# Scrubs in a pre hospital setting?



## wildmed (Jan 9, 2013)

This may be totally ridiculous and I may get flamed for this, but Ive been batting the idea of pre hospital scrubs around in my head for a while. Has anyone ever heard of an agency wearing a scrub- derivative uniform pre hospital? Like maybe boots, khaki EMS pants and a green/blue scrub top that just had a printed company name and EMT/PARAMEDIC markings on the back a la Europe/AUS/NZ.  I think it would look professional, immediately identify EMS as medical providers, be cheap, easily replaceable, and potentially increase ethos with PTs. I also think a simple uniform change like this could possibly help with respect from in hospital medical folks. However, its entirely possible that I am completely crazy so Id like to hear opinions.


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## mycrofft (Jan 9, 2013)

Scrubs are chilly, not cheap, degrade in color and transparency with washings, not durable to abrasion, and pilferable. Their pockets can tear and trend not to be as secure as regular pants and shirts.

If you want a durable scrub suit, buy an inmate suit, but get one with pockets (not universal) and pick a color not used locally. Much tougher material and construction. An example, not a recommendation:
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/ecatalog/N-1z09a64

AND, if you are going for "uniform", you are going to have to buy them for the employees (all same make model and date of manufacture); even then, variety in color due to die lots and changes in quality of tailoring will make them non-uniform over time.

And modern scrubs are generally NOT unisex; I had to order them, and repeatedly had tops with a "bosom" and pants with the right waist but the legs were too small.


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## Tigger (Jan 9, 2013)

NZ wears uniforms very similar to most places in the US for what it's worth. 

I would rather see us all in some sort of high visibility uniform like they do in some European countries. Practical and recognizable.


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## EpiEMS (Jan 9, 2013)

Scrubs are a big no-no. Too fragile, for one.

I'll take my class A uniform with a nice 5.11 jacket. High-viz would be a huge upgrade. Something like this would do:


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## wildmed (Jan 9, 2013)

I like the High visibility uniform as well, it's still something that sets medical personnel apart from PD/FD which is what got my wheels Turing in the first place. I'm just not sure how well they would be accepted by EMS culture in the US.


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## WTEngel (Jan 9, 2013)

Flightsuits FTW


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## NomadicMedic (Jan 9, 2013)

wtengel said:


> flightsuits ftw



+1 ...


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## WTEngel (Jan 9, 2013)

My favorite was the flightsuit with the rear zipper flap for when you "have got to go!"

Nothing grossed me out more than having to take the suit down and see parts of it that are normally close to my face dragging the ground while I take a twosie.


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## Fox800 (Jan 11, 2013)

The Aussies and Europeans are on the right track. Distinctive uniforms that set EMS apart from law enforcement and fire, and very functional.


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## abckidsmom (Jan 11, 2013)

WTEngel said:


> My favorite was the flightsuit with the rear zipper flap for when you "have got to go!"
> 
> Nothing grossed me out more than having to take the suit down and see parts of it that are normally close to my face dragging the ground while I take a twosie.



Think about the chicks! 3 times a day, man!

I vote for boots, pants, nice looking polo with agency designation, tucked in, hair combed, minimal stuff on belts and pockets. 

Professionals get professional courtesy, it doesn't matter what you're wearing.


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## EpiEMS (Jan 11, 2013)

Hair combed, shirt tucked in, clean shave (or neatly trimmed facial hair), and minimal belt accoutrement would be an upgrade even if the average EMS service were wearing shorts and t-shirts!


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## lightsandsirens5 (Jan 11, 2013)

I hate scrubs! Feel like I'm walking around almost naked....

And hi-viz unified would be ok, but seriously what's wrong with a normal uniform and hi-viz "accessories" when needed. I really don't need a uniform like that on 90 percent of calls.


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## abckidsmom (Jan 11, 2013)

lightsandsirens5 said:


> I hate scrubs! Feel like I'm walking around almost naked....
> 
> And hi-viz unified would be ok, but seriously what's wrong with a normal uniform and hi-viz "accessories" when needed. I really don't need a uniform like that on 90 percent of calls.



Yes. I pull on a vest when I'm in the road. It's enough. The stripes around the leg add a lot of visibility, but they aren't worth the trouble of all hi viz all the time.


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## VFlutter (Jan 11, 2013)

Scrubs are overrated. I would wear EMS pants and a polo in a heart beat if I could.


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## SSwain (Jan 11, 2013)

abckidsmom said:


> Think about the chicks! 3 times a day, man!
> 
> I vote for boots, pants, nice looking polo with agency designation, tucked in, hair combed, minimal stuff on belts and pockets.
> 
> Professionals get professional courtesy, it doesn't matter what you're wearing.



Sounds like what I wear...


me in the background...


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## nwhitney (Jan 11, 2013)

lightsandsirens5 said:


> I hate scrubs! Feel like I'm walking around almost naked....
> 
> And hi-viz unified would be ok, but seriously what's wrong with a normal uniform and hi-viz "accessories" when needed. I really don't need a uniform like that on 90 percent of calls.



This is exactly why I love scrubs!


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## CritterNurse (Jan 11, 2013)

Personally, I love wearing scrubs. 

When I first started volunteering, I would wear them on calls because that is what I had to wear to work anyways. I had a couple plain blue scrub tops I had to buy for a previous temp job, so I got permission from the fire chief at the time to get the department logo embroidered on them. Then if the tones dropped, I could swap out my fun-print scrub top for the embroidered one, and go. Also at the time, we didn't have any set department shirts. Some EMTs had gone out and gotten the logo embroidered onto polo shirts, or other 'professional' type shirts, but there wasn't one 'uniform' look for the department.

I don't wear them now for a couple reasons. First, I've lost quite a bit of weight and they're way too loose on me. Second, the acting chief has got T-shirts printed up for the department, and everyone got one for free, with the option to buy more. Third, I'm not in a job currently that requires scrubs, so I'm usually in jeans or similar 'street' clothing. 

I still have those scrubs though. I've lost too much weight to wear them in public, but they make VERY comfortable PJ's.


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## silver (Jan 11, 2013)

nwhitney said:


> This is exactly why I love scrubs!



When you go to a place where you have to wear scrubs (like a procedure room or OR), that's exactly why you'll hate it. So chilly in there, except if you are scrubbed in, in lead, or a combo of both.


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## ExpatMedic0 (Jan 11, 2013)

I have worn them in a  indoor clinical setting for years and also worn traditional more rugged EMS uniforms in the field outdoors. I think it go's with out question scrubs are completely impractical and idiotic for field work.

They are comfy and I have no problem wearing them with a dorky pair of crocs and some silly knee high socks in the clinic, but when I am intubating someone, on the tarmac, under a car, with gasoline dripping on me, in a snow storm... I am pretty sure I am not going to dig wearing scrubs.


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## mycrofft (Jan 11, 2013)

SSwain said:


> Sounds like what I wear...
> View attachment 1392
> 
> me in the background...



Manly-man!


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## mycrofft (Jan 11, 2013)

We had to wear "claret-red" scrubs to weork (no changin area) at the jail. Soon everyone knew who the jkail nurses were, which cars were theirs, which direction they walked from...and that's the guy's looking out their cell windows from the 2nd floor (forty feet up)..


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