If you could re-design your scrubs...

Posts: 3 · Joined: 27 Sep 2005 Posts: 3 Location: wisconsin

Hello everyone! I am currently an Industrial Design student at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. My senior project is dealing with nursing scrubs. I am in the research phase and any information would be greatly appreciated. I am looking into designing new scrubs for floor nurses. I chose floor nurses because I feel they are going from room to room with numerous untensils including pens, highlighters, scissors, tape phone/pager...etc. With all of this 'stuff' it is hard to stay organized.

Do you feel there is a better design for the current scrubs? What do you feel are issues I should take into consideration?

I feel I should look into affordability, comfort, and organization as my main focus? Does this sound right to you?

SO IF YOU COULD DESIGN YOUR SCRUBS...WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?

Thank you for any feedback! I look forward to hearing from you!
-Justin

Posts: 27 · Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 27 Location: Texas

I would design scrubs like a magicians hat.......what ever you need would just be in the pocket or up your sleeve at any given moment, like tah dah!!!..... instead of down the hall or at the bottom of your nursing bag! Razz

Posts: 3 · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Posts: 3 Location: MI/FL

more pockets that are reinforced so they don't tear off as easily.........and as inexpensive as possible because they are all for work

Posts: 1 · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 1

Hi. I'm glad you are taking us nurses into consideration in your designs. Scrubs have to work really hard- but we don't want anything bulky. Somehow they have to be light weight, wrinkle proof and heavy duty at the same time. We have to run around a lot and don't want to be all sweaty at work. As far as pockets, it would be good to put extra pockets anywhere you can think of that will not get in the way. They have to be deep enough so that when we bend over (and we move A LOT) stuff won't fall out- but not so deep that everything wil be lost in them. At least one pocket should be exclusively for pens that has a plastic type liner so that the pens cannot leak through. Keeping in line with the popular trends, it is better to have a little flare on the pants bottom and some style in the shirt as well. Nothing tight at all. The neck area has to be loose and so does the arms- we have to bend and lift and really move our arms a lot. Drawstrings are good or some kind of adjustable straps for the waist but elastic waists don't fit everyone and sometimes, if they are even a little snug, at the end of the shift you can have a backache. Some really cushiony socks would be good too- again breathable. Our feet take a beating. A lot of us nurses like to look nice at work or at least the best we can in our work clothes. Many nurse spend a lot of money on cutsey clothes but I don't think "cute" is as important as FUNCTION. Remember, these are working clothes! Here's some stuff I like to carry on my body: Highlighter, black pens (2), red pen, small calculator, papers (reference papers that are card sized and also folded papers for the day), scissors, hemostat, syringes for flushing IV's, calipers, and my lipstick and money. Don't forget we need to attach our badge at the top somewhere and don't make it right over our boob! Put a little extra piece of fabric somewhere up high onthe shirt for a badge to attach that will not be in the way or when we bend be in our face or the patients face if we are bent over him/her. That's all I can think of for now. I sure hope this helps. Good luck to you. I'll be looking for these scrubs! LOL Smile

Posts: 1 · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 1 Location: Michigan

Another thing you could think about, is some kind of heavier reinforcement for the bottom of the pockets, so that pens, scissors, etc wouldn't be able to poke a hole in them or break thru the stitching at the bottom. Also, a snap on dickey or something to keep patients from being able to look down your top when you are starting IV's or doing patient care would be nice! Embarassed

Posts: 1 · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 1 Location: texas

Redisign scrubs, man that woudl be great!! Material that is strong, lightweight, warm and doesn't need to be ironed. reinforce all pockets, keep necklines from gaping open, 3/4 sleeves with a pen slot like flight suits, inner pocket with snap for keys and money. and since we are not all the same siaze or age design them to be tailoredd to a lot of people. attractive would be nice, but not necessary.

Posts: 1 · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 1

After reading all the previous replies, I will write
that I agree with the input already provided.

I am a floor nurse on a maternity floor (antepartum, postpartum and newborn nursery).

What works for me are scrubs that:
have a long life span (many washings)
do not require ironing
are lightweight
are spacious - allowing easy mobility
are reasonably priced
can be tied at the waist (elastic is uncomfortable)
is genuinely available in petite length (I'm 5.2"
and have had to hem all the petites I purchase)
have an abundance of spacious/reinforced/
sufficiently deep pockets.

Pockets are a high priority for me in
the selection process. I carry, pens,
highlighters, scissors, tape, gauze,
money, car keys, and varied differing
pieces of folded papers in my pockets
throughout any given shift. I also use
the pockets to temporarily transport a
very long list of varying "things" that I am
taking to a patient's room, e.g. bottles of baby
formula, baby bottle nipples, cans of juice,
infant pacifiers, (well the list is quite long).
If...
there were some way to design a pocket
where bending over (we nurses do this
a lot) did not present the outcome where
everything seems to fall out on to the
floor - this would be MIRACULOUS!!

I strongly agree with the suggestion for
adding a cloth tab to the scrub top for
use in clipping our ID tags. I wear mine
clipped to a necklace/rope type thing.
It is one more thing around my neck
as I also drape my stethoscope around
my neck. It would be great if this 'tab'
were loop-like and not only a piece of
cloth to clip the ID to. In this manner,
it would enable me to clip the ID tag
into the cloth loop and not just clip it
on to the surface of the cloth tag.

I think I can speak for most of the nurses
I work with, when I say that although we
do indeed care about the actual "stylish
look" of our scrubs - it is not the highest
priority. Most of the time, we are so
busy and so caught up on the actual work,
that functional and practical supersedes
our desires for "beauty". Smile

Posts: 1 · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 1

I think it is great you are asking nurses for input. I would rather have a rounded neck opening than the v neck that is available on most scrups. also mor petite size pants with roomier waists. I am also always catching my pockets on the arms of chairs, doorknobs or othe objects that stick out when I am rushing by.

Posts: 1 · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 1 Location: Arizona

Uniforms must be economically affordable, roomy, lots of pockets, easy to care for, durable and stain resistant with moisture barrier.
I am a large woman and I like my uniforms loose and not form fitting, like some seem to be although its the same size of others I wear.
Colors need to be broad as well as sizes, considering most people, nurses in general are overweight like myself. (sorry for you "unlucky " ones who are thin). Pockets need to be deep. I personally think there should be area on the waist or leg(like a wide belt loop) to carry cell phone/pager, place to hang the stethescope, sizzors, clamps and roomy pockets for notepad and various writing utensils. Not to mention alcohol or antiseptic wipes, bandaids, etc. I suppose it will have to be geared to what tools you need on you. Wink

Posts: 4 · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 4 Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ

Thank you for coming to nurses to see what it is we need as far as scrubs go.

I like elastic in the waist band. So much easier to get off as we are always limited in our time to use the bathroom.

Tops, LOTS OF POCKETS, deep with plastic linings to prevent leakage. We use walki-talkies in our facility and there really isn't any place to attach them. How about an epaulet on the shoulder or just below the shoulder a tab where it could be attached. This could be either on the front of the uniform or on the sleeve. Also, agree with having the neckline open, but not so low as to provide a show for the patients. Aprons are nice to hold things, but get in the way when you have to bend down.

Posts: 1 · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 1 Location: MS

Hello,
I have been sewing my own scrubs for 6 years. I like lots of pockets. I layer my pockets on my shirts and pants.I start with a small pocket for alcohol pads and layer about 4 pockets an each side of my shirt. Then I makes a pen pocket on my left shoulder and put a tab on the right shoulder for my name tag. I put side pockets on my pants usually 4 layers of pockets on each side. I could draw it for you but I do not know how to do it on this site.
I am usually the topic of discussion because of my scrubs. I do not bring anything to work that doesn't fit in my pockets.

Posts: 1 · Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 1 Location: Vermont

I would love to help design new scrubs! Alot of people have given you great in put I too would have to agree that pockets are essential! I tend to wear tops with two and bottoms that have at least two if not more! I am petite and I would love to see scrub tops designed to fit smaller shorter people! I have had to hem my scrub tops they were so long!I have found a couple of styles out there but that is it! So think of all different shapes and sizes as well when your re-designing!

Posts: 2 · Joined: 23 Oct 2005 Posts: 2 Location: california

I AGREE WITH THE OTHER NURSES REGARDING POCKETS. I ALSO LIKE ELASTIC IN THE WAIST. YOU MAY CONSIDER VELCRO ON THE POCKETS TO HOLD THEM CLOSED SO YOU SUPPLIES DON'T FALL OUT, VELCO ALSO ALLOWS QUICK AND EASY ACCESS. THE NECKLINE CAN'T BE TO LOW. THE SLEEVES NEED TO BE A LITTLE SHORTER FOR THOSE NURSES THAT SCRUB FOR SURGERY BUT NOT OPEN SO WIDE THAT HER BRA SHOWS. PLEASE CHOOSE FABRIC PATTERNS WITH GOOD TASTE,I'M TIRED OF ALL CUTSIE OR WILD PATTERNS. IT WOULD BE FUN TO HAVE SOCKS THAT MATCH THE PATTERN IN THE SCRUBS. IT WOULD BE FINANCALLY HELPFUL IF PATTERNS COULD BE MIX-MATCHED WITH DIFFERENT COLORED PANTS; THEREFORE, VARYING YOUR WARDROBE.

Posts: 56 · Joined: 23 Jul 2005 Posts: 56 Location: Missouri

a suggestion for the pockets......possibly adding some elastic at the tops of the pockets to keep them from gaping open when we bend over.....???
I'm no seamstress so not sure how this would work Wink

Posts: 1 · Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 1 Location: Dallas

Wow! I'm so glad that I came across this forum and read all of the comments/inputs for design_student here. My friend just started a medical uniform company http://www.frederickuniforms.com and I've been helping him expanding the product line. These inputs will help us a lot in selecting new designs.
design-student, contact us at info@frederickuniforms.com when you finish your project. We would love to see how it turns out.

Thank you