Nursing uniforms and scrubs can come in all sorts of colors and prints. From flowers to cartoon characters, there is plenty of variety to choose from when it comes to nursing uniforms. Yet, before you go and select the one with the cute cartoon faces on them, you might want to see if the medical facility you’re working at is flexible with their uniform policy, and consider some of the pros and cons of printed nursing uniforms.
Some Pros of Printed Nursing Uniforms and Scrubs
Show of Personal Style
If you are a nurse that is a fan of a certain cartoon character or series, flaunting these styles will help you stand out and express your personality. When you get a chance to express your personal style in your workplace, it just makes you feel a bit better and makes the workday go by faster.
Connect with Your Patients
Depending on what type of medical facility you are working in, your printed scrubs may actually give you a chance to have a bit of a connection with your patients. For example, if you work in a pediatric area, pictures of funny or popular cartoon characters may give your patients something to smile or talk about. In an elderly care facility, prints of lovely flowers may connect with patients, prompting them to comment or give compliments about the nursing uniform you are wearing that day.
Hiding Stains
If you spill something on your scrubs, and you cannot change your scrub top immediately after any such accident, having a busy printed nursing uniform may hide the stain. The spillages are not quite as obvious as they would be on a solid color, especially a lighter one.
Some Cons of Printed Nursing Uniforms
Another Point about Stains
As mentioned before, depending on your print, you might be able to hide a stain from a spill that has happened on the job. While this may be pro on the looks department, it can also be a problem. If you spill something or get something on you and you are wearing a busy print, you may not be aware that your uniform has been contaminated with a hazardous substance resulting in pathogens that can be carried from one patient to another.
Creditability
The nursing uniform you choose to wear has no correlation to how much of a professional you are or how well you perform your duties. However, having said that, the perception of you might be as such depending on the print and where you are wearing it. For example, if you’re wearing cute cartoon faces but working a trauma unit, if may seem as if you are not that serious at your job, or that you are just a stand-in from a different facility or unit. Printed scrubs and uniforms can convey a casual sense rather than a strictly professional one. A study done in 2008 on Impact of nurses’ uniforms on patient and family perceptions of nurse professionalism, showed that “With aging, adults create perceptions of nurse professionalism based on uniform color and style” (Albert, Nancy & Wocial, Lucia & Meyer, Kathryn & Na, Jie & Trochelman, Kathleen. (2008). Impact of nurses’ uniforms on patient and family perceptions of nurse professionalism. Applied nursing research : ANR. 21. 181-90. 10.1016/j.apnr.2007.04.008.)
Matching Your Nursing Uniforms
Nurses, like anyone else, want to look their best at their profession. That includes matching their uniforms. If you have scrub tops in different prints or colors, you may have difficulty in pairing with other items such as jackets, pants, shoes, etc. The best way to avoid this issue is to keep your uniforms and clothing to one color palette.
Our Conclusion
In deciding whether to go with printed nursing uniforms should depend on a few factors. First, factor the dress code of the facility. If the medical facility is pretty flexible with what nursing uniforms you choose, then next should be the type of facility you will be working in and the type of patients you will be seeing. Prints can be a perfect choice to show your personal style and connect with patients in the right setting.
Bayshore Medical Supply here in Pasadena Tx has a large selection of printed nursing uniforms and scrubs to show your style. We have a large selection of nursing uniforms from several brands including Med Couture, Cherokee, and Sketchers. We stock all sizes from XXS to 5X and petite to tall. We serve the Pasadena, TX, and Southeast Houston medical community for over 20 years. Come visit us at 4205 Spencer Hwy Pasadena, TX 77504.
“Great friendly service, knowledgeable about the equipment and a well stocked store.” – Barry Skillern
