Scrub Requirement Issue in Hospitals

Scrubs are standard hospital attire. These shirts and pants are required for a professional appearance and to prevent contamination inside a hospital. Doctors, nurses and other medical staff all wear scrubs. Scrubs can be individually purchased or hospital-issued.

Hospital-Issued Scrubs

• Hospital issued scrubs are designed to stay in the hospital. They must be removed and sent to the hospital laundry before leaving for the day. Hospital issued scrubs are worn in areas of the hospital especially vulnerable to contamination. According to the University of Chicago, hospital-issued scrubs are worn in the operating room, labor and delivery, interventional radiology, GI procedures, cardiac labs and the post-anesthesia care unit.

Personal Scrubs

• Personal scrubs can be bought at local uniform supply stores. Personal scrubs are most frequently worn in areas of the hospital less prone to contamination, in outpatient clinics and by hospital administrative staff. In areas of a hospital where personal scrubs are worn, a special gown may be worn over the scrubs during procedures. Additionally, if personal scrubs become soiled, they may be sent to hospital laundry for cleaning.

Colors

• Hospital scrub rules vary by facility. However, many hospitals use scrubs to make distinctions amongst different hospital employees. Doctors, nurses, technicians, aids, and volunteers may all be required to wear different color scrubs. This provides uniformity among employees as well as making for easier distinctions. For example, technicians may always wear green while doctors may always wear navy.