Choosing a career in nursing can be one of the most rewarding career choices you can make. That makes graduating from nursing school even more exciting! As you prepare for your first nursing job, one of the things you will need to get is your first set of nursing scrubs that you will be using for your first job. Nursing scrubs can come in all kinds of fits, color patterns, and designs. There are so many choices it can be overwhelming! Here at Bayshore Medical Supply, we work with all kinds of nurses in helping them get their nursing scrubs here in the Pasadena, TX area. Based on that experience of helping hundreds of nurses, here are some tips on buying your first set of nursing uniforms and scrubs.
Employer Dress Code.
One of the quickest ways to narrow down your choices is to look up your new employer’s dress code. It is possible that your employer allows only certain colors, fabrics, and styles, or requires you to dress according to your medical specialty. For example, E.R. nurses in some hospitals wear a royal or deep blue. In other clinics and hospitals, nurses working in the cardiology department wear surgical green scrubs.
You will also want to check if there is a separate dress code for different nursing levels as well. In some hospitals, practicing nurses, certified nurse’s assistants, and RN all have different colors to show their levels.
Pockets, Pockets, Pockets.
We can’t stress enough that pockets are essential to nurses. As a nurse, you will be keeping a number of keep a number of things in them, stethoscopes, prescriptions, test results, alcohol pads, scissors, and more. It is recommended to choose scrubs that have easy-to-use, large pockets in both the tops and the pants.
Quality Scrubs.
Buying your first set of nursing scrubs is an investment. For nurses, their scrubs directly affect their performance. With this in mind, while shopping at places like Walmart are good for some things, it’s not a good place to get your nursing scrubs. Many budget scrubs fade and frazzle in the wash. Budget nurses’ scrubs also tend to come out of the wash covered in lint. This is something you don’t want to deal with when you are trying to be on time at your first nursing job. Medical supply stores like Bayshore Medical Supply, carry quality name brand medical scrubs at reasonable prices. Good quality nursing scrubs are fade-resistant and last longer.
Buy Enough Nursing Scrubs.
You should be wearing a fresh set of nursing scrubs each shift, and nurses get all kinds of things on their uniforms. So, unless you want to wash your scrubs before each shift, you are going to want to get several pairs. This way, you can wear clean scrubs for each shift, without having to re-wash the same pair each time.
Comfort Makes All the Difference.
When looking to purchase your first set of nursing scrubs, keep in mind you are going to be spending hours in your scrubs, so you are going to want to be comfortable in them. Nursing scrubs can come in a variety of fabrics. This can include cotton, breathable cotton, cotton with lycra, linen, polyester blends, and more. You will want scrubs that allow your body to breathe throughout your long workday. That is why there are nursing scrubs that are designed to fit different body types. Here at Bayshore Medical Supply in Pasadena TX, we have dressing rooms where you can try on a scrub before you buy it. When you try on your potential nursing scrubs, bend, stretch, and walk a few steps to see and feel how comfortable they are. Scrubs made from 100% breathable cotton tend to be comfortable. Polyester blends can also be comfortable without the high maintenance. There are also scrubs with spandex or lycra in them for extra stretch and flexibility.
Projected Image and Looks.
In the end, with the acceptable choices you have, you want to choose scrubs that look good on you. Solid dark colors are slimming while pastel colors tend to exaggerate curves. There are scrubs with different necklines, sleeve cuts, and designs to accentuate one part of the body or another. If you are short, opt for styles that elongate your body, such as straight-cut long tops that hit you below the hip. V-necks can also elongate the appearance of the neck. Remember that if you can, try on your potential scrubs to see how they look on you, not just the mannequin or picture on the package. And while you want to pick a nursing scrub that looks good on you, do not forget that you will be projecting an image to your patients. If you are wanting to present a strictly professional image, opt for scrub sets in solid colors like royal blue or forest green.
Prints can help show off your individual character traits. If you want prints, make sure you don’t get prints with too many wild colors as they do not look professional. It’s been generally noted that smaller prints look better for those on the shorter side and taller people can go for a bit bigger print size.
Bayshore Medical has been supplying the nursing community of Pasadena and all of Southeast Houston with nursing uniforms and scrubs for over 20 years. Come see us at 4205 Spencer Hwy, Pasadena, TX 77504 or call us today at 713-472-8585 for your nursing scrubs needs.
