EBME Forums Forums Management Professional Issues Hospital Dress Codes

Where you are Ed, there is a much warmer climate for one thing
Here, ebme buildings are not always in the main hospital building...

Scrubs are OK (if you can get a size that fits), and are able to bung them into the hospital laundry every couple of days. But they look out of place in some departments (OPD, for example), so you are back to wearing a (blue) lab coat to cover them in those locations (the canteen is another one that immediately comes to mind)! Also, what footwear "go" with scrubs? Not sandals (flip-flops?), I hope!

Yes, Huw. Portakabins (with steps, naturally), plastic sheets to cover equipment (from the elements), duck-boards! A half-mile walk outside on the pavement (footpath, sidewalk) to the Dialysis Unit. Having to cross a (so-called minor) road to get from one half of the hospital to the other (with kit in tow). I have personally seen all of this ... and that's only this year!

Yeah sorry! I grumble sometimes and totally forget where I come from; NHS-Ville,(Apologies)! We can wear any flat souled shoe (Including Trainers) but overshoes are always worn in the more critical areas! We also have to put on our CSI's for live theater etc oh and Snorkel/Mask and fins for renal!

Ed

The dress code should be a shirt sleeve shirt without anything stiched in it! Before I came to the NHS the company I worked for decided to issue staff with a uniform with it's company logo on. Only problem is clothes wear out after a bit and start tooking a bit faded and you can guarantee they won't get replaced at a suitable interval.

As mentioned by Chris Watts, all of the doctors (particularly the new junior ones) always wear a stethoscope draped round their neck like a badge of honour. A bit like a sign saying "I'm a doctor"!!!!
Why don't other Health Professionals follow their lead and then we could identify the technicians by the multimeter slung around their shoulders???!!!

And the "Clinical Technologists" could wear their mortar boards on their heads?

PS: I usually go for the "small (mains-tester) screwdriver in the top pocket" look, myself.

Yeah I used to have one of them Geoff until some smart ar$e decided to replace the neon with a 5 amp fuse! Oh so funny!

Ed

A good friend has advised that, following a change of management at the (NHS) hospital where he works, ties and long-sleeved shirts, and wrist-watches even*, are "out" ... and open-necked, short-sleeved shirts are now very much "in"!

Another little victory, then, for those of us who have been advocating this for at least half a lifetime!

But, recalling how er, inflexible the previous management was on this issue, I can't help but wonder how "professional and well-presented" the blokes appear now! Perhaps it simply doesn't matter any more? Who knows!

* He didn't mention rings, bangles, copper wrist bands or facial "furniture" ... but, needless to say, my own policies would preclude all those as well!

What about bikini's and shorts are they in as well?

Don't tell me ... you're a Brüno fan!

As I have remarked on more than one occasion in the past, whatever is deemed de rigueur for young doctors and medical students should also be good enough for the likes of us.