subject: Nursing Uniforms: Why They Matter [print this page] We all see nurses in a hospital all wearing the same general thing. Perhaps many of us have stopped to wonder why they wear what they wear, and what the meaning behind it is.
A long time ago, there was no general standard in nursing uniforms. In fact the first person to wearing a standard nursing uniform was the well known Florence Nightingale. She began showing the world the importance of the nursing uniform during the Crimean War. In a war zone, it becomes especially important to have a standard by which nurses can be identified. Many injured soldiers are going to need the immediate medical attention of a nurse, and it helps when they are able to quickly identify who they are on the battlefield.
In the 1840's the nursing uniform underwent some changes to show off its academic symbolism. That was a time when all of academia was taking on symbols, and the nursing uniform was not going to fall behind the game. Still the uniforms were not completely standardized; they still differed slightly from hospital to hospital.
In the modern day the nursing uniform has taken on a more standardized approach. The color for almost all nursing uniforms anymore is blue, or at least one of the darker colors. This choice of color is not merely a mistake; it was selected specially as a calming color. If the uniforms had been one of the brighter colors, then it would have been an eye sore for the patients.
Many different companies sell nursing uniforms online. These companies, like the uniforms they sell, vary only slightly. They all seek to provide the best price for what is basically the same product. The newest thing in the nursing uniform industry would have to be scrubs. Scrubs are popular because they are made of less expensive material, that is still acceptable. Scrubs are the best option for the producers and the consumers. You should always search as many companies websites as possible to get the best price available. Remember, these sites are always trying to out do each other. While shopping, you can also pick up lab coats and other materials.
Needless to say, nursing uniforms have undergone many changes over the years. Nursing uniforms also have much more meaning then we normally attribute to them. The badges, patches, and colors have significant importance that we normally would never even think about.
