# Can we please bring back traditional white nurses uniforms??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 8, 2019, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-bring-back-traditional-white-nurses-uniforms/833642 "2019-05-08T00:18:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-bring-back-traditional-white-nurses-uniforms/833642/61 "2019-05-10T19:34:18Z")
I understand that scrubs are often color-coded by a particular institution. I just wish that they could establish a uniform standard for the colors. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-bring-back-traditional-white-nurses-uniforms/833642/62 "2019-05-12T13:21:31Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Maybe they could print the word NURSE!! in big friendly letters all over their nice comfy scrubs. > > I’m sure my (female) doctor friends would approve of this too Just in big yellow letters across the back like POLICE or FBI. > [@Spiderman](#): > > Oooh, good idea; that way they won’t get confused with the prisoners that are in the ER, who also happen to wear scrubs & have “PRISONER” in big letters but only on their back. See? > [@kunilou](#): > > Each nursing school had it own design for a nurse cap. [Just like chef’s hats, they eventually became non-functional, but everyone still wore them even though a hairnet would be better.](https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1600&bih=757&ei=o0DSXMbKB9HUtQWS2L-4Dw&q=chef%27s+hat&oq=chef%27s+hat&gs_l=img.3..0l10.1406.3797..4142...0.0..0.88.765.10......1....1..gws-wiz-img.....0..35i39.5A8j9cML1Fo). If I recall correctly, nurses wore caps while they were working at the desk (in public), but didn’t have to when they were directly caring for patients. I’m not going to search for old graduation photos from nursing schools to find a male nurse, but I’d guess they also got the same cap, but were excused from wearing it. What really counted was the stripe on the cap. Only registered nurses got to wear a stripe. Licensed practical nurses who went to a nursing school, and student nurses had a cap, but no stripe. I learned that about nurse’s caps when I married **DesertWife** , a med-tech. I was startled to learn that they (naturally) keep their cap as they work at different hospitals so a nurse’s uniform isn’t so uniform. Navy nurses’ caps, back when they wore them, had stripes indicating their rank, just like [sleeve stripes](https://d34c1g1f6volxx.cloudfront.net/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1800x/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/5/8/58-100.jpg). > [@JRDelirious](#): > > IIRC they were addressed as “sister” and in some countries continued to be so into contemporary times. Whne I was learning German in HS (and I assume currently), Krankenswester (sickness sister) was the word for nurse. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-bring-back-traditional-white-nurses-uniforms/833642/63 "2019-05-13T00:43:47Z")
> [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > Charge nurse is the non-gendered term, but yes male charge nurses are sisters in some trusts. There are also senior male nurses called matrons, and male midwives. Couldn’t just call them “Brother.” There will always be an England. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-bring-back-traditional-white-nurses-uniforms/833642.md?page=3)