Color code all healthcare professions uniforms

[TripleDegree]

What do you guys think of this idea?


Doctors (residents,attendings) - white coats
Med Students - white coats with med school logo
RNs - green scrubs
NPs - blue scrubs
PAs - purple scrubs

Nurse assistants - those multicolored scrubs you see all over the place

Med assistants (front desk, triage, etc) - dark blue scrubs


I write this partly in humor - but also partly in all seriousness. I volunteer at a hospital, and its so hard to make out who's a doc and who's not.

what do all you future MDs think?


"Aren't you supposed to be on rotation?"
"Yes...."
"Then....rotate!"

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[ndi_amaka]

Why do the doctors have to have the white colored uniforms and the assistants get the dark colored uniforms? 😡 😡






















.................just playin. 😀

 

[twinklz]

So does the white coat supercede all other clothing. For instance, could a doctor wear the purple scrubs of the PAs and still be considered a doc b/c of the white coat? 😀 (asking b/c one of the definite perks I see of being a surgeon is being able to wear scrubs!)

Or we could go even farther and give specific color combos.

Green top, blue bottom....surgery
Pink top, green bottom....ob/gyn
Blue top, pink bottom....psychiatry
etc., etc.


That way you wouldn't grab a psychiatrist when you need a cardiologist....

 

[DrBodacious]

I've seen docs w/ greyish coats. Are they tenured or something like that, or surgery? What's the deal w the grey coats instead of white.

 

[ndi_amaka]

Originally posted by DrBodacious
I've seen docs w/ greyish coats. Are they tenured or something like that, or surgery? What's the deal w the grey coats instead of white.

They're still paying off their med school loans and can't afford a washer/dryer set.

 

[TripleDegree]

Actually they had this episode on ER or Chicago Hope or something - where this CT surgery team of 2 surgeons flew in to the hospital for an emergency heart surgery, and they both were wearing maroon-red scrubs. Looked quite cool

 

[logos]

Surgical scrubs come in a bunch of different colors...the important thing with scrubs is that they are likely to be the same for everyone because the hospital MUST launder them. If you leave the premesis in scrubs you are supposed to put a new pair on (at least at our hospital...i work in the OR there during the summer)

Our hospital has tried the colorcode thing many times for the non-OR staff...it pretty much just pisses the staff off....they like to choose what they are going to wear...express themselves a bit. I dont think the convenience of know who is what is worth the trade off in ticked off staff...its a real big issue to the people at our hospital...they'll jump on you if you bring it up. Granted...this hospital is such that one would know pretty much everyone that they need to within a year or two...at least their job function...if not their name...

Because physicians and PAs are generally not employed by the hospital (our hospital employs one or two...cheif of staff (i think he gets paid something...although most of his income comes from his practice) and medical director....bigger hospitals i'm sure employ more...especially if they have teaching staff...) the hospital has no say over what they do...They can (and do) break pretty much any rule the hospital trys to impose...but if the hospital ticks off the docs....its in some real trouble...

 

[CJLaw]

you don't need a scrub color coding system--just make the rule that docs where long white coats, med students and PA's wear short white coats, and everyone else wears scrubs. The problem at our area hospitals is that some nurses, lab assistants, medical assistants, and social workers wear white coats and look like doctors.

 

[rgporter]

Perhaps hunter green lab coats are the solution to this disturbing problem in our health care system.

 

[DD214_DOC]

All docs should wear a fedora.

 

[chameleonknight]

Why the hell does a social worker need to wear anything, much less white coat???

 

[nanosomic]

nurses, doctors, etc should be allowed to put on any color scrubs or coats. there are many other things to worry about in the hospital than the color of a scrub or a coat.

 

[rgporter]

Originally posted by chameleonknight
Why the hell does a social worker need to wear anything, much less white coat???

It is assumed that naked social workers would not be able to perform their duties at an equal level with their clothed brethren.

 

[AlternateSome1]

Originally posted by rgporter
It is assumed that naked social workers would not be able to perform their duties at an equal level with their clothed brethren.

 

[musiclink213]

at the hospital where i volunteered, just about everyone wore a coat. social workers, nurse managers, nutriotionests, just about everybody. the nurses wore those different multi colored scrubs that you get at medical supply stores cause scrubs weren't provided by the hospital. you had to buy them. the central supply people wore light blue scrubs, and those were provided by the hospital, but they were only given i htink 3 pairs. as for us volunteers, we got to wear these incredibly hot blue coats, in a hospital that never has any air conditioning cause it's always broken in the middle of the summer.

 

[Ryo-Ohki]

Good idea, but I vote for black coats instead of white. Like the ones Doogie Hauser, MD wore.

 

[DrBodacious]

Good looking nurses should be required to wear see-through scrubs. I'll get working on getting those out on the market. 😀

 

[Robz]

looks like doogie has his malpractice lawyers with him......

 

[DD214_DOC]

Ah, the Shutzstaffel-ish uniforms from Starship troopers. Although evil, WW2 Germany had the nicest uniforms.

 

[gary5]

They're already color coded.

 

[SoulRFlare]

I say they bring back those mirror things that doctors used to wear on their heads...that way, all could be blinded by their illuminating presence...hehe...

 

[matthew45]

I work at a FP clinic. Everyone on the clinical staff, from the nurses to the Rad techs to the medical assistants (me) must wear full length white coats.
I can't tell you how many times people call me Dr. and start to ask me questions about drug dosages, rashes, sprained ankles and the like.
I really like the idea that only docs should be allowed to wear full white coats, med students half whites. Everyone else can wear grass skirts and coconut bras for all I care...

 

[sophiejane]

you guys need to get a life.

🙂