I am a nursing student and during clinical rotations I can't help but cringe by the nurses wearing Betty Boop, Snoopy, Tinkerbell, and, worst of all, the nurse wearing the scrub pants with the word "NURSE" written across her behind.If we want to be treated like intelligent, competent professionals, shouldn't we dress like it? I have never seen a doctor wear a Mickey Mouse lab coat or bright pink shoes.
Why don't nurses dress for respect?
JoEllen
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March 18th, 2008 at 4:47 am
Ok, Disney scrubs are one thing… pants with the word “nurse” across the tush are completely different. I’ve found that I’ve been able to use my scrubs to help my patients relate to me.
While I see that I do get more respect with solid colors – white especially, my patients seem to be able to open up a little more to me when I have an interesting scrub top or jacket on because that top or jacket becomes a basis for some initial small talk.
My friends who are pediatric nurses will only wear character scrubs because most of the time it makes the child feel more comfortable with the nurse. Who could be cooler to a 10 year old boy than a nurse with a spiderman scrub top? Heck yeah, he’s more likely to let you come near him with that needle!
Personally, I think you should dress for the tone of your unit while still appearing as professional as possible. One should still keep in mind that the word “nurse” plastered on one’s behind is NEVER professional.
March 18th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
n00bienurse, it’s interesting that you say that you seem to get more respect when wearing solids, especially white. Anyone else feel that way?
Oh yeah, peds is different — I totally understand that. But I am on a GI med-surg floor where most of the patients are over 60 yrs old. Also, the PCTs, LPNs and RNs all dress the same — it’s hard to tell who’s who without trying to see the name badge.
I just sometimes think the nurses look absolutely ridiculous, but who knows, maybe in 5 years I will be decked out in Betty Boop scrubs and bright yellow shoes (ugh I hope not!)
March 19th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
I agree with you guys, clothing should be professional. In my time you wore a white uniform and professional shoes, however, the cap was not worn and nursing care coordinators worn street clothing with a lab coat. Slowly I saw scrubs creep in and now as you said “nurse” scrolled across the butt area. Clothing does matter, after all you don’t go to job interviews with shorts and a tee shirt, do you?
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I am not as strict as some who think all-white is the way to go, but I think that nurses can contribute a lot to their own success based on their professionalism. Like the previous poster said, you wouldn’t show up to a job interview like that. Why? Because you want to present the best image of yourself!
The hospital where I work is fairly strict but not overly so. We don’t have a uniform per se, but we all have to wear scrub uniforms (no khakis, sweatshirts, T-shirts…). This is a relatively new policy. In the past, nurses would come in with sweatshirts on w/ scrub pants that were too tight, etc.. and it was completely unprofessional.
Something to consider though – more and more institutions are reverting back to a uniformed system where all nurses wear one color, all RT where one color, all CNA’s wear one color, etc. It’ll be interesting to watch how it plays out.
April 4th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
I’m from northern NJ and around here, most the hospitals have the color coding thing. All RN’s wear one color, CNA’s wear another, etc.. I find it hilarious, though, because the patients still don’t know who is who! When a patient is in the hospital for 2-4 days, it’s a lot to try to remember your nurse’s name for the shift, nonetheless what color goes to what person. They still call everybody nurse or doctor.
Personally, I hate that in most places the nurse’s have to wear white. The ER that I work in has the nurse’s wear blue, and I think it’s a better idea. White gets stained too easily. Blue is more resilient.
April 4th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
And, about the character scrub tops, I find they help ease the mood a little for the patient. The ER I work in is VERY busy (we sometimes have 150+ patients at a time) and the patients become very anxious. I find that the patients find the character tops funny, and the top does sometimes help bring about conversation. It’s also become a way for my patients to call me. Instead of “Hey nurse!” they sometimes say “Hey Tink!” It may be silly, but I’ve gotten some good out of them
April 10th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
I too think it demeaning for nurses who take care of adult patients to wear Tinkerbell or butterfly uniforms. No attorney or banker would be caught dead in that sort of stuff.
There are uniforms that help us look very professional; solid black v-neck tops; black pants; it is possible to create a look similar to what would be found in a courtroom or an investment firm. I see this “sillyization” of nursing uniforms (and the fact that there are still nurses who would buy this stuff) as ongoing proof that we don’t see ourselves as professionals.
I’m glad you brought this up.
April 18th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
This is the kind of discussion which contributes to nurses lack of professionalism. The only things you should be thinking about a coworkers clothing is:
Is it clean?
Is it practical?
Does it maintain infection control?
It is job performance that makes us professionals, not solid colored uniforms.
Ask yourself:
Is this nurse punctual and prepared?
Does this nurse advocate successfully for their patients?
Does this nurse show skill, insight and an advanced level of nursing knowledge?
This horizontal violence of nurses judging each other on their clothing choices strikes me as VERY unprofessional.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:38 pm
I’m going to have to agree with those who thing the printed scrubs are a bit unprofessional. Of course as a male nurse I’m a bit more limited in my choices. Nevertheless, professionalism is both about your job performance and your appearance. Often the public will look at a professional’s dress to decide if he/she appears able to do the job. For instance, no one would hire a lawyer who is dressed like a tourist at Disney Land. Why should we expect the public to look at us as nurses with a different. For years nurses have fought the battle to be recognized as professionals and to be held to the same standard as doctors and lawyers.
Yes, in the end the patient’s opinion of our professionalism will be based on our job performance. But, initially we are going to be judged by our appearance whether we like it or not.
I disagree that this is horizontal violence. I think it’s a healthy debate among professionals about how we can improve the public opinon of nursing, as well as the opinion of the other professionals we work with.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:40 pm
I appologize for my spelling and syntax errors which I must admit are not very professional.
April 30th, 2008 at 12:38 am
Being a nurse who LOVEs wearing character scrubs, I disagree that it is unprofessional. It is fun and my patients love it and it make them smile, My older patients always start talk about remembering Betty Boop and it makes for a fun conversation and gives the patient something else to think about, instead of worrying about what is going on with them. My favorite is tinkerbell and my co-workers and patients call my Tink. I have been a nurse for 35 years and been through many of changes in nursing scrubs and I have not for one minute noticed that I was treated with any less respect for wearing my fun scrubs in a not so fun atmosphere.
July 17th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I am a new RN and I started working in a hospital that uses one color for RN and another for CNAs. I must admit I feel more professional in one color. We get to wear Christmas jackets 2 wks before the 25th and I really feels that it lifts the patient’s mood. I think that every profession has some indivudals that do not dress with respect. My advice: be an example. Dress professional and others will look up to you and model your behavior.
July 31st, 2008 at 10:38 pm
I am currently a CNA working while in nursing school. I personally have some solid and some print scrubs. Fortunately for me, I found the better option by looking at the comfort level of my charge nurses and other aids. I found that I personally like wearing a white warm up top or white lab coat, white scrub cargo pants or other white pants, and some kind of white t-shirt or colored t-shirt but usually a brighter color. I find that I look professional and clean at the same time. Plus, it teaches me to remain “cleaner” when I perform my tasks. I also wish that it was still a requirement because I find all solid colors that are just dark to be rather dull and upsetting.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Oh God, don’t get me started on print scrubs. How are we ever going to get taken seriously as a profession if we’re wearing ridiculous cartoon scrubs. My floor has a color-coded uniform, navy for RNs, light blue for techs, as well as other colors for ancillary staff, and I couldn’t be happier. Unless you’re a pediatric nurse I think nurses do a great disservice by dressing like huge kindergartners
August 5th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Dear Jessica,
I couldn’t agree with you more. Also, unless a patient can see, and read your name tag, they don’t know if they are being cared for or speaking to a nurse; they may ask, or give the wrong staff member pertinent information.
August 6th, 2008 at 1:11 am
give me a break guys… like i look professional in hospital issue scrubs that are 3 inches too short, with a gap on the side that you can see what colour and kind of underwear people are wearing, pockets that are ripped on one edge, that the top and the bottom are two different colours of blue (one faded and one not)… and when we have constant scrub supply issues and i have to wear unisex size medium and sometimes even large scrubs (being all of 125 pounds and needing extra small tops) i look retarded. Please explain how i look professional when I have to safety pin my scrubs together so people don’t look down the gaping whole of my scrub top.
I looked much more professional in my own scrubs even if i had Finding Nemo on them… and the elderly patients loved them!
August 6th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
I have to disagree about character scrubs being unprofessional. I think that as long as our attire is clean and wrinkle free then it is appropriate. In the facility I work in all nurses wear some sort of cartoon /colorful scrubs..It makes our patients happy and we always get comments on our scrubs by family members as well as our patients. As long as our persona and our skills show professionalism then thats what counts. I believe patients don’t really focus on what we wear as much as they focus on how they are cared for. I think colorful/cartoon scrubs give some stimulation and its less boring then wearing a single color…like someone else said it gives them something to talk and puts a smile on their faces..
August 6th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Being a very young Army nurse at the age of 23, I have a little different approach to how I wear my uniform. Since I am told exactly what to wear and when to wear it (whether its ACUs or navy blue scrubs), I jump at the chance to wear ANY type of print when I can! If I am doing a contract job on the side at a different hospital, i love the fact that i can wear whatever color or print that I want!
On the other hand, I have a very young face and a bubbly personality and have actually been carded by my patients… more than once! Wearing a uniform does make me look more professional and I feel I do receive a little more respect.
I also don’t think a uniform makes a nurse. We have a civilian male nurse that is 6’4″ and 280 lbs with long hair to his butt. He wears his strawberry shortcake or precious moments scrubs all the time and he is one of the best nurses in out entire hospital… and he is only an LPN.
BUT WHAT IT ALL COMES DOWN TO…If you were a patient and you coded, I’m pretty sure you wont care what scrubs your nurse is wearing, as long as they save your life!
August 6th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
I don’t think it’s what you wear but how you do your job. I am a senior nursing student who works full time as a PRN CNA, so I work in many different areas with many different people. I’ve seen some who look very professional, but act very inappropriately. And vice versa. Personally, I love wearing different types of scrubs. It gives us individuality. If i know i’m going to be on a ped’s floor or the nursery, I’ll wear something to that attire. If it’s in the prison hospital, i wear all solid. But again, it’s not what you wear, but how you do your job that counts.
September 6th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Speaking as someone who has been in and out of hospitals far too many times over the past few years (my wife gets horrible migraines; we know all of the E.R.’s in the area and she’s ended up hospitalized a couple of times), as a “customer” I’ve always judged the nurses I’ve interacted with based on their demeanor and their level of care.
I can’t think of a single instance where I thought less of a nurse because s/he was wearing some kind of patterned/cartoon scrubs. The times I had complaints, it was based on a lack of care, or a lack of empathy or just a downright lack of service. When you’re a patient or the family member of a patient, the clothing choices of your nurses is just about the last thing on your mind. What’s wrong? How are we treating it? Are we being treated respectfully? How much TLC are we getting? How scary is this situation really? Is the nurse reassuring and how helpful is s/he when the doctor is backed up and treatment/diagnosis is hours away?
Frankly, while I’m sure that there’s faction of nurses who FEEL more professional when they wear what amounts to a regulation uniform, the fact is that your patients are worried about THEMSELVES, not about your scrubs. All patients are different, of course, but I’d say that I’d feel more initial empathy with a nurse wearing a friendly cartoon scrub top than with a nurse wearing a cold, aloof uniform. I’m sure there are patients who have the opposite opinion – coldly professional looks make them feel like their being treated by professionals.
There’s probably no easy answer, but I feel safe in saying that no matter how professional a nurse looks, when you’re on the gurney, it’s the professionalism of the TREATMENT that you’re worried about, not how snappy a dresser the nurse is.
March 13th, 2013 at 7:56 pm
Nursing is a rough job… rewarding, interesting, but rough. Print scrub tops and silly scrub tops add a sense of humour, they’re a conversation piece, and they make the mood lighter in a place that can be unhappy due to what your patients are going through.
Also, print and cartoon scrub shirts make children feel at ease when having to work with them.
October 3rd, 2016 at 2:00 am
Sounds interesting.