The Complete Guide to Picking Medical Scrubs: Everything to Know
We can trace the history of medical uniforms right back to medieval times when people wore “plague costumes” in England. However, it is likely there have been medical uniforms throughout human history within any major civilization.
Today’s standard medical uniforms are called medical scrubs. They provide protection to medical practitioners from sick patients due to their adequate thickness. Yet, there are so many options on the table when picking medical scrubs these days, it can be a little tricky to know what to get.
In this guide, we’ll look at what you should consider when picking medical scrubs for your line of work. Let’s get to it!
Style Considerations
If you feel like you are constantly hot when working, you might want to opt for a deep v-neck option from a medical scrub provider. Other options for scrubs include a round neck or square top style-wise.
You can also purchase long and short sleeve medical scrubs and can choose if you want extra pockets. If you are a nurse then you should consider specialist scrub options for your profession. You can see more here about nurses’ scrubs.
Color Choices
If you work in a department that doesn’t require you to wear a particular color, then you can be a little adventurous in your color choices. Keep in mind that different colors might send out a different message.
Let’s look at color choices in more detail:
White Scrubs
White scrubs may send out a subliminal message that you are an assistant since assistants traditionally would wear them in a bygone time. Also, from a more practical perspective, white scrubs can easily look dirty and so can send out a negative message if they are dirty to patients.
So many medical professionals tend to avoid choosing white scrubs. This rule may not apply, however, if you want to wear a lab coat to show you’re in an authoritative position. Just try to keep it clean!
Blue Scrubs
Blue scrubs can be reassuring to a patient as they are the traditional option. They can make you look competent and established as a medical professional.
The stains might not show up as easily on blue scrubs as on other scrub colors. Plus, the blue might have a calming effect on patients due to its associations with calming aspects of nature like the sea and sky. It’s also a color associated with things that are cold, meaning it could have some kind of cooling effect too.
Green Scrubs
Green scrubs have some historical meaning. Green was a color that surgeons would wear in the past when prepping patients for an operation. They would wear gowns though, not scrubs like we see today.
If you are someone that preps patients for surgery and is interested in tradition, you might want to choose green scrubs for your job role. As well, green is a color that might reassure patients before surgery as it symbolizes life, renewal, and resurrection.
Red Scrubs
Red scrubs are not ideal to wear when you are treating patients. They can be harsh on the eyes and may bring on anxiety in some people.
However, if you are doing some kind of formal event like a presentation where you want people to listen to you, red scrubs can be a good option. The reason for this is red is an attention-grabbing color. It’s also a color that represents danger, so if you are warning people of some things, it can be good to wear them for that purpose.
Black Scrubs
If you have the constant annoyance of stains cropping up on your scrubs, you can opt for black scrubs to hide such stains better. Black scrubs will send out a message of authority to your patients too.
Black also can make you look sophisticated and knowledgeable. It’s also a color that may help you stand out from other colleagues, which may help you gain better promotional chances!
Shopping Online for Scrubs
If you are intent on buying your medical scrubs online, reading online reviews is a must to learn about the quality of the ones you are checking out. The last thing you want to do is order a whole wardrobe of scrubs from one supplier to then find out the quality is not satisfactory.
Instead of buying all your scrubs in one go, it might be worth purchasing one at a time from different suppliers until you find one that feels comfortable. You should also spend a little time comparing scrub prices, as some providers can be extortionate about what they are offering.
Scrubs in Public
Should you wear your scrubs in public? You can wear scrubs in public if you choose to. But just consider that you may be spreading harmful bacteria into public spaces if you choose to wear your scrubs outside of your workplace.
Our best advice is always to have a change of clothes when you go to work. This is what true medical professionals do as they not only care for their patients, but for everyone in the wider world around them too.
Picking Medical Scrubs Made Easy
Picking medical scrubs doesn’t have to be difficult. Just make a quick list of the different styles and colors you want and then go online and start reading some reviews. Then, slowly order different scrub options until you find a supplier that you really like.
For more info on various subjects, go to our navigation menu above.