Not that long ago, any doctor
or nurse donning scrubs, was found to be working in the operating room,
obstetrics or the emergency department of a hospital. Almost all of the nurses
and health care professionals, in other departments wore formal white uniforms,
caps and shoes. Visiting nurses dressed in formal uniforms that often looked
more like professional, business suits. Doctors wore business suits.
Gradually, pastel colored
uniforms came to be acceptable attire for nurses in the majority of hospitals.
Initially, it was only allowable on pediatric wards. Other health care
facilities started to make a gradual transition to pastel colored uniforms. It
took a while, but over the years, more and more nurses began to request
permission to wear light, pastel-colored uniforms, instead of traditional white
uniforms. Under special circumstances, sometimes they were allowable.
Nurses began to request
permission not to wear white caps, too.
Professional uniform designers
and manufacturers gradually began to produce scrubs for male and female,
doctors and nurses, as well as other health care professionals. Many hospitals
appeared to be skeptical at first, with regard to the transition and the break
with tradition.
Fortunately, times change and
so do medical fashion trends. Now, for both doctors and nurses working in hospitals,
most other kinds of uniforms are deemed outmoded. Scrubs are in and the
majority of health care professionals and non-professionals appear to like the
change.
Scrubs, what are they?
Scrubs are the preferred
working attire of the majority of health care professionals, as well as
non-professional health care workers in hospital settings today. They are the
accepted attire in other medical and health care facilities, as well. In
community health, there is a growing trend towards health care givers breaking
free of even a semblance of a uniform, by wearing street clothes, at least when
they are not wearing scrubs.
Where do doctors and nurses
obtain scrubs?
Scrubs can be custom made, but
most doctors and nurses are able to purchase them, either online or directly
from stores that advertise and sell professional medical and nursing attire.
Why do doctors and nurses
prefer to wear scrubs?
Perhaps scrubs as a fashion
trend, originally became so popular because of their practicability and comfort
for doctors and nurses, who needed to change out of formal uniforms or street
clothes in order to scrub in for surgical procedures or to assist in the birth
of babies or their care, in the nursery.
The simplicity of the design of
scrubs, made it possible for doctors and nurses to change in and out of them
quickly. They were comfortable to wear while working. Scrubs seem to fit
everyone reasonably well. The original style of scrubs looked good on almost
anyone.
Initially, most of the hospital
scrubs were various shades of blue or green, but quite dark in color.
Hospital scrubs went into huge,
laundry bags, after each wearing and were sent to the hospital laundry. Hospital
laundries had the appropriate facilities to wash and press scrubs. Because they
were made of good quality, heavy, cotton fabric, scrubs stood up well under
repeated washing.
Either long or short, white
cotton, lab coats could be worn over the scrubs, by anyone who had to go
outside of his or her work area, for any length of time. Anyone needing a change
of clothing while at work, was able to change into hospital scrubs and lab
coats.
Designers and manufacturers
began to ask, what did doctors and nurses want with respect to their hospital
attire? Was it formal uniforms? No.
Someone in the professional
clothing design and manufacturing business, listened to what doctors and nurses
were saying and began to realize that uniforms were becoming outdated and were
not all that practical. Formal uniforms were not what doctors and nurses
wanted to wear, with the exception of a few, who still clung to tradition.
Relaxing the formality of
doctors and nurses attire, as well as the hospital guidelines that stated
doctors and nurses had to wear professional uniforms or business suits, has
been beneficial to both doctors and nurses.
Addressing the changes in
fashion trends for doctor's and nurse's working attire, invariably involves
many factors including style, comfort, fit, suitability, afford-ability, personal
preference, hygiene, practicality and fabric.
Over the years, professional
attire designers and manufacturers have addressed many of these concerns by
doctors and nurses. At this time, there are numerous designers and
manufacturers focusing on producing scrubs.
Several of the current, online
retail outlets include the following web sites:
What is the trend of the
future? Will it be scrubs?
Of course, both designers and
manufacturers are going to continue to address the changing needs of medical
and health care professionals. That is an ongoing process.
Globally, scrubs appear to
present an excellent, professional attire option for doctors and nurses, as
well as for non-professional health care workers.
Currently, scrubs can come in
most colors with a multiplicity of designs, colors and fabrics. Prints are a
current, popular trend that is growing in leaps and bounds. Many tops, pants
and hats are made of matching fabrics. Instead of the white lab coats, they are available in the same kinds of fabrics as scrubs.
In light of global concerns
like the H1N1 virus and other infections, scrubs may prove to be invaluable
because they are washable, odor free and thus, an
excellent, hygiene factor. At some point in time, hospitals may have to take
more responsibility regarding the care of scrubs worn by doctors and nurses to
prevent the spread of infection.
In terms of the global economic
decline, scrubs are affordable, where more professional uniforms and suits are
becoming increasingly expensive.
People everywhere are becoming
aware that those dressed in scrubs are likely to be health care workers and
this reality may help to address some of the concerns related to the global
shortage of doctors and nurses.
At this time, it may not be
possible for the public to purchase scrubs everywhere, depending upon where
they live and work, but there appears to be a growing trend toward that, too.
People in general, like scrubs and many prefer them to the uniforms previously
worn by doctors and nurses.
Is the trend towards scrubs a
good thing?
From a professional health care
perspective, one must suggest that for doctors and nurses to return to wearing
formal uniforms and suits, would be a regression with respect to professional
working attire. Yes, the fashion trend towards scrubs is a good thing, but at
the same time, trends can be cyclical in nature. Unless someone designs and
manufactures something more appropriate, in terms of professional attire for
doctors and nurses who work in
hospitals, scrubs appear to be here to stay.
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