When it comes to medical scrubs uniforms, you have more than a few options. After all, at the end of the day, medical and nursing scrubs are worn by professionals working in hospitals and healthcare facilities and come designed with specific application-driven purposes.
It also boils down to how you feel when wearing your medical scrubs, especially since you will be wearing them for hours. However, most practices have requirements that outline the type of design and colors your medical scrubs should have. So, before you visit a medical scrubs store near you, here are different types of medical scrubs you should know to help you make the right choice.
What Makes A Good Set Of Medical Scrub Uniforms?
The best medical scrubs are designed to help you provide the best service for patients. Whether it is medical scrubs for women or men, both types must provide comfort that lasts for long hours. Another sign of a great scrub is if it is designed to protect the wearer from exposure to infectious substances.
Depending on your responsibilities in any given healthcare establishment, your scrubs will have a specific color to make identification easier. They also come with multiple pockets for convenience. Depending on your style choice, you can choose the neckline or fit you want your medical scrubs to have.
Whatever your choice of medical scrubs uniform, remember that the aim is to appear professional and use the proper protective scrubs for your line of work while feeling comfortable.
Types Of Medical Scrubs For Women & Men
Surgical Scrubs
As their name suggests, doctors and medical assistants often use these scrubs uniforms during surgical procedures. However, surgical scrubs are immediately disposed of after the operation to prevent the spread of infections as they are exposed to bodily fluids and the different chemicals that surgeons and nurses rely on during operations.
Such scrubs usually comprise a shirt, pants, and gown set. They are designed to be loose enough to improve mobility and ensure comfort. This is crucial because of how long some surgical procedures can take in the operating room. Scrubs for surgeries also have an absorption quotient that helps keep chemicals and fluids from coming into direct contact with your skin.
Lab Coats
Though their name distinctly lacks a connection to scrubs for doctors and nurses, lab coats also fall into the broad category of scrubs uniforms. Health personnel and medical technicians rely on lab coats to keep them safe when handling chemicals, human samples, and other substances. They are often worn over usual scrubs, especially during tests. They ensure that no drops or spills come into contact with your skin, particularly your arms. Some degree of fire and stain resistance is included in the design of polyester lab coats for medical use.
Such coats are designed to let you slip them off and get into them without hassle, making them convenient when handling medical emergencies. In addition, lab coats are invariably kept inside the hospital or clinic premises to avoid cross-contamination. Lab coats also make it easier for healthcare staff to identify specialized physicians in the workplace.
Maternity Scrubs
Healthcare staff routinely asks expectant mothers to wear unique maternity scrubs like patient scrubs. It makes caring for them a lot easier, especially considering how much sweat, blood, and toil are involved in giving birth – from contractions to delivery.
Doctors and nurses also need access to all parts of an expectant mother, especially during gynecological emergencies or select pediatric procedures. The quality, comfort, and importance of scrubs for expecting mothers cannot be stressed enough. Mothers-to-be deserve the best, after all.
Nursing Scrubs
Nurses are almost always on their feet. So it comes as no surprise to learn that nurses do more manual or physical work in a hospital, clinic, or other healthcare facilities than most doctors.
From medicating and cleaning patients to assisting in emergencies, including surgeries, nurses need to feel comfortable in what they wear. So, what were once starched and stiff outfits in the 50s have evolved into comfy and mobile scrubs uniforms for nurses.
The shirt and pant set boasts simple pockets, which vary in number and position depending on the type of nursing scrub. They can be used to conveniently carry instruments or clipboards. However, most of what a nurse carries is non-surgical, which is why some of them can be seen still wearing their scrubs on their way back home.
Patient Scrubs
Patients admitted to hospitals must wear specific scrubs designed to make it easier for doctors and nurses to treat and care for them, especially if they are immobile. Healthcare personnel will need to be able to quickly move and clean them, not to forget granting the patient unobstructed access to medical instruments like catheters and IV tubes.
The 'open' design used for patient scrubs also permits free air flow over their skin, reducing how much and how often they might sweat, particularly in non-air-conditioned rooms.
Benefits Of Medical Scrubs Uniforms
Self-Protection
Good medical scrubs shield you from bacteria, other sources of infection, and sundry bodily fluids and chemicals.
Mobility
With great comfort comes excellent mobility. Well-designed medical scrubs for women and men should allow your body room to move and promote adequate airflow, which further adds to their comfort quotient.
Professionalism
Medical scrub uniforms make it easier for healthcare staff to identify various specialists and nurses around them. They also give patients confidence to work with you.
