Scrubs are sanitary garments worn by nurses, doctors, surgeons, or other professionals involved in direct patient care in hospitals and clinics.
Those who use scrubs are not exempt from the obligation to wear lab coats during the exercise of work. The scrub works as a garment to wear under the lab coat or to wear without the lab coat to move around in common areas without having the risk of contaminating normal clothes with viruses and bacteria.
Scrubs were originally made to be used by surgeons and other operating room staff, and are placed as soon as they are sterilized, or after “scrubbing” their hands (scrub), cleaning their hands before surgery.
Nowadays it has become popular among health workers as an option for a comfortable, practical and very mobile professional uniform for the hectic routine.
Where did the Scrubs come from?
Originally, the clothing of the operating room was white to emphasize cleanliness. However, the combination of bright operating lights and an all-white environment led to eye strain for the surgeon and team.
In the 1950s and 1960s, most hospitals abandoned white operating room attire in favor of various green hues, which provided a high-contrast environment, reduced eye fatigue, and made the drops of bright red blood less visible.
By the 1970s, surgical clothing had largely reached its modern state—a short-sleeved shirt with a V-neck and drawstring pants or a short-sleeved gown, made of green cotton or cotton/polyester blend.
On top of this, she wore a cloth apron to tie behind, a gauze or synthetic textile mask, a cloth or synthetic surgical gown, latex gloves and closed-toe shoes. This uniform was originally known as “surgical greens” = Surgical green due to its color, but came to be called “scrubs” because it was worn in a “scrubbed” environment.
Benefits of Scrubs
Those who start using scrubs don’t abandon it. This is because a single garment unites many benefits.
1. Protect against body fluids
High-quality medical gowns are made of fabric thick enough to prevent a patient’s body fluids from coming into direct contact with the wearer’s skin.
2. They are cost-effective
Scrubs are designed for maximum use and cost efficiency. They are made of high-quality fabric that is inexpensive and can withstand even the most thorough cleaning process possible. This means that they can last for years of washing and wear and tear, and they are easy to replace.
3. Provide comfort and range of motion for the user.
It’s no secret that healthcare professionals have some of the most physically demanding jobs. In addition to exposure to harmful pathogens on a regular basis, they are also the ones who must stand for the entire shift, work long hours, lift patients, or move around the clinic for hours on end. To perform their work efficiently, they need uniforms that provide them with maximum comfort.
4. They are functional
Scrubs are designed to help make work easier for the user, with their large pockets and their range of motion.
5. Facilitates identification
Like all company uniforms, the lab coat facilitates the identification of local professionals. These identifications are often enhanced with custom color combinations or clinic logo prints/embroidery.
6. They convey credibility
The proper use of scrubs conveys to your patient an idea of special care, hygiene, safety and professionalism.
When to Use Colored Scrubs
For many years, before 1900, the standard was white scrubs. It helps with cleaning, of course, but it has fallen out of favor because, after staring at red for a long time, professionals see the opposite color – a turquoise green – when they look at white. This made it difficult to be precise during surgical interventions.
To solve this situation, surgeons are now recognized for using the colors green and blue, but why?
Because they are opposite colors to red. Doctors and nurses spend a lot of time looking at blood and organs, which takes away the sensitivity of the vision to the rosy nuances of the inside of the body.
Looking at green or blue from time to time calibrates the retinas and increases contrast.
In addition to these main colors, there are scrubs and colored coats that are being used to differentiate work teams and for patients to more easily identify who is responsible for care in hospitals and clinics.
Colored scrubs are being used by veterinarians, dentists, pharmacists, beauticians, biologists, and many other healthcare professionals. Each color is chosen according to the feeling and message you want to convey to patients.
Light colors have the power to convey feelings of care, comfort, warmth, and relaxation. Dark colors, on the other hand, convey more professionalism, seriousness, alertness, among others.
Nowadays, a large portion of medical centers and nursing staff choose to use unisex scrubs. Although the term unisex means both men and women, its modeling follows a much more masculine pattern, with wider and straighter designs.
However, here at Dash there are several options for custom scrubs that can have bow details, puffed sleeves, V-neck and round, with and without draping that give a touch of femininity and delicacy to the piece.
What is the difference between scrubs and lab coats?
Scrubs were created to be clothes to be worn initially in operating rooms, but they have gained space and are now widely used even outside of operating rooms.
But they do not replace the lab coat, and, unlike scrubs, the lab coat is not indicated for use in surgical environments, only in care and in non-invasive exams.
Has scrubs for all pros
As I said above, all health professionals have already adhered to the use of scrubs. All the models we post in this article are available in our online store, in various colors, with different customizations and fabrics.
Stop by our online store and make your choice!