Nearly all Registered Nurse RN or medical workers are required to wear some type of uniform or “scrubs.” I happen to like wearing nursing scrubs quite a bit. They are fairly comfortable, easy to wear, and are lightweight. But for a first-time nurse on the job, I thought I would give some tips to consider before you rush out and buy your first pair(s). That way, you can make sure you haven’t overlooked anything.
I wish before I started my job I would have researched a little more about buying nursing scrubs before I just jumped and bought them. There are a lot of things a nurse has to consider before purchasing scrubs. For instance, will the scrubs be comfortable and not show my back side when I bend down or will I be fully covered when I lean down over a patient to start an IV. Let’s face it patients don’t want to see down your shirt or back side while you are in their room helping them. It looks unprofessional! So being comfortable and modest is important when buying scrubs.
Top 10 Tips When Buying Nursing Scrubs (RN’s, LPN’s, CNA’s, all Medical Professionals)
- Colors count— When you go to buy your scrubs, make sure to find out what type of color scheme will be required by your employer. Some hospitals and offices are very picky, and only want certain color. Some are so picky, in fact, they won’t allow any other colors for the trim areas! So make sure you plan on working at your job for a while, and find out exactly what color scheme you need, or if a certain brand/type are required.
- Pockets are My Friends–During my shifts, I find my pockets get stuffed full of all sorts of handy items, so they are right there when I need them. Alcohol pads, my scissors, and more. It would be very frustrating getting through a shift if I didn’t have my handy-dandy pockets. So when buying scrubs, you may want to opt for tops with pockets, and perhaps pants too.
- Quality Matters–One of my first pairs of scrubs was a pair I purchased at Walmart. This, in hindsight, was a mistake. Not that I have anything against Walmart. I shop there all the time and I am notoriously frugal and love saving money. But when I went to wash them (by themselves mind you), they came out with all sorts of lint on them. This was a bit frustrating each time, and it was very noticeable. Then, when my mom got me a better quality pair, they didn’t do it at all! It was a huge difference. So get a good brand name, and in my opinion, I would rather have 1 great quality pair, as opposed to 5 bad ones.
- Get Something Soft–Scrubs can come in a variety of different fabric types. You can get 100% cotton, cotton and polyester blend, and lots of other blends. Make sure the material is soft and comfortable on your skin. After all, you will be wearing them for a long shift. I think the very soft cotton ones are my favorite.
- Make Sure They Fit–Most places will allow you to try them on before you buy them. I would recommend you make sure they fit comfortably. You don’t want them so baggy that they get in your way when you are doing your job. At the same time, you don’t want them so tight that you will split your pants when you bend, or struggle moving every minute. Just have them fit comfortably. Oh, and don’t forget the American Idol guy….Pants on the ground, Pants on the ground….(my husband is killing me by singing that daily).
- Buy Enough–If you don’t want to have to wash them before each shift, then you may want to consider buying at least 2-3 pair. This way, you can wear clean scrubs for each shift, without having to re-wash the same pair each time. I now have enough pairs to cover my shifts for each week, so I only have to wash them once they all get dirty.
- Fade Resistant–Speaking of washing scrubs, you will want a pair that is rather fade resistant. This kind of goes back to number 3 above, but you want a pair that will hold up to washing. You can also get color safe bleach to help kill all the germs you will encounter (and trust me, nurses encounter all sorts of germs)…
- You Can Still Be Sylish–Unless your employer prohibits this, there are tons of cute designs in scrubs these days. They have V-necks and regular cut necks, little ties on the sides or back, and lots more small stylish features which I think makes them look much cuter than regular plain scrubs. Not all of my scrubs are like that, but I do like the ones that have a little more effort put into the style.
- Be Thrifty–Even though I do recommend you get the better brands, that doesn’t mean you have to spend your entire salary! Stores frequently have sales and specials. That is a great time to get a bargain. You can also buy scrubs online at incredible deals sometimes (especially if you buy more than 1 and get shipping discounts). Amazon.com has some great deals on nursing scrubs/ uniforms. *See disclosure at end of post.
- Under Shirts/clothes–I often like to wear a T-shirt underneath my scrub top because it is more comfortable to me, and I feel like I have thick enough clothing in case a spill happens. So if you are the type that likes to wear a t-shirt or any clothing under your scrubs, you may want to take that into consideration when you are shopping.
Are you not only needing scrubs but other nursing supplies. If so be sure to check out our Amazon.com store for great deals on nursing shoes, stethoscopes, textbooks and much more.
*Disclosure: The items recommended in this article are recommendations based on our own honest personal opinion and experience. We are an affiliate with Amazon.com, and when you buy the products recommended by us, you help support this site.