Scrubs or khaki casual?

[charismarl]

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So I was recently reading an article in Firstline Magazine where the author was a proponent of doctors/receptionists/assistants/techs, etc. wearing khakis and polos instead of scrubs (with the exception of surgery). The author seemed to think scrubs were fine in rural settings, but that in more urban settings, khakis/polos were far more appropriate because it would set your clinic apart, make your clinic look more professional, and keep your dress more on par with what your clients wear/what they would expect.

I can see the argument for doctors and receptionists to be more business casual...but technical staff? Give me a break!

Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?

 

[projekt]

I hate khaki/polo casual. Worse than suits. It makes everyone look lousy.

I think if you're going the business casual route, you need flexibility. Polos, sweaters, metrosexual shirts, etc., are all fair game. And people should be able to wear pants that fit them. A lot of people don't look right in khakis or other "casual" slacks, but look fine in sweatpant-like things that are still pretty good looking.

I'm a little tired of requiring everyone to wear scrubs, too. They are easy to clean but they don't cover the arms. They were designed to go under a surgical gown and it shows. People are coming to terms with the "doctor==pajamas" look, so I don't think it's a professionalism problem.

I think, in the end, if you have a practice you're going to have to work with your employees to develop a dress code. And, your practice is going to be a lot more successful if you focus on good sanitation, low clutter, and good artwork rather than dress code. And that's not even touching people skills.

 

[mistifical]

Totally happy with scrubs. They're cheap and comfortable, easy to clean, and can really handle the wash. The whole "business casual" costs more and doesn't usually hold up as well, in my experience (or maybe I've just had bad luck and am a terrible bargain hunter). I have no problem getting blood/poop/what-have-you on my scrubs, but I'd rather not get it on nicer clothes, even if it is just khaki's and polos bought specifically for practice... especially since its easy to keep scrubs handy or to borrow them should they become incredibly soiled or contaminated, but this is not as easy to do with "normal" clothing.

I've worked 5 years in a practice where everybody was "required" to wear clinic scrubs (T-shirts ok if they had the clinic name/logo) and I was pretty happy with the situation. Handle a parvo puppy? Go upstairs and sign out a new pair... be billed for them in the next pay check if you don't bring them back.

 

[david594]

Why not both?

Where I work all the male techs wear Kahki pants and a scrub top.

 

[ShelterGirl]

I liked scrubs while working as a tech because I didn't feel as upset when blood, urine, or poo got on them.

As a doctor, I would prefer to only wear scrubs if I had surgeries that day and to throw on a white coat over my business causal clothes if doing a potentially messy exam. I actually like to dress nicely; it just wasn't practical when I had to routinely change ICU patients' bedding and whatnot.

 

[laurafinn]

I would loathe working somewhere that required a polo shirt and khakis uniform. That outfit is just not flattering on a lot of people, and, honestly, looks really dated. Polo shirts are a pet peeve of mine. Why, I don't know. I think matching scrubs are fine.

 

[Electrophile]

I'm a little tired of requiring everyone to wear scrubs, too. They are easy to clean but they don't cover the arms. They were designed to go under a surgical gown and it shows. People are coming to terms with the "doctor==pajamas" look, so I don't think it's a professionalism problem.

I hear from our physician friends that business dress and even lab coats in the UK are being done away with due to it being like one giant fomite. Scrubs are actually better because you can easily wash your forearms, or so goes the logic. That being said, as I've said about twenty times, I hate, hate, hate the gawd awful cartoony scrubs with Scooby Doo, Winnie the Poo, Tweety Bird, whatever. I am also not a big fan of the really uber chic ones that you could get away wearing to a nicer restaurant. This is not the pediatric ward or the runway, our patients don't care. People can disagree with me, but the ones with cartoons all over do not look professional and the ones with all the pretty patterns and cool cuts are defeating the purpose of being scrubs, especially when they are upwards of $20-30 for just a top. JMHO.

In addition, I saw an interesting article in USA Today discussing how doctors and nurses should not be wearing scrubs out in public (like to the grocery store after work or whatever) because of MRSA and other issues. I think that's a good point that they are supposed to be for function, not fashion. Give me a simple no print v-neck scrub top and matching pants and I'm good.

My big issue with khakis is that you stain them even just a little bit with a pen or something, they're toast. Plus I hate ironing.

 

[pressmom]

I hear from our physician friends that business dress and even lab coats in the UK are being done away with due to it being like one giant fomite. Scrubs are actually better because you can easily wash your forearms, or so goes the logic. That being said, as I've said about twenty times, I hate, hate, hate the gawd awful cartoony scrubs with Scooby Doo, Winnie the Poo, Tweety Bird, whatever. I am also not a big fan of the really uber chic ones that you could get away wearing to a nicer restaurant. This is not the pediatric ward or the runway, our patients don't care. People can disagree with me, but the ones with cartoons all over do not look professional and the ones with all the pretty patterns and cool cuts are defeating the purpose of being scrubs, especially when they are upwards of $20-30 for just a top. JMHO.

In addition, I saw an interesting article in USA Today discussing how doctors and nurses should not be wearing scrubs out in public (like to the grocery store after work or whatever) because of MRSA and other issues. I think that's a good point that they are supposed to be for function, not fashion. Give me a simple no print v-neck scrub top and matching pants and I'm good.

My big issue with khakis is that you stain them even just a little bit with a pen or something, they're toast. Plus I hate ironing.

Agreed on every point. Especially the cutesy cartoon scrubs. The first place I worked, the front staff wore light blue with our names embroidered on them and the kennel staff wore dark blue. It looked nice and you could tell what staff you were interacting with. They also bought us two pairs and we could purchase more if we wanted them. Here at Tennessee, you're not supposed to wear scrubs outside the building unless you're walking a patient and they have to be covered with a lab coat outside the OR. I think it's a good idea, but I'm sure people break it.

 

[Bill59]

Where I work all the male techs wear Kahki pants and a scrub top.

Noooooooooooooo .... the mullet of the hospital.

The only thing worse would be if they also made you wear a fanny pack.

 

[StealthDog]

the mullet of the hospital.

Required attire for students at the U of MN... and the scrub top must be U of MN maroon. 😛

 

[Bill59]

Required attire for students at the U of MN... and the scrub top must be U of MN maroon. 😛

Stop! Stop! ... I don't want to hear any more!

 

[McVillesMom]

Khakis and polo shirts still beat the uniforms at the first place I worked. When I started there there wasn't really a dress code, but they decided to implement one. First it was all maroon, which they apparently chose because it didn't show blood...unfortunately it shows EVERYTHING else. A couple of years later, they decided to change the dress code - for ALL staff - to ceil blue tops and...drumroll please...

WHITE pants.

"White looks so professional!" they said.

Not when it's covered with hair, dirt, blood and $hit!

I don't work there anymore 😉

 

[charismarl]

Interestingly enough, we had a lecture yesterday from a CPA/veterinary business advisor who said that clinics who have standardized uniforms, and moreover, those that require khakis/polos end up making more money per transaction (independent of geographic location). Just a thought.

 

[sofficat]

Here is my varying opinion....

Scrubs.... comfy, but you usually look like a slob... they wrinkle easily, never fit right and your ***** crack always sticks out when you have to bend down and wrastle a big dog (doesn't matter how skinny or chubby you are... although the chubby ones tend to have a bit more of a problem than most).
However, one place where I worked had the matching tops for techs and different ones for receptionists with khaki colored scrub pants. I really liked that because they looked nice but were still scrubs.

Dressier outfit.... I was never a fan of dressing nice (outside church) until I started at Auburn. We have a dress code here and I actually really like it. Granted I'm not in the clinic yet (they still maintain the dress code) so I'm not sure what it'll be like working there in a skirt or nice pants, but I like it in the classroom setting.

I'm not sure what I'll like once I'm in practice. I agree with most (although I do own a few of 'them') I don't like cutesy tops... esp cartoon dorky ones.

 

[NittanyKitty]

Our clinic has the kennel and techs in scrubs and either khakis or scrub pants (kennel in green, techs of their choosing). The docs usually wear khakis, a polo, and a scrub top over that. I think scrubs are really practical for the dirty jobs you have to do throughout the day. Keeping them simple, clean, and well-fitting is a hard enough job sometimes and can look acceptable for a medical field. 🙂

 

[laurafinn]

Interestingly enough, we had a lecture yesterday from a CPA/veterinary business advisor who said that clinics who have standardized uniforms, and moreover, those that require khakis/polos end up making more money per transaction (independent of geographic location).

I wonder if they're mixing correlation and causality. A vet clinic that is organized enough and mindful enough of image to require a standardized uniform probably is a larger clinic and/or pays more attention to the business aspects of the clinic as a whole. (If you have one receptionist and one or two techs on at a time, you don't need to worry about uniforms so much - also, you're not leveraging support staff as much as you could, and so probably income as a whole, and possibly ACT, is lower).

Also, I think the polo/khakis thing does depend on the culture of your location, meaning Portland/San Francisco clients might have a less favorable reaction to the polo shirt look, than, say, clients in suburban Atlanta. I don't know how granular this survey got re: geography, but if you only break things down state-by-state, you might miss this phenomenon.

 

[VAgirl]

I wonder if they're mixing correlation and causality.

👍👍 I'd say you hit the nail on the head there, my friend.

 

[projekt]

The scrubs-stay-in thing is also good thinking. Some find it annoying to change when they arrive and leave, but it definitely keeps the hospital cleaner and keeps bad things from spreading out. Really good hygiene includes a fresh pair of scrubs during surgery, well designed floors and walls, and routine disinfection. Superb surgical hygiene also includes laminar air flow over surgical fields, which is being slowly adopted in human medicine, but I have yet to see it anywhere near vet med.

 

[twelvetigers]

Considering what I've seen, I think that sort of ultimate hygiene situation is not very common in most clinics...

 

[sumstorm]

Our vet never wears a white coat: 90% of our patients bring in red clay and 5 minutes with red clay and high humidity turns everything pinkish orangey red.

One concern with polo shirts (and I would assume lab coats) would be buttons. It can take only a second for a teething puppy to rip off and swallow a button.

I am happy with our scrubs; we tend to wear the cartoonish ones if we are in with clients and solids if we are teching in back or in surgery. We also have a lot of clients who come to our clinic because of 'personality,' approachability' and 'down to earth-ness' so there is a lot of joking and upbeat conversation with our clients.

I think it is VERY dependent on the clinic. Our artwork is comical as well. In all honesty, our clinic is older with floors faded from light and such. Unless we were going to revamp everything, I think khaki/polo would nearly clash with the clinic (and the building is rented...so revamping is difficult.)

As for 'cutesy' tops, I think some techs prefer those for the cut, as they can keep curvy body types from looking like blocks.

 

[projekt]

Yeah, the scrub changing thing I've only seen in lab animal and laminar airflow I've only seen in papers about human orthopedic surgery.

 

[ccrose3]

I personally do not like khakis or polos... on myself or anyone else. It's just a matter of personal taste but obviously there are people who feel differently since they're still around.

However, that being said, I don't think any other "uniform" would be as suitable to the job as scrubs. I've seen a lot of vets and techs wear some of the more "dressy" slacks-type scrub pants with more fitted scrub tops, or at least the ones that aren't cartoony, and I think those do look more professional. I also like my cartoony scrub tops, though but I'm dorky like that. =)

As for the study, I agree with what previous posters brought up about how clinics who have adopted the khaki/polo policy may also pay more attention to other business aspects of their clinic as well.

We don't do this at the clinic I work at, but at others I've seen the staff wears whatever color scrubs they want, but that are solid in color or are solid with diff color trim, but they all have the clinic logo, and I think that looks professional but also gives the staff some leeway on what they can choose to wear. That may not be the #1 choice for people like me who like our cartoony stuff, but it would be a good compromise if some amount of consistency is the goal.

 

[charismarl]

I wonder if they're mixing correlation and causality. A vet clinic that is organized enough and mindful enough of image to require a standardized uniform probably is a larger clinic and/or pays more attention to the business aspects of the clinic as a whole. .

Agreed, it probably is because I don't know the details of the study....but paying attention to the business aspects of the clinic tend to make you more money no matter where you are or what type of a clinic you run. Every clinic should be orangized enough to care about image and tenents of good business.

 

[projekt]

Also, $$/txn is a useful number, but profit/txn is really where it's at. Clinics that have all the latest toys and expensive real estate probably bring in the most $$/txn, but what's the net after expenses?

 

[VeganSoprano]

Where I work, everyone wears a uniform. Front desk staff and doctors seeing appointments wear khakis and uniform dress shirts, techs and doctors on emergency or surgery duty wear uniform scrubs. Doctors' assistants can wear either uniform scrubs or khakis and uniform shirt.

I personally think front desk staff at a hospital as big as the one I work at (150-ish staff, combined general/specialty/emergency practice) should probably wear uniforms but I don't think it is really all that necessary for techs and doctors. The only thing I really wouldn't like would be a proliferation of clownish scrubs.

As an emergency/ICU tech, to me the worst case scenario would be a polo shirt/khakis uniform. I would imagine a pair of khakis would be good for about one shift. Not a day goes by without some combination of blood/urine/feces/vomit/ink/other assorted nastiness on my scrubs. Fortunately, scrubs release stains pretty quickly and as for the wrinkling issue, I find it easily solved by hanging up my scrubs after washing and using an iron PRN!

 

[Electrophile]

As for 'cutesy' tops, I think some techs prefer those for the cut, as they can keep curvy body types from looking like blocks.

If they prefer that cut, why don't they just wear a cute top from a regular store? To me, scrubs are meant to be cheap ($10-15 tops), easy washing, easy wearing. Not something you pay upwards of $25-30 for and that you could get away with wearing on a date to Olive Garden or something. 🙄 Plus most cute tops from Kohl's, JC Penney's, whatever will likely be cheaper and still have a more flattering fit. But the thing to remember (and keeping in mind I don't look real flattering in regular scrubs either!), is that they are for functionality first.