Doctors judged for their scrub colour?

Here’s the original research article!

Citation: JAMA Surg. Published online January 11, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2022.5837

[gerardacronin]

As a resident, I once had to call in my attending urgently when a patient arrived in cardiac arrest. He was gardening at the time, so he arrived in jeans (they were clean). The patient was saved. The family had the gall to complain that the attending physician was not dressed “professionally”!!!

[chriswaltman]

I judge a doctor on their bedside manner, and how they distill information to me as a concerned patient. I couldn't care less what color their clothes are.

[chijimmy]

If you judge a doctor by the color of their scrubs. You really need to rethink how you judge. That said I love the color blue.

[abby]

At the hospital I work at, each person is supposed to wear a certain color to show what their position is (navy for nurses, grey for techs, teal for respiratory, etc.). I think, in this scenario, different colors can be really handy! As nurse, my only request would be that doctors choose a color different from the one assigned to others to prevent confusion 😅

[abtha]

I could care less what they're wearing I'm there to get treated not judge a pageant.

[gaberthesnipergaming]

I just wish you were the doctor at every one of my appointments. Would make me much more happy to go to the hospital! That smile is more comforting than a sunrise!

[beedoop]

I think black scrubs are just really sophisticated looking. The color black is also very good at hiding bodily fluids 😅. I know I don’t want to see my doctor with stains all over their light colored scrubs.

[NoelleH]

in my area ERs, scrub color depends on the position you hold. ER techs wear baby blue, paramedics wear royal blue, nurses wear navy blue, and doctors wear black. as an EMT seeing these people all the time I’ve never actually put any thought into their scrub colors, it just makes it easier to identify who exactly I’m speaking to when handing off patients. I judge skill and trustworthiness based on my interactions with them lol.

[eileenreiber]

Now that I think about it, my neurosurgeon wore navy blue scrubs the day of my surgery. I can’t believe people judge based on the color of scrubs. I already trusted him.

[mistydhudd]

I worked in a plasma donation center where everyone wore the same color scrubs but the color changed daily. Mondays Navy, Tuesdays Teal etc. This was to ensure employees were wearing clean scrubs daily and was required by the inspecting bodies the center answered to.

[teresamcg]

At least in Texas hospitals, RN wear navy blue. I would say most docs wear regular clothes with a white jacket or that hospital light green.

[TEXASTOAST]

I don’t judge anyone based on the color of anything. Honestly the scrubs thing has never crossed my mind. If you treat me respectfully I will do the same and I am always just grateful for good drs and nurses.

[LIVEINPEACE]

My surgeon wore dark blue scrubs so, without realizing it, I equate the color with surgeons.

[tonya.]

You are such a wonderful doctor and I feel your enthusiasm for the profession! You are also a beautiful women with your freckles! ❤ Respectfully!

[LaraA]

This is truly fascinating how colours affect people's perception. For me when I see a doctor in blue, I see him or her as a surgeon .

[NetITGeeks]

I think there is a deeper reason. In the Western society, Black is often associated with negative things like death and then add a hint of our racist past, we all know why colour black maybe seen as a negative thing. It is like in how in other countries with strong anti-women ideologies fear of female MDs or Pilots. I read cases where men would walk off a plane because there was a female pilot. Same idea, but with colours.

[ashleygaerke]

As a RN who has spent my whole career in the NICU I had to wear a special shade of blue specifically purchased through the hospital and no other departments could wear that color it was to help parent’s identify the NICU nurses from the L&D etc but I personally love black scrubs. My kids dentist office wears black scrubs and I love the clean classic look. But that’s just me.

[countchocula]

If I’m dying and need help, I don’t care if the doctors and nurses helping me are wearing lobster costumes or their freaking birthday suits for that matter… BRING IN THE PADDLES!!! 😂

[samjones]

Hey Siobhan! That's crazy and yes I think TV has influenced these shenanigans LOL I like the color you have on! I've always seen surgeons wearing black scrubs where I'm from!!! Thanks for bringing this to the light for us!!!! Cheers!

[katiemoyer]

Interestingly, scrubs only came in 3 colors when I was a new nurse grad. A medium blue, green and White. The Blue was mostly for non licensed or non supervisory staff. Docs, nurses (a white scrub dress for the 99+% of nurses that were female) wore white. OR (operating room) wore green, in OR only.