10 min read
The prevalence of scrubs as uniforms in hospitals has undeniably increased over the years. Scrubs are worn by the likes of nurses, surgeons, physicians and other medical professionals.
One might ask: what role do scrubs play in the medical industry? Why do most hospitals require their staff to wear scrubs? To begin, scrubs are uniforms, commonly in blue or white, that are used by professionals in the medical field on a daily basis.
Depending on the role of the medical professional, they might wear a different color of scrubs. For example, nurses may wear blue and surgeons may wear white or vice versa. There are many advantages to using scrubs for nurses, doctors and patients alike.
Scrubs, on one level, can be used as a means of identification. Since scrubs are predominantly worn by nurses, it enables doctors, patients and other hospital staff to easily identify the nurses - this can be of imperative importance during emergencies, for example.
Scrubs are made to handle the demands of the healthcare industry. The durable material that they are made of can withstand stains and spills. In addition to these, there are several benefits of wearing scrubs
Scrubs are hard-wearing as they are cleaned, disinfected, and sterilized on a regular basis. In fact, hospitals often have in-house space dedicated to ensuring the cleansing and disinfection of scrubs as this enables hospitals to maintain a high level of sanitation and hygiene for employees and patients.
Since scrubs serve as uniforms, they can help in creating and maintaining a sense of belonging in the work space of medical professionals. This can work to improve employee morale and satisfaction.
In fact, according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a sense of belonging needs to be realized before one can begin achieving higher order needs like esteem and self-actualization.
Above all, scrubs are long-lasting and comfortable for the wearer. They can often withstand long work hours and allow the wearer to move easily. Further, the big pockets in scrubs provide space for the wearer to store and access medical equipment tirelessly.
Scrubs are perfect for busy medical professionals and they come in a variety of styles!
With over 40 years of experience in the industry, Adar is a brand reputed for providing high-quality uniforms. They have a diversity of medical scrubs that are noted for their comfort and fashionable look. If you are looking for practical and fashionable scrubs, Adar is the place to go!
With “Made to Matter” as its slogan, this company makes innovative and meaningful scrubs. This brand works to make scrubs that are inclusive. Their recently launched ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ scrubs is known for its comfort and high-performance capabilities. This brand highlights the all-day freshness and moisture-wicking abilities of its scrubs.
This collection by celebrity Sofia Vergera is for fashionable and dedicated nurses. This collection flatters the body of the wearer and can withstand long hours. For more feminine scrubs, this is the place to find them!
This brand has a great and long-lasting reputation for its quality and practical scrubs. The brand doesn’t compromise on style and comfort. Cherokee apparel is an innovative brand that delivers new styles and designs each season. It is often a favorite for medical professionals looking for scrubs.
This well-respected brand is known for high-quality scrubs. This brand’s care and appreciation for medical professionals is reflected in their uniforms. Along with Cherokee, this brand is often considered one of the best in the scrubs market.
This brand was created by a sportswear company with 35 years of market experience. This enables them to use fabrics from across the world in their designs and uniforms. At this company, nurse satisfaction and comfort are of the utmost importance.
This company was started in 2006 and can be considered a new company in the medical uniforms market with market players often having decades of experience and customer loyalty. However, this company is seeking to change the game with its innovative designs and styles which include ombre colored scrubs.
This brand believes its attention to detail sets it apart from the rest of the scrubs companies. From Lynx stretch fit technology to traditional poplin scrubs, this brand has it all. For a true variety of long-lasting and well fitting scrubs, this is the place to come!
This company began in 2014, and is currently in an expansionary stage. It is driven by the purpose of improving the functionality of healthcare textiles without compromising on comfort. The scrubs have a fluid barrier property that has proven to be useful to medical professionals.
This company is comprised of individuals with many years of experience in the uniform market. It seeks to supply medical uniforms with reliability and functionality at competitive prices.
This company has a history with creating scrubs with a great feel to them. They are known for being comfortable with breathable fabric. Their range of colors and fashion-forward designs are some of their selling points.
This is a large company that hosts clinical programs to supply chain services to medical devices to medical uniforms all under its roof. This brand is affordable and with it being the largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies, there is brand recognition and trust in this company in the medical field.
This company sells footwear, scrubs and accessories all under their roof. They are known for their style and functionality. This brand has many simple and basic scrubs choices so if you are looking for simple yet elegant scrubs, Nurse Mates is a good start.
This brand is a leader in the medical instruments and accessories markets. It is known for its colors, styles and designs. With hundreds of scrubs shirts and pants to choose from, you are sure to find the right scrubs for you here. This brand has a long history of providing reliable and trustworthy products for the medical industry.
It is known for its high quality of materials and workmanship. With over 100 years of experience, this company provides scrubs to major stores across North America. It is known for its eye catching designs and styles.
This company is known for its fresh and creative scrubs’ looks. Its parent company has won the URA Award for Manufacturer of the Year in 2016, 2015 and 2014. This company is relatively new but is said to have perfected its design.
**These top 15 are in alphabetical order
Before learning how to choose the right scrubs, it is essential to understand why the right scrubs are important in the medical workplace. Since medical professionals work long hours in scrubs, the fit and flexibility of the scrubs impact the performance of the professionals.
Wearing the correct scrubs for one’s size and shape enables them to move freely and withstand the long hours of the shifts. Below are some pointers to consider before choosing scrubs:
Many brands offer a variety of cuts when it comes to scrubs. Whether it’s V necks or mock wraps, medical professionals have a wide range of styles to choose from.
Scrubs with V necks provide chest pockets, whereas mock wraps don’t. The mock wraps have a back tie and make the wearer appear slimmer.
Some other styles to consider are the scoop neck and U shape neck which are also popular choices among medical professionals.
Scrubs can come with chest pockets and patch pockets. Some medical professionals prefer to have one, both or none of the pockets available. It is important to consider the various advantages and disadvantages of having chest pockets and/or patch pockets.
The chest pockets can hold a pen, small notebook and a cell phone among other things - if you desire this kind of space to store small, necessary things then you should consider buying scrubs with a chest pocket.
If this space isn’t necessary for you and you prefer to store these essential items elsewhere, then you should go ahead and choose scrubs without the chest pocket.
In the case of patch pockets, they are usually larger than the chest pockets and can be used to quickly store and access medical instruments.
However, some medical professionals may prefer not to carry the instruments with them everywhere as it may add to the weight of the uniform or the pocket(s) may become a space of clutter. These days many brands allow professionals to customize their scrubs and add as many or as few pockets as they wish.
One can choose to buy form fitting scrubs or scrubs that are loose and not body hugging. This factor ties into the practicality and appearance of the scrubs.
Form-fitting or tighter fitted scrubs can limit easy movement and breathability in the scrubs, but enable the wearer to look slimmer.
The more loose scrubs can provide breathing space to the wearer and allow them to move freely in them. However, professionals should be cautious of baggy scrubs.
Some hospitals have a color scheme for the scrubs worn by their medical professionals and often the color of scrubs is determined by the specific department of the hospital where the wearer works in.
If this is not the case, the professional has a choice between lighter colored scrubs and darker colored scrubs. Many brands today offer a wide variety of colors and prints for the professional to choose from.
White scrubs are suitable for wearers who are not likely to get stains and bodily fluids on them - hence for professionals who need long withstanding scrubs, the lighter colors might not be the right choice for them.
Further, a yearly or seasonal change of scrubs may enable the professionals to own a wide range of different colored scrubs.
Scrubs can come with slits on the side or without them. The choice of getting side slits or not getting slits, ties in with the size of the scrubs.
If the scrubs are short, then side slits would likely expose part of the body which is not desirable.
Meanwhile, longer scrubs might be more functional with side slits as they can provide the wearer a vent for air and improve the breathability of the scrubs.
Hence the choice of side slits and length of the scrubs should be considered together.
The medical industry has grown rapidly over the past few decades and continues to project high growth rates. This is a prime opportunity for the scrubs industry as there are more medical professionals in need of scrubs now than ever before.
As the industry grows, professionals want scrubs that are both comfortable and fashionable. The industry is working to deliver just that to the professionals and technology is revolutionizing the front end and back end of the process.
From the back end perspective, technological advances in the industry has enabled suppliers to own automated and computer controlled embroidery machines to supply customized designs to customers.
Further, newly launched apparel suppliers can access platforms like imprintnetwork.com to automate and manage their systems into a single platform. Thanks to such technologies, there is an increased ease of doing business in the industry.
From the front end perspective, customers can now access and buy scrubs almost instantly. Many apparel suppliers have an ecommerce platform up and running - and through this they take orders for individuals and companies alike.
Unlike the past where scrubs only came in one color and one style, the introduction of technology has made a wide of scrubs accessible to the medical professionals in almost no time (in fact, scrubs are now just a few clicks away!)
What’s more, well-designed ecommerce sites enable many customers to not just access the latest designs and styles of scrubs but also customize it to their liking.
You may also want to check our Guide to Uniform Catalogs to know about the uniform catalogs, how to subscribe to them and start selling on your online uniform store.
Happy scrubs shopping!
