Medical Scrubs > Nursing Uniform > Nursing Uniforms

Nursing Uniforms

Click Here to See Our Selection of Nursing Scrubs.

Nursing uniforms originally consisted of a dress, apron, and a cap. The original or more old-fashioned nurse uniforms are almost iconic, and still serve as a convenient short-hand in movies, books, and television shows. But despite depictions in popular media, nursing uniforms began to change in the early nineties. Now most hospitals in Europe and America use scrubs as the standard nursing uniform.

Scrubs have many benefits over the traditional nursing uniforms. First, scrubs are easier to clean and replace than older nursing uniforms. Scrubs are also inexpensive enough to buy in bulk, cutting down on the time spent on washing and ironing the nursing uniform.  Second, scrubs are more comfortable and allow for a wider range of motion. Nursing can be frantic and dirty work. A proper nursing uniform needs to accommodate a wide variety of movements and situations. Third, scrubs can be personalized to reflect a nurse’s personality, interests, or even patients. Scrubs come in a variety of prints, sizes, and styles. A nurse who works in pediatrics might find a cartoon or colorful print to be more appropriate for his or her uniform than a solid print.  Finally, while nursing was traditionally predominately a woman’s field, more and more men have become nurses in the past few decades. A nursing uniform should reflect the realities of the changing and diverse profession.