For healthcare workers, their medical scrub is essentially their uniform. It’s just as essential as any other equipment that they use in their profession. Apart from using one as their uniform to be identified as a health worker, their medical scrubs keep them safe and protected from the hazards of their job.
That said, there’s more to the scrubs or medical uniforms than just wearing them. There’s an appropriate way to wear them, and there are also certain prohibitions to their use. Knowing the do’s and don’ts of medical uniforms is a must for healthcare professionals.
This article gives you a run-down of some do’s and don’ts in using medical uniforms.
- Do Keep Your Scrubs Clean
Scrubs are meant to make you look professional while keeping you comfortable in the workplace. But, while your job may be bloody (literally, at that), this doesn’t mean that having stains on your uniform is excusable. Always have extra scrubs with you, so you’re ready for anything that can happen at work.
Most importantly, once you get home, make sure that you deal with the stains immediately—otherwise, the stain may harden and become more difficult to remove.
Whenever you face patients, make sure that these stains aren’t visible. Just because you’re a medical worker doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to have dirt and stains visible on your scrubs. If you have scrubs that look so worn out, then that’s another telltale sign for you to have them replaced.
You should always treat yourself to new, clean scrubs once in a while.
- Do Not Show A Revealing Neckline
Scrubs are supposed to keep you comfortable without sacrificing the fit. But this doesn’t mean that the neckline can be revealing, especially for womens scrub tops. It can be very disturbing for patients and their family members when you’re moving around, administering medicine, while sporting provocative clothing.
It’s highly recommended to wear a tank top underneath the scrubs for women, and an undershirt for men. This can prevent unexpected peek-a-boos as you move around a busy workday.
- Do Abide By The Hospital Policy
Depending on the hospital you’re working for or the policy of said hospital, there may also be recommended scrub colors based on your department. Be sure that you abide by the hospital policy, even if the color assigned to your department may not exactly be your favorite color. Remember that this is part of your job.
For example, in the pediatrics department, you may be given more freedom to choose playful prints. That way, you’d look more pleasing to children, who may get intimidated by medical uniforms in darker colors.
- Do Not Wear Your Medical Uniform To Private Events
As much as possible, whenever you leave the hospital premises, make it a point to remove your medical uniform. There’s absolutely no use in wearing it in public, especially to private events— whether you’re off to a party, or a private dinner for your anniversary, birthdays, or whatever the occasion may be.
It’s a different story when, for instance, you were heading home and you just needed to make a quick errand to pay the bills or pick up your children. But, when you have adequate time to change and you just deliberately refuse to, that’s considered irresponsible.
Especially if you’ve been invited to a private event or party after your shift, don’t forget to change. Wearing your medical uniform on these occasions is a major no-no, as you’re spreading diseases, bacteria, viruses, and germs you’ve been exposed to in your job.
- Do Choose The Right Fit
Medical scrubs don’t have to look unflattering on you. With the right fit, you can certainly find scrubs that’ll still flatter your body type.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that the purpose of wearing scrubs is to show off your curves or make you look sexy at work. You don’t have to endure a tight-fitting scrub either, making it extremely difficult for you to move around.
Remember that the main purpose of medical scrubs is to give you comfort and protection, given you have a physically demanding job. There must a balance between comfort and good fit.
- Do Limit Accessories
You have to keep everything simple while wearing your medical scrubs. After all, you’re working in a busy environment.
For example, a watch or a small bracelet is acceptable. But piling on one bangle on top of another is too much. If you want to wear earrings, keep them minimalistic through studs. Dangling earrings have no place in a hospital. Otherwise, they can only be a distraction or may even get stuck on medical equipment.
- Do Measure The Pants And Sleeves Well
Like the neckline, two of the most important parts of your scrubs are your pants and sleeves. If the sleeves are too short, then it would look awkward. If they’re too long, they can also be a hazard to your work. For instance, the sleeves can get stuck somewhere.
For your pants, the ideal length covers your legs to give you protection while doing your job. Since you have to move around a lot, it’s a good idea to ensure that your legs don’t get exposed in any way to prevent the risk of getting spilled on by harmful substances.
It’s for the same reason that if your weight changes, it’s best to have new scrubs made. You don’t need to keep yourself stuck with ill-fitting scrubs that might affect your efficiency in your job and compromise your safety.
Conclusion
When you work in the healthcare industry, how you present yourself to your patients also matters. Their trust and confidence will increase when they feel like the healthcare workers they’re dealing with look well-dressed, neat, and professional. So, to achieve this, it’s important to know and understand how to use your medical uniforms correctly. Once you’ve started working in the medical field, scrubs are essential and compulsory—it doesn’t even matter whether you love or hate wearing them. Thus, it’s only practical to know how to wear and use them correctly.