Subjects perceived a higher level of trustworthiness when the nurse model was wearing a traditional white skirted uniform than when wearing a scrub suit or white pants and blue sweater.
Full Answer
While white uniforms show spills and stains, white fabric can be bleached. Thus, white nurse uniforms remained the status quo until the 1960s when feminists argued that white signified diminished power. More colorful uniforms gradually became more accepted and popular.
Background: Patients and visitors may perceive nurses as professional based on uniform color and style. Nurse image may affect patient and visitor trust and satisfaction with nursing care. Fitted white dresses have been replaced by loose-fitting or scrub white, colored, or patterned pant sets.
Over time and as the nurse’s role evolved, uniforms followed suit. Sleeves and skirts became shorter, the collars became deep, allowing for more movement and comfort. Additionally, there was a shift from wearing belts to adding pockets for carrying essential equipment, which became much more than scissors.
Rafaeli and Pratt (1997) undertook action research in Israel to investigate whether nurses should wear informal clothes or uniforms in a rehabilitation service. They found that uniforms were strongly symbolic for these nurses, though the symbolism was complex.
How nurses feel about themselves in a uniform is extremely important and it was clear that participants wanted a uniform that made them feel confident in their appearance. Uniform and the image of nursing need, therefore, to be considered carefully, balancing modernity with an appreciation for nursing’s heritage.
The traditional uniform of Florence Nightingale’s era was designed to project an image of neatness and servitude (Page and Lawrence, 1992). Items such as the belt, cap and buckle are often looked on with fondness by many as they symbolise status and a group identity.
Background Uniforms are thought to hold personal significance for those who wear them and act as powerful symbols representing the profession’s identity and image. Aim To gain an insight into the influence of uniform on self image and professional identity among student nurses.
However, wearing uniform does not automatically mean that a nurse acts as a professional and is a good nurse (Newton and Chaney, 1996). A common concept is that uniforms give nurses a certain level of confidence to carry out their role and prepare the individual psychologically for work.
Although extensive literature on nursing uniforms confirms their importance both to nurses and others, only a limited number of empirical studies examine this phenomenon.
A 2008 study from the Professional Nurse Practice Council tested how patients reacted to dress codes. 1 The research was predicated on many debates, like whether to return to traditional white scrubs, and if nurses should be allowed to wear jewelry or artificial nails.
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The dress code for nursing has changed a lot over the years. Female nurses are no longer restricted to white dresses and funny hats. Nowadays, many male and female nurses want to express their style in the workplace but feel as though they can’t. There’s currently no universal dress code for nurses, so they may have some wiggle room when it comes to color and prints. Here’s a breakdown of what some research reveals about what patients think about a nurse’s uniform.
The tradition of nursing attire has changed over the years. The history of nursing uniforms includes wearing solid white skirts, shoes, and white cap. These white garments typically signified nursing roles and differentiated nurses from other staff members.
The debate about nurses having a mandatory dress code such as a specific uniform and color, ( white or not) has been a hot topic lately. The majority of nurses love the freedom they have of choosing their own uniforms and expressing part of their identity and style; however, the major argument is that having everyone on the medical floor wear non-standardized uniforms cause confusion among patients and family members. By being able to choose any particular color and style uniform, nurses are losing the patient’s and…show more content…
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