From Pristine Whites to Nursing Scrubs - The Development of the Nursing Uniform

Ask a child what a nurse wears and he'll probably tell you a nurse is someone who wears a white dress and shoes. And let's not forget the nursing cap and white stockings. A nurse is garbed in all white. Just hearing it makes a nurse sound like some sort of angel who can take all your pains away. The problem is that our angels are as human as they could get and wearing white the whole time is not exactly practical for them.

We have to be realistic here. Wearing all white when your job is to run around the hospital the whole day, attending to patients and facing different types of emergencies is impractical at the very least. With this kind of work, you can't wear white and expect to look as pristine and as angelic as you looked when you first set foot into the hospital this morning. It's difficult, not to mention, next to impossible. Nurses have to look after people. Sure, they have to still look their best but that's not supposed to be where their priorities lie. The truth is that white nursing uniforms and nurses hardly ever went together, unless the nurse's work is of the clerical nature, that is.

This is how the medical world has seen numerous developments in nursing and medical uniforms. Even the health care industry has its own fashion trend, after all. The white nursing uniform was just the beginning. Through the years, comfort and function has highly influenced the industry's choice of clothing. From the white uniforms with capes that were popularized by the American Red Cross to the color coded nursing scrubs we see today, it's easy to say that medical fashion in itself has gone a long way.

Following the nursing uniform's history

The first nursing uniforms consisted of a dress, a pinafore apron and cap. The first styles were based from the habit that nuns wore because before the 19^th Century, it was usually the nuns who took care of sick people. The original design for this uniform was actually created by one of Florence Nightingale's first students. After the 1940s it was left to the hospital's decision to prescribe a specific design for its nurses' uniforms so the design has varied across different facilities but the concept was pretty much the same as the traditional style.

Over the years, numerous changes have been made to the original design. In the United Kingdom, for instance, a tunic-style top and dark blue trousers are popularly worn by nurses. Third World countries are still known to use the original white nursing uniforms but those in Eastern Europe and the United States have started a trend of wearing medical scrubs for practical purposes.

The medical scrubs

Originally, medical scrubs are worn by those who are assigned in the operating room as part of proper hygiene inside what is supposed to be a sterile facility. As a matter of fact, before operating scrubs were used, doctors and nurses in the operating room had to all-white attires. The problem was that the color clashed with the operating room lights so that it caused eyestrain for everyone. In the 1970's scrubs in shades of green have become the typical operating room clothes.

Because they were so comfortable and functional, medical scrubs became more popular outside of the operating room so that other health care professionals where known to wear them as well. They have even become color-coded according as a way to identify the different departments in a hospital – surgery, emergency, pediatric, etc. Surgical greens are still popular but there are a lot of hospitals that also prescribe pink and other shades of blue for this department.

Nursing scrubs also come in different designs. There are the wrap-around types and cartoon-print nursing scrubs that are popularly worn by those who work around children. Cheerful prints are typical because they keep children at ease around nurses and doctors. Care facilities and larger hospitals even allow their employees to choose the style of their scrubs according to their personal preferences. This is why scrubs have even come in various brands such as Dickies, Grey's Anatomy and Baby Phat.

Beyond the hospital

Medical scrubs have become a style trend of their own as even people who do not belong in the health care industry are known to opt for these items. They have become another type of workout attire. Even hikers and mountaineers opt for scrubs because they are lightweight so they are easier to move around in and they don't add much weight to their load. These days, manufacturers design scrubs to add more function. For instance, you can easily find scrubs that come with pockets on the sleeves where you can put your music player.

So be part of the latest trend in casual wear and shop for your comfy medical scrubs today.