In most hospitals, it is mandatory for employees, especially the medical staff, to wear scrubs whenever they are working. The price of scrub sets has come down over the years to the point where they have now become the standard hospital attire. But these scrubs were not always around, and there is a pretty interesting story about how they came into existence and became such an integral part of the medical profession.

The White Nurse’s Uniform and the Butcher’s Apron

The typical nurse’s uniform is something that we are all more or less familiar with. It is a white garment with a red cross, complemented by a white hat. This stereotypical image of the nurse has been around for centuries. Compared to that, the creation of a scrub uniform for medical professionals is a pretty recent invention. In the early years of medical surgery, doctors would practice in their regular street clothes. In certain cases, a butcher’s apron was worn to prevent blood from spilling onto the doctor’s clothes. Back in those days, there was nothing disturbing about the sight of a bloody doctor’s apron. In fact, it was the mark of the doctor’s proficiency and excellence. The more blood you had, the more patients came to you for surgery.

The Transition from White to Green

As time progressed, medical professionals realized that wearing a bloody butcher’s apron was not exactly the most hygienic way of performing a medical surgery. They understood that this practice posed the risk of fatal infection. They felt the need to maintain a sterile medical environment. There was nothing sterile about a surgeon walking around with the blood and guts of another human being on his butcher’s apron.

In an attempt to decrease infections, the doctors from the 1940s began to use operating rooms where they would wear antiseptic gowns while performing surgery. This gown protected their clothing and prevented the spread of infection to a certain extent. The gowns worn by the surgeons were white in color.

Even though these surgical gowns were technically cleaner than the butcher’s apron that was being used previously, they looked a lot less clean because they were doused in bright red blood. For a lot of people, the sight of the red blood against the white surgical gown triggered a disturbing experience. As a result of this, medical professionals slowly switched to the color green, and white aprons became obsolete. The “surgical green” is a pretty decent color for medical uniforms because it blends color much better than white, and it reduces eye strain.

The Evolution of Scrubs

The gowns were not the only thing that became green in color. The color of the entire uniform was switched from white to green. This became known as the standard surgical green uniform. If you take a look at shows from a couple of decades ago, you would notice surgeons wearing the green uniform. As these surgical greens became more popular, people started labeling them as scrubs. The reason for that is because these green uniforms were originally worn by people who “scrubbed in” for surgery.

As the years passed by, the color of scrubs began transforming into different shades of blue and green. Nowadays, there is no standard color or style for scrubs. Medical professionals can wear different styles of scrubs that have varying patterns and colors. You have fun printed scrub tops, solid bottoms, and matching sets on the market.

The change in the color of the scrubs has been complemented by a change in the fabric. As the medical field progresses in skill and technology, we will continue to see the development and evolution of scrubs. They are no longer just used to make blood less visible. Medical professionals wear them for comfort and for creating a style statement.

The post How Did Medical Scrubs Come into Being? first appeared on The Adair Group.

Becoming a registered nurse is one of the hardest things to do. It takes an immense amount of dedication, patience, perseverance, education, and commitment. It requires long hours of studying, tests, and clinicals. For four years you live, breath, eat, and sleep nursing, and, when it’s time to finally graduate, you feel like a superhero. You could conquer anything!

Your elation is quickly plagued by doubt when you set out to get your first job. Are you really prepared to be a nurse? Will your potential co-workers and bosses respect you? Did you answer that medication question correctly? Will patients trust you? Are you likeable? Ugh! So many questions, so few answers. Just breathe. You are ready.

Finally, you get the phone call you’ve been waiting for. You got the job! (Insert Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah’s couch. Yeah, you feel that good.) Almost immediately, that pesky uncertainty is back. First-day on-the-job jitters are on the horizon. Here are a few things that can get you prepared and a bit more relaxed on your first day as a registered nurse.

Alleviate Stress with Preparedness

You’ve probably had an orientation before your first day on the job, so you should already have some insight into what you’re required to have with you upon arrival. Relieve stress by getting everything together the night before. Plan meticulously from the time you go to bed to the minute you walk through the door at your new job.

• The night before, select your lucky scrubs, and grab your comfortable and sensible nurse shoes and lay them out. You’re already stressed about every aspect of this new journey; don’t allow the stress of last minute details add to it.
• Assemble all the necessary paperwork, identification, forms, and so on that you’re expected to bring in with you on your first day. There is nothing worse than that Did I forget something? feeling, so don’t give it any room.
• Similarly, plan out your breakfast in advance, so you can quickly and easily make it in the morning. This is essential. Nurses work long hours – an average shift of 12 hours – which often lead into overtime. With these demanding hours your body needs fuel. In addition to a large and healthy breakfast, pack your lunch and on-the-go snack items the night before.
• Nurse essentials. You’ll need note pads, pens, and highlighters in addition to your stethoscope. Have a nurse go-bag with all your essentials, including a change of clothes and extra scrubs, (you never know what can happen). This way, after your hearty breakfast, you can just grab your already packed lunch, toss it inside your go-bag with all your paperwork essentials, and be out the door in a flash.
• Get a full eight hours of sleep the night before your first day. Often anxiety can make it difficult to sleep, so besides being prepared, be good to yourself. Meditation may help remove these anxious feelings. Being well-rested is vital to your job skills, your judgment, and your performance.

Keep Calm and Do What You Know

• Know your workplace. Whether you’re in someone’s home, a clinic, or a hospital, you need to know the layout. You should be able access laboratories, operating rooms, supply closets, emergency rooms, and more, quickly and easily. This also pertains to your co-workers; their names, appearances, and contact information need to be front and center in your brain.
• Know your job description like the back of your hand, what are the policies, procedures, and job duties for your workplace?
• Learn the paperwork. Study the various forms you will be responsible for filling out and what information you’ll need to do so. What computer systems does your workplace use? You will have time to learn these systems, but the faster you can learn and use them, the better.
• Be cognizant of your bedside manner. Your patients probably won’t know it’s your first day. They are your customers, so be sure you’re putting their needs first. Properly engage with them with respect, and consider what information should be delivered privately.
• Prioritize your patients for your rounds. This task requires critical thinking, and you need to strategically manage your rounds to safely and effectively assist all your patients.

Exercise Responsible Caution

Miscommunications can happen, and that can lead to mistakes; be sure to minimize yours by always talking with your patients. Confirm verbally with them all information gathered from monitoring equipment and reports from your co-workers. Check the charts and verify the information, know their medical history and allergies, understand their diagnosis, and check for special instructions.

When administering meds, always follow the Five Rights of Medication Administration: the right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time. While there is much to learn and remember as a nurse, keep in mind that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your work knowledge won’t be, either. Do your best and prepare where you can.

The post Tips to Surviving Your First Day as a Nurse first appeared on The Adair Group.

White was often worn by doctors and nurses since it gave the appearance of cleanliness. Consider any iconic picture of a nurse in the early to mid-20^th century, and you would find a woman dressed in a crisp white uniform, from her hat to her shoes. The starched dress and white stockings gave an appearance that may still give peace and calm to some, while bringing back less delightful memories to others.

In America, few doctors or nurses still wear what we refer to as traditional medical garb. The sterile whites have been replaced by scrubs. Scrubs are the lightweight, short-sleeve shirt and drawstring pants that were worn by surgeons before they “scrubbed in” for surgery. Today, almost everybody who works in a hospital or clinic wears scrubs. Often, the surgical greens are still reserved for those who work in the operating theater. Other colors designate what job the wearer holds. This makes it easy to identify who works where quickly and easily.

Many of the staff who work with children wear colorful scrubs that are covered in delightful patterns, cartoon characters, etc.

Even in clinics and hospitals where scrubs are not required, the staff often chooses to wear them. Why would you want to wear scrubs if you don’t have to, and why would you want them if you do not work in the medical field?

1. Scrubs are ridiculously comfortable. The material is lightweight, like pajamas, and who doesn’t want to go to work in their pajamas? The scrubs material breathes nicely to keep you cool. Because they are not form-fit, it is also easy to wear an undershirt if the temperature is a bit cooler.

2. Television made them cool. Most fashion trends can trace their roots to Hollywood. Scrubs owe much of their popularity to shows like St. Elsewhere, ER, and Grey’s Anatomy. When your favorite star wears the clothes, it suddenly becomes cool to do so. While not every workplace is going to appreciate the look if you don’t work in the medical field, scrubs look just as good worn at home.

3. Scrubs are generally made out of materials that are chemically treated to make cleaning easier. Grime that may have stained your polo shirt might wash right off of or out of your scrubs. Because they are lightweight, you can do a full load of them without maxing out your machine, too. The material is pre-shrunk, so you know what sizes to order, and they typically do not bleed, so you don’t need to worry about them messing up the rest of your laundry. Many scrubs even come with an anti-microbial, anti-bacterial coating.

4. Scrubs are utilitarian. Whether you are gardening, cooking, or simply lounging around the house, scrubs provide a casual, clean look. Paired with a pair of tennis shoes or clogs, they not only look great, but the non-binding cut and design make it easy to get your work done. Despite their stain-repellent nature, they will eventually get a bit dirty. When they do, scrubs still maintain their comfort so they become the perfect clothing for scrubbing floors or other sweaty, labor-intensive activity. The lightweight material and free-moving cut make them perfect for everyday wear.

5. Scrubs are inexpensive. Consider the savings if you could wear a $20 set of scrubs every day instead of a several-hundred-dollar business ensemble; even a cheap suit is going to run over $100. For home use or pajamas, the scrubs are cheaper, more durable, and more comfortable than most pajamas and casual pants. Buying them at an outlet or in bulk can save you even more money. Why throw your hard earned money away on clothes that are not nearly as comfortable and which are not going to wear as well?

It may have taken some time for scrubs to make it into the hospitals, and even more time for them to make it into the home, but they are now here to stay. With the many advantages to wearing scrubs, and the simplicity of rocking the look, it simply makes sense to own a set in all of your favorite colors.

The post Five Reasons Scrubs Rule first appeared on The Adair Group.