Nurse uniforms are clothing worn by nurses for hygiene and identification. Traditional nurse uniforms consisted of a dress, an apron, and a cap. There are many variations of the uniform but the basic style stays the same no matter what country you visit. Nurse uniforms were based upon a nun’s habits, because during the nineteenth century, nuns used to care for the ill. Cotton caps were soon replaced by disposable ones and plastic aprons replaced the traditional ones for easier usage.

Throughout the United States of America and parts of the United Kingdom traditional nurse uniforms were replaced altogether by scrubs. Scrubs became popular during the nineteen hundreds although the majority of nurses around the world still wore the dresses. Many nurses argue that the scrubs are easier to clean than the traditional nurse uniforms. Some nurses still exist who argue the fact that nurses who wear scrubs should not be referred to as nurses.

Around the nineteen hundreds, scrubs came into fashion in the United States of America and some parts of the United Kingdom. These nurse uniforms commonly referred to as scrubs consist of shirts, trousers, and gowns worn by operating room personal. Although in many hospitals the wearing of scrubs extended outside of the surgery room. Scrubs are now worn by any hospital employee in any clean environment. Most medical uniforms which had short-sleeved shirts and pants were scrubs, although, waist length long-sleeved jackets with no lapels or cuffs commonly known as warm-up jackets can be included in the uniform.

Scrubs can come in any color or pattern. Ones featuring cartoon characters or cheerful prints are generally seen in pediatrician’s offices and children’s hospitals. Prints for various holidays can be viewed throughout the year. Some hospitals use colors for identification of different departments. For example pink or lavender might be used in the Women’s and Children’s Center, dark blue or green for emergency, or a solid light green which is almost always used for surgery. Scrubs also can come with the hospitals logo which is primarily printed on the pockets or knees.