we can wear what we want for peds clinical so why not others?
White scrubs are so bland!
Color coding is ok, but when everyone down to housekeeping is wearing scrubs…i dont think so,
ID badges really are useful as long as the staff has it in a visible place..haha
they won’t let me wear a cap and skirt!
I should think that the type of scrubs you wear should matter LEAST in ICU: the patients aren’t going to see it and how about something slightly cheerful like flowers for the families. Wearing all black, grey, or blue makes people look like funeral attendants.
I wouldn’t mind wearign all grey, khaki, brown or military green because that’s all I wear anyway but if I have wear white I think I might make patients think a ghost had visited. White vampire skin, black hair and white scrubs = black and white photo come to life
Like anyone else going to work I like to look nice. I wear reasonable prints on my scrubs, no flourescents. Had a family member who was a patient with nurse who wore them and it was painful on the eyes to look at the flourescent scrubs. I will NEVER work anywhere that makes us where white again and forget caps. I am a professional, not a chamber maid.. White is a horrible color for a profession like ours, totally nonfunctional. I’m so tired of administrators thinking that sick patients have the energy to learn who wheres what colors. If we are introducing ourselves, wearing our ID’s and using dry erase boards where possible, then the patients are better able to know who their nurse is.
I don’t quite understand why cartoon or patterned scrubs should not be worn in the ICU. Does it mean you’re not as professional as the nurse who wears wrinkled, frayed-ankle solid scrubs? Do ICU patients not appreciate variety or individuality the way floor patients do?
The hospital in which I work has no specific dress code for nurses in terms of scrubs. Some of my colleagues wear solid T-shirts or polos with their scrub pants. I always wear scrubs on top and bottom, but mix prints and solids. I always feel that patients and colleagues receive me as professional.
About 2years ago the facility I work at decided the entire Health Care Campus will wear uniforms .These were chosen by Dept .heads Royal blue for the Nurses and purple for the CNA’S. We don’t even match .Besides these ugly things are universal fitting.Not appropriate for a small petite frame.Not to mention the Residents at our Facility commented often on colored printed tops.It was stimulating for them .Does it distinguish the nurse from CNA not at all.I make a point to introduce myself to my residents their families.I also identify myself on the phone. So they will know who they are speaking too .I agree with all previous .The same is boring ,ugly and costly.I miss my cute colorful (not neon) and fitting scrubs.
I loved wearing the tropical print scrub tops. I guess wearing them in a San Diego rehab center would seem appropriate attire. Very colorful and cheerful, what’s wrong with that? I agree that all black scrubs would be so depressing.
I remember, back in the 80′s, I worked in the hospital nursery. Required uniforms there were pink scub dresses supplied and laundered by the hospital (yuck!) I also worked evenings and so all of the longer length dresses had been picked over. I’m kind-of tall, so it was always almost impossible to bend over without a scene. So, I started wearing the doctors ceil blue scrub bottoms under my dress and started a new fad. I’m glad those days are gone!
Our employer finally did away with the all white uniform policy for nursing and HHA after 15 years. Shame it came too late when I am no longer in the field. Aside from having a time keeping them clean, white uniforms show everything including when someone miscalculates when its that time of the month. (not that I would know anything about that)
SOMEBODY did a study…Lord knows who…about what patients perceived about a nurse’s attire. Then, of course, my hospital started doing the color-coded thing. So we were banished from wearing print tops and now it is only navy or white, or combinations thereof, except we cannot wear white pants.(because of the underwear thing). PLEASE, the next one of you doing a master’s study, do one that comes to a different conclusion!! I beg you!!
LPN
Licensed Practical Nurse
the giant megalopolis health care system I work for is switching over to colors for each group. Nurses will wear navy blue, scrubs, jacket. No white, unless its a T shirt under the scrub top. CNAs will wear black pants with elderly friendly scrub tops. And we have to buy our own. Last place i worked where they were color specific, they bought us two pair a year. So I get to go buy two sets of scrubs, navy blue and a jacket. I have about ten pairs of scrubs, Cherokee with frogs,etc on them. Oh well. I guess I’ll have to buy them with the 1% raise i got this year.
LPN
Licensed Practical Nurse
I once worked with a tall, blond and beautiful CNA in long term care. She was/is really gorgeous. she wore her hip hugger white pants and bent over an elderly man’s shoes, leaving her bright red thong above her white pants. the old guy looked like he was going to have apoplexy! I talked to her out in the hall and mentioned that she shouldn’t wear that anymore, telling her what happened. To her credit, she started wearing much more modest scrubs.
Hip huggers with short scrub tops or t-shirts should be banned. I think the phrase is: “Say no to crack”!!
RN
Registered Nurse
When we went to all navy scrubs for RNs and tan for CNAs, I had several patients (especially elderly), tell me how much they missed seeing what each caregiver would be wearing each day. They told me the colorful prints brightened their day. And, no one bothered to educate them on the color codes.
RN
Registered Nurse
At my hospital, the nurses wear any scrubs that they want. Some even wear polo or t-shirts with scrub pants. The ICU wears blue scrubs. Techs wear turquoise. Housekeeping and transport wear specific colored uniforms but they dont resemble medical staff’s in any way. Food service wears black and white. Everyone is pretty easy to distinquish and Ive never been confused for anything but a nurse.
RN
Registered Nurse
At our facility they have taken the double ID a step further to triple ID. We have color coded scrubs, our name badge w/ title and degree (in most cases), a second name badge that faces the other way in case our lanyard flips over, and finally they have a large laminated card that has our job title on it as well (RN, CNA, MT, etc.) that extends below the name badge. Really? If they can’t read the reasonable size print on my name badge, hear me when I introduce myself or read the board in the pt room where it has my name under “your nurse” then they probably can’t read the really big RN extending from the badge either.
RN
Registered Nurse
After 4 knee surgeries over the past 4 years I can assure EVERYONE here that those of us with ‘challenged eyesight’ cannot read badges OR the sign on the wall, especially when we are ‘under the influence’ and not wearing our trifocals!
And, yes, I DID have to ask who was what because those damned ‘hanging badges’ NEVER seem to ‘face forward’!
Bring Back the Name Pins! -dark blue background with white letters if you please.
RN
Registered Nurse
When in Rome…
RN
Registered Nurse
Hello Granny RN.
I saw your post and wonder where you worked etc. I grew up in Rome,NY and worked at Rose Hosp from 6/75-1/79. This is my 1st time on this website, so am not sure you can access my profile, but, my name is Terri Cannan-Petty.
RN
Registered Nurse
What’s with only a pocket in top breast pocket and back of pants. When we bend over everything falls out of our breast pocket and when we finally sit our scissor stabs us in the backside. Our uniforms are provided by the hospital because we go into the L+D OR for c/s. etc. How expensive are 2 pockets in front and on lt. and rt. side I wonder?
At my hospital the RNs wear ceil blue and white, NCAs are burgundy, housekeeping in navy, lab in black and red (go figure…), respiratory in steel grey, transportation wears green and tan. it’s nice being color coded but i wish we could wear prints in our assigned colors. some departments can wear prints in their assigned colors but nursing staff have to wear solids. it gets kinda old wearing the same color over and over everyday.
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