Articlesmart | Nursing Uniforms Versus Street Clothes

Nursing Uniforms Versus Street Clothes

By: Sally Ryan

Historically, nurses have maintained a distinctive profiles in the hospital because of the uniform that they wore. The uniform has always been a symbol of knowledge. A badge, if you will, that says “I graduated from nursing training and I have the knowledge to give you quality patient care that will help you get well”. The traditional starched white nursing dress, stiff nursing cap, polished Clinic shoes and doctors lab coat represented cleanliness. It was easy to see that those pristine white uniforms didn’t contain any dirt or germs that would hinder healing. But was that true?

Although health care professionals like nurses have taken increasingly stringent care to prevent the spread of germs, especially with the advent of particularly virulent bugs like MRSA, it’s often a losing battle especially because clothing can harbor germs hand washing and other protective measures simply can’t take care of. And that perhaps, is the most compelling argument for wearing uniforms. The separation of the uniform wardrobe from the street clothes wardrobe is vital in today’s hospital environment. With new strains of bacteria being discovered with increasing regularity, the medical community is under the gun to continually update its stock of antibiotics to control these new strains.

Wearing street clothes (and this includes the ever popular and comfortable knit tops and tees that nurses wear with their uniform pants) to work in a health care facility exposes the health care workers family to the various contaminants that accumulate on clothing worn while performing patient care. Few, if any, nurses go home and change out of that knit top before picking up or hugging their child. Many nurses will rush from work to watch their child play soccer after school, exposing other mothers and children to potentially virulent germs.

Most infection control experts would agree that nursing uniforms should be worn to perform patient care and should be taken off at the end of the day before leaving the workplace. Uniforms should be laundered separately from the household laundry. Nursing shoes worn in a healthcare facility should be changed at the end of the work period before leaving for home. Nursing shoes should never be worn at home, spreading germs and bacteria on home carpet and flooring where children play,

The advent of antimicrobial fabrics and their use in the manufacture of uniform scrubs is helping to contain the spread of germs. The uniform scrub market has grown from strictly unisex scrubs in green and blue. Manufacturers such as Cherokee Scrubs and Dickies Scrubs have introduced a variety of figure flattering styles for every taste and shape. These scrubs are breathable, as well as lightweight, durable, and easy to launder. These garments are comfortable to wear and inexpensive to purchase. Because nurses and doctors often have long shifts, it is more convenient and comfortable to wear scrubs for long periods than street clothes

Shopping for uniform scrubs is easy as they are available at your local uniform outlet or online at a one-stop shopping website. . There is an enormous selection of top quality major brand scrubs for discount prices available online. Uniform scrubs come in a rainbow of colors, fashion prints for tops, and a size range of XS to 5XL. You can find all name brand scrubs online, eliminating the need to visit the local uniform outlet only to find that they are out of your size of your favorite Cherokee scrub pants. Check your online retailer, as many offer free shipping. Buying work clothes has never been easier.

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