EBME Forums Forums Management Professional Issues Hospital Dress Codes

I must admit I do favour shorts sleeves ,no tie etc. The shirt with the organisation's logo and department embroidered on the breast to signify that you are a staff member & waht department you belong to. If protective clothes should be worn then apron,gloves, facemask if required, should be part of standard procedure when deling with possible contaminated equipment.

How many docs & consultatnts do you see walking about with a white coat on. As far as I'm aware the "white coat" is blamed for the transmission of infection anywy and should be discarded in the bin along with other antiquities that we seem to hang on to.

Oh so true! Well put!
White coats are an embarrassment to the profession, I believe the term 'Muppet' springs to mind!
We're supposed to be respected! Not scoffed at!

Ed

There's nothing wrong with white coats per se. They are a traditional and universally recognised symbol for "doctor"! Patients often expect the doctor to be so attired (perhaps because they would otherwise be distracted by poor / weird / unconventional / whatever dress sense). They protect the doctor's clothing, and show up readily enough when "soiled" (blood-splattered, etc.). My point, however, is that we are not doctors (or, for that matter, laboratory technicians).

Totally agree Geoff!

Ed

That was a good link Geoff - I may be of to the darkside soon if it all goes well, I will keep you informed on my progress!

DW - The Darkside is Very Tempting

Of course, the sad thing is that many of those regiments are no longer on parade, as it were.

But don't worry, Darth, the depleted ranks of the Dark Side are always ready to welcome reinforcements!

It's more a sign of a lab technician these days. The only time I've had to wear a white coat is in pathology or public health.

Our dress code policy was written by our previous head of department and he had a thing about not wanting to look too much like IT, who have sweatshirts with organisation's logo and IT on them, thus it's shirt and tie.

Now the bare below the elbow campaign has come, we sometimes look smarter than the doctors! If anything now a days the traditional symbol for a doctor is a stethoscope draped around their shoulders.

Sounds like you've got a problem with the management mind-set there, too, Chris. That's one of the weirdest "reasons" for a particular dress code that I've ever heard (and I've heard a few)!

The stethoscope has always been part of the medic's symbolism, of course. But (as I may have mentioned before), it's not too hard to appear smarter than (young) NHS doctors these days, casually dressed as most of them are.

Don't forget, guys (as if you could), that there is a whole world of biomed outside of the British NHS. In general, out there in the wider world, doctors still wear white coats, believe me.

What is needed is a pair of chino's,safety shoe's and a shirt sleeve shirt with the NHS EBME stiched in...job done! The only people who need to know who you are will do by EBME. One idiot in management side we should wear scrubs as a uniform (Not for just theatre work!).
Obviously he still doesnt know the difference between a technician and clinical staff yet! Rant over!

Again it depends on the setup! We wear scrubs here! Its very convenient!

Ed