Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton, Ohio, is rolling out a new hospitalwide dress policy. All staff members working in direct patient care and clinical support positions will have color-coded attire.
The decision to update the hospital's dress policy comes after more than 200 staff members spent a year researching dress-code standards and sifting through studies from other medical centers that have adopted similar policies. Two MVH nursing units piloted the color-coded uniforms. The evidence from the trial proved that having a consistent dress code improved patients' perception of care and resulted in higher patient and nurse satisfaction.
"Our goal in adopting this new policy is to create an environment of caring and clinical excellence," says Gary Blake, vice president of operations. "The new standard will make it easier for patients to differentiate nurses and other caregivers and to present a professional image that supports patients' peace of mind about the services they are receiving at Miami Valley Hospital."
Miami Valley has selected certain colors of scrubs to distinguish one patient care specialty from another. Miami Valley uniform colors are as follows:
• RNs will wear navy or white.
• Patient care technicians, health unit coordinators, and staff secretaries will wear sandstone.
• Licensed technologists, such as those working in medical imaging, will wear wine.
• Technicians, such as those working in EKG and endoscopy, will wear teal.
• Registered respiratory therapists and central distribution personnel have hunter green uniforms.
• Environmental services staff wear black.
• Staff members in other patient support roles must wear white scrub jackets or lab coats over business attire.
The new professional image policy affects about 3,600 individuals or 60% of the hospital's workforce.
