6 Responses to “How can you tell the difference between a nurse, physician, and other medical people based on their uniforms?”

1. Diane A Says:
   August 14th, 2010 at 12:31 pm

   This is quirky but in my hospital, the medical staff (and the PAs) wore scrubs always tucked in (and a coat); the nursing staff etc wore the longer scrub/smock tops with pockets worn long, not tucked in, and "warm up" jackets (the ones with snaps & knitted cuffs to match the scrubs)–quirky but it was universal.

2. Patches6 Says:
   August 14th, 2010 at 12:31 pm

   Most people id themselves to you in a hospital setting. It never hurts to ask…

3. crazy!! Says:
   August 14th, 2010 at 12:31 pm

   You can’t. You would have to either ask them, or look at their name badge. Some hospitals are going to color-coded scrubs (nurses in blue, techs in burgundy, etc.) I think this is a good idea, as it is confusing to many people.

4. Jill Says:
   August 14th, 2010 at 12:31 pm

   In most hospitals, you can’t, you need to ask or look at their credentials on their name badges.

   Some hospitals have gone to color-coding their uniforms, so that CNAs wear one color, RNs another color, lab techs wear white lab coats, etc. But so far this kind of policy is still the exception.

5. Serge M Says:
   August 14th, 2010 at 12:31 pm

   Most nurses are female and most physicians are male. So nurses are prettier than physicians. The situation is changing so as time passes it will be harder to tell, but the change is for the better.

6. aida Says:
   August 14th, 2010 at 12:31 pm

   It can be pretty hard, and I’ve even read that the hospitals prefer it that way–since they’re usually understaffed, if the patients can’t tell the nurses from the aides (for example), they’ll be more willing to accept from an aide a service they’d prefer to have a nurse perform. I fear that the best way to find out who’s what is to ask.

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