Nursing Scrubs, Color Affects, And Patients

History of color:
Colors can be traced all the way back to Ancient Egypt. The Egyptians used
differing colors to define meaning to everyday life, an item or a persons nature. Sir Isaac Newton is thought to be the first person to understand the separate colors of the rainbow, and he received credit for the invention of the color wheel. He published his report in 1672 after refracting white light from the other colors shining off a prism he held up to the sunlight. The primary colors that were identified and still used today are red, blue, and green. To create secondary colors two primary colors must be mixed together, then let the fun begin with all the options to choose from!

Red:
If you find yourself drawn to red, the color we typically associate with the
feeling of love, remember that it is also seen as promoting feelings like energy, power, and strength. There are many different shades in which to choose this beautiful color, from your bright bold true red to the palest prettiest shade of petal pink. The unfortunate side effect that red has produced is a faster heartbeat and breathing rate due to the color stimulating the nervous system. Alas this may not be the perfect choice for patients in a critical care unit.

Blue:
Blue is the most popular color in the market. Blue can range from blue sky to midnight blue and hundreds of options in between. The color is immediately seen as a calming one, but depending on the shade feelings can vary. Lighter shades tend to bring out feelings and thoughts of peacefulness, nature, and springtime. Medium shades denote importance, confidence, stability, and authority. The darker the shades run the words confidence and authority are more commonly used. Do you notice a lot of physicians in hospitals wear navy blues? The downside is the darker the blue, or if a large quantity is seen it can cause feelings of depression.

Green:
Green is thought to be a calming color, it is also associated with the words
tranquility, good luck, health, and stress relief. Surgeons typically wear
surgical green scrubs, could it be a coincidence or practicality? The early
surgeons wore all white, bright red against a stark white uniform does not go
over as well as if the red was more subdued against a green. White is also seen as a reflector in which light bounces off and makes more of an eye sore in the surgical suites and hurts more than helps.

White:
On the subject of white, words associated with this color are cold, bland,
and sterile. While most of us in the healthcare industry require the word
sterile in our vocabulary it may or may not be seen by us and our patients as a welcoming color by on its own. White is a necessity in the wardrobe though, any color can accent white, and some employees are required to wear all white. Environmental Specialists in hospitals are largely required to wear all white.

Yellow:
Yellow signifies fun and light; great for bringing up the mood and feel from
drab to cheerful. This is an excellent color to wear in a pediatric ward to lighten up a room, there are many spring prints annually that have differing shades of yellow.

Orange:
Orange has been shown to have a mentally stimulating effect, challenging
people in a more social way, how about a nice orange tie for the mental health worker?

Black:
Black is seen as a conservative and sophisticated, as with too much dark
blue, black can be overdone. Black, along with white is best left to be the
backdrop to your accent color to pop out and be noticed. A black lab coat, or black pair of scrub bottoms are a guaranteed success with a bright print top.

Brown:
Lets not forget brown, our earth friendly, and naturally simplistic color. Though all brown seems to work well for the UPS Driver, you don't see them but for a few minutes a day. Brown in small increments especially in nursing scrub prints can create a sense of strength and reliability, with feelings of warmth and comfort. As you can imagine in a medical setting an overabundance of brown can cause sadness.

Purple:
Not one of the primary colors, born from blue and red, purple represents
spirituality and wisdom. The color is also used as a symbol of royalty and
wealth. Purple has been seen as promoting brain activity for problem solving, this may be a wonderful color for medical students. Some discussions have centered around purple subconsciously soothing patients seeking mental healthcare for fear and obsessions.

Whether your medical uniform palate is chosen by you or your employer you have a lot of options to consider. If you are intrigued or wish to convey a certain feeling or emotion your color choice will play into that. The first impression can have a lasting effect on your patients, so choose your colors by your preference but with the psychology of these colors behind it also. In the end have fun choosing your uniform and viewing the vast selection of colors that is ever changing by a designers mind.