Nurse uniform
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A nurse uniform is attire worn by nurses for hygiene and identification. The traditional nurse uniform consists of a dress, apron and cap. It has existed in many variants, but the basic style has remained recognizable.
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[edit] History
The first nurse uniforms were derived from the nun's habit. Before the 19th century, nuns took care of ill people and the link with the uniform is made. One of Florence Nightingale's first students (Miss VanRensselaer) designed the original uniform for the students at Miss Nightingale's school of nursing. Before the 1940s minor changes occurred in the uniform. The clothing consisted of a blue outfit. Hospitals were free to determine the style of the nurse uniform, including the nurse's cap which exists in many variants.
In Britain, the national uniform (or simply national) is designed with the advent of National Health Care, and the Newcastle dress. From the 1960s open necks begin to appear. In the 1970s, white disposable paper caps replace cotton ones; in the 1980s, plastic aprons displace the traditional ones and outerwear begins to disappear. From the 1990s, scrubs become popular in Britain, having first appeared in the USA; however, a majority of nurses in Britain continue to wear dresses, as in many other countries.
[edit] Standard nurse's uniform
Historically, a typical nurse uniform consisted of a dress, pinafore apron and nurse's cap. In some hospitals, however, student nurses also wore a nursing pin, or the pinafore apron may have been replaced by a cobbler style apron. This type of nurse's dress continues to be worn in many countries.
[edit] Alternative nurses uniforms
Since the late 1980's, there has been a move towards alternative designs of nursing uniforms in some countries. Newer style nurse's uniform in the United Kingdom consists of either:
- A tunic-style top and dark blue trousers that are optimally designed to prevent cross-infection, the colour of which depends upon the grade (or, more recently, band) of the nurse - the colour varies between NHS Trusts. The tunics often feature piping around the edges of the uniform.
- A dress in the same colour as the top tunic.
Male nurses wear a white tunic with epaulettes in the colour of their grade.
A "scrub dress" is a simpler type of uniform, and is sometimes worn in operating rooms. For outdoor clothing the nurse had a red jacket over the indoor Nurse uniform. If a nurse is seen outside in their uniform, this is a reprimandable offence and the nurse may be subjected to a review.
Traditional uniforms remain common in the Third World, but in Western Europe and North America, so-called "scrubs" or tunics have become more popular.
[edit] Nurse uniforms vs scrubs
Beginning in the 1990s, and until the present time, the traditional nurse uniforms have been replaced with the "new" scrub dress in some countries. Most hospitals in the USA and Europe argue that the scrub uniform is easier to clean than the old nurse uniforms. The nurses who wear the uniforms are divided into two camps:
- Those who prefer the new scrubs; they disliked the old nurse uniforms.
- The nurses who liked the old nurse uniforms; they argue that nurses who wear scrubs are seen by the patients as cleaners[citation needed] and cannot be identified as nurses.
In many parts of the world, nurses continue to wear a uniform consisting of a dress, apron and cap.
[edit] Continuation Of the Uniform
Most modern military female combination covers draw their history to the nurses cover, as the militaries of the world first allowed women to serve in any significant numbers as nurses.
