Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Consider sending your medical uniform laundry to a professional

Some hospitals choose to wash and sterilize their medical uniforms within the hospital. When that's not a possibility, you can rent uniforms and have another company take care of the laundering. This could save you money, not to mention time.

I recommend: Hospital Central Services Cooperative allows you to rent hospital linens and they take care of the laundry services. ImageFIRST also provides scrub rental and laundry services.

Rent medical scrubs instead of buying them

In some cases, it makes more sense to rent doctor and nurse uniforms. This allows you to focus your money and attention on more important matters.

I recommend: At Nixon Uniform Service and Medical Wear, you can rent scrubs in addition to the other linens you may need for your hospital. Delaney Uniform Service also provides medical uniform rental.

Buy from wholesale medical uniform providers to save money

When you have a large hospital, or plan to have all of your employees wear the same uniform, it makes sense to purchase from a wholesale supplier. This allows you to get a discount when you buy in bulk.

I recommend: Scrub 'n' Prints offers wholesale discounts on scrub sets starting at just twelve pieces. If that's ore than you need, Bettencourt Manufacturing starts their wholesale pricing at six pieces.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Your employees may be responsible for purchasing their own medical scrubs for wear outside of the operating room. You can often find medical scrubs at discount stores like Walmart, which is a good option when employees need a new uniform in a pinch.

Guide to Medical Uniforms

Medical professionals have their choice of styles and colors in medical uniforms

By Judy Artunian, Freelance Writer

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Medical scrubs: the workhorse of medical uniforms

If you're ordering medical scrub uniforms for your staff, consider asking the supplier to embroider your organization's logo or staff members' names onto their scrub tops.

I recommend: Visit AllHeart.com for a wide selection of medical scrub uniforms for women and men, including discount medical uniforms. At Lydia’s Uniforms you can save time by searching for men’s and women’s medical scrubs by brand, color, size and style. Also check out Lydia’s Uniforms for discount medical uniforms. Labwear.com’s operating room scrubs include a reversible shirt. Peaches Uniforms, which caters to fashion-conscious women in medicine, has partnered with Katherine Heigl, from television’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” to produce the Katherine Heigl Collection. Marcus Uniforms helps you take the guesswork out of deciding which sizes to order by providing extensive sizing charts by brand.

Distinctive medical uniforms for women

Take a break from predictable medical scrub uniforms with unique and fashionable styles.

I recommend: Peaches Uniforms sells crisp, white dresses and suits. Or, go for sleek, casual medical uniforms with “sport stretch” scrubs, available at SmartScrubs. Celebrate the holidays with seasonal medical scrubs available from UA Scrubs.

Medical lab coats for every need

Classic white, knee-length medical lab coats are still a mainstay in medicine, but some medical facilities have policies that specify lab coat lengths, depending on your position.

I recommend: NWMedicalSolutions.com sells medical lab coats for women and men. At Ackley Uniforms you’ll find men’s and unisex lab coats, including some made from 100% cotton for those who are tired of cotton/polyester blends. Women can find several lab coat styles at Labwear.com. For disposable medical lab coats, visit Medical Supplies & Equipment Company.

Complete your medical uniforms from head to toe

Choose surgical caps and comfortable footwear that complement your medical uniforms.

I recommend: Sassy Scrubs lets you choose from more than 30 fabric designs for your surgical caps. Green Scrubs offers footwear designed for medical professionals. Look for colors that go with your medical scrubs. Lydia’s Uniforms provides a wide selection of shoes specifically for nurses.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When looking for medical uniforms for both men and women, consider unisex styles. Also keep in mind that a uniform's fit varies from one person to the next. Select a few styles and ask your staff to vote for their favorites.
• •  Employees will want to replace their medical scrubs within a year or two. Before ordering new scrubs for your staff, find out how long the style will be available for reordering. Also look into outlets that sell discount medical uniforms to keep re-order costs down.
• •  Avoid trying to match scrub tops and pants from different makers or clothing lines. You can't achieve a polished look with medical scrubs in colors and fabrics that don't quite match.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Differentiate departments with different colors of medical uniforms

When a patient is in the hospital, they encounter a number of doctors and nurses. It's helpful to color-code different departments so that patients have a clearer understanding. For example, you may want to have the labor and delivery department wear one color, while internal medicine wears a different color.

I recommend: Look for suppliers of medical uniforms that offer scrubs in a variety of colors at reasonable prices. It's easiest to make all of your purchases from one company. You can purchase unisex scrub sets in a variety of colors at AllHeart.com. Scrub Center offers both different styles and colors for medical uniforms.

Make kids smile with uniforms for nurses in fun prints

In most cases, the pediatric division has the most freedom when choosing a design for scrubs. While not in surgery, doctors and nurses can wear styles that feature popular characters and other fun prints.

I recommend: MarcusUniforms.com has a number of medical scrubs that appeal to children. Uniform Advantage has a number of print options that are a bit more subtle.

Focus on using medical uniforms that keep employees safe

The types of uniform choices you make can affect the health and safety of your workers. Make sure that you consider this when you make purchases.

I recommend: Protect workers during surgery and examinations with disposable facemasks from Bruce Medical Supply. Nurses spend a lot of time on their feet, which can be difficult on the body. Make sure that they are wearing comfortable shoes designed for nurses, such as those available at ScrubsGallery.com.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Remember that one style of medical uniform may not suit all body types. Your employees come in a wide range of sizes and your choice of uniforms should reflect that.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Scrubs

These commonly worn medical garments arose out of the need for a new style of dress for doctors, nurses and any other medical workers in a professional facility. They are now almost universal standard issue for 'medical uniforms.'

I recommend: Get visuals and details on a variety of medical scrub uniforms from top worker wear provider Dickies at Pulse Uniform.

Color coded program

Many medical facilities set up somewhat formal color coded programs to determine how to tell department medical workers apart.

I recommend: See an example of a color-coded program from the University of Colorado Hospital.

Lab coats

These white jackets are also very common in medical environments. Doctors wear lab coats. So, too, do medical workers who are in contact with lab specimens or engaged in similar medical tasks. The image of the white jacket also impresses patients and visitors to a facility.

I recommend: Find out more about lab coats and what is generally worn at NW Medical Solutions.

Scrub Caps

These innovative headware solutions are often a way for medical pros to showcase their passions and personalities. Scrub caps often serve functional roles as well, keeping long hair out of harm's way.

I recommend: Find out about scrub caps at Scrub Caps 4 U.

Face masks

Another common part of medical uniforms is surgical or other styles of face masks and similar accessories. Face masks help to prevent the transmission of germs in a medical environment.

I recommend: Read more about promoting health in medical areas at Christiana Care.

Crocs

This controversial footwear has been a mainstay of the medical community. Crocs, the plastic, breathable shoe types that have engendered so much debate, are a common sight around a medical office for doctors, nurses and others who may be on their feet most of the day.

I recommend: Find out more about Crocs at this page from WiseGeek.