Registered Nurses (RNs) across the country are making a small change in their appearance at work, and it is having a huge impact on patients and patient safety. The RNs are opting to wear white, reflecting a return to the uniform of yesteryear that made them easily identifiable. It's part of the Wear White campaign, and the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) is encouraging their members to take part.
"The Wear White campaign is about registered nurses standing out from other care providers so that patients know who their care provider is," said Tracy Zambory, SUN president. "All professions in the healthcare system are important, but we are not interchangeable."
Many people will remember the instantly identifiable white uniform that nurses wore in the past, complete with a hat with two black stripes. It wasn't a hard and fast rule, though, and in the 1990s, a change to coloured uniforms became the trend. Later, hats were discontinued for infection control and other reasons. Identifying the RNs amid the other workers became a challenge for patients. SUN heard this message loud and clear from public polls it conducted: 80 per cent of respondents said it was important for them to be able to identify the RNs.
"The public tells SUN that they don't know the RN from the housekeeper, and that becomes a patient safety concern. We've been told that they want registered nurses to stand out so that when they look in the hallway, they see the person in the black and white, that's who they're going to go to and ask the important questions. " The movement for RNs to wear white began in Atlantic Canada a few years ago, and then moved west to Alberta, where "Wear White Wednesday" was promoted. It is voluntary, and in Saskatchewan, the emphasis is for RNs to wear a white top and black pants at least one day a week.
"The public tells SUN that they don't know the RN from the housekeeper, and that becomes a patient safety concern. We've been told that they want registered nurses to stand out so that when they look in the hallway, they see the person in the black and white, that's who they're going to go to and ask the important questions. "
The movement for RNs to wear white began in Atlantic Canada a few years ago, and then moved west to Alberta, where "Wear White Wednesday" was promoted. It is voluntary, and in Saskatchewan, the emphasis is for RNs to wear a white top and black pants at least one day a week.
"It is how we can assert our professional practice in the workplace. There are so many people on the floor, in the unit, in the facility. When a person comes in and they're stressed for a myriad of reasons, if the Registered Nurse is wearing white, "It is how we can assert our professional practice in the workplace. There are so many people on the floor, in the unit, in the facility. When a person comes in and they're stressed for a myriad of reasons, if the Registered Nurse is wearing white, they don't have to figure out who is who. When patients feel they know who their caregiver is, they feel very confident in the care that they're getting. Our members have immense pride. Registered Nurses bring a unique set of skills and knowledge to the workplace, which has been gained through their education and training," said Zambory.
The campaign has been so successful on the east coast that it has now become part of the collective agreement for nurses in Nova Scotia. In Saskatchewan, Zambory said feedback has been very positive already, too. "RNs who wear white and black more often are reporting that the patients are saying, 'We absolutely love this, we can identify the RN immediately.' When people start to get that kind of feedback from their patients, we absolutely know that we're moving in the right direction."
