Today marks the first day of a brand new series on the Lydia’s blog: Ask Liza. One day each week I’ll be answering all of your questions about medical uniforms and scrubs. Got a question about what’s in style? Here’s the place to ask it! Want to know which size will fit your specific body type best? I’ll give you my personal recommendations. Whatever your question might be, whether it’s about prices, sizing, styles, brands etc., I’ll do my very best to give you a helpful and informative answer. Submit your questions here.

I’m going to kick off the series with a fun question that recently came up. So here we go:

Q: I love having the most fashionable scrubs at my work place and I can’t wait for a new Lydia’s catalog to come in the mail. What styles and trends will be coming out in your next catalog that I can look forward to?

A: Just last week I was thumbing through the racks of our newest products and there were a couple of looks that jumped out at me. Browsing through these medical scrubs it was clear that prints are going to be huge next season, especially for the fashion forward. I noticed scrubs that featured more than one print, which is a definite style statement. I also saw a very fun top that features a bold, can’t be missed image; it’s completely one of a kind and I love that! Seeing these nursing scrubs showed me that uniform designers are really pushing the envelope to provide health care workers with new up and coming styles.

In addition to the trend of prints there were some unique necklines that I think you’ll like. In my opinion different style necklines provide an easy way to mix up your normal look, while still keeping it basic.

And the third thing that caught my eye was a new collection of medical uniforms from a popular street-wear brand. I don’t want to ruin the surprise so you’ll have to wait and find out which brand I’m referring to.:)

If you have your own question, send me an email and I’ll feature your question in the next Ask Liza segment. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Share your opinion and tell me which cover is your fave! Vote below.

Our Lydia’s Direct mini-catalog is online now at LydiasUniforms.com, so I’m here to spread the news. The catalog is filled with fun ideas on how to coordinate different colors, prints and styles for a group and it’s the perfect place to start if your team is searching for a new look, or an update to its current look. One of the ideas that’s included in the catalog is putting together these three Cherokee scrub tops. I love how they’re different, but coordinate so perfectly; they would definitely unify the look of a team.



So check out our new mini-catalog and let me know what you think! If it inspires you to come up with some of your own group looks, feel free to share your ideas here. 

If you’re looking for a way to save money on medical scrubs, signing up for the Lydia’s email list is a great option. We let you pick which emails you want to receive and we keep you up to date on all of our best offers (including coupons, sales, contest and new products). Plus, as a special thanks for signing up we’ll send you a coupon for 20% off your next order, so give it a try. Click here to sign up now.

Already signed up? Well do you have any friends, co-workers or family members who buy medical uniforms, but don’t know about Lydia’s? If you do, we want you to spread the word! Let everyone know about Lydia’s by logging into your email preferences and inviting your friends to get started at our store. Once you do, we’ll send out a message with a special coupon and they can find out for themselves what we have to offer.

So if you want to share the love and send a coupon to your friends, click here to access your email preferences.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month-a month that is dedicated to promoting the fight against breast cancer and raising awareness around the globe.  National Breast Cancer Awareness Month has been recognized since 1985 and has steadily grown since then. Each year I'm impressed with the efforts made by my fellow students, co-workers and friends to support this cause and I know that as we move into October I'll see my co-workers here at Lydia's making their own contributions to promote awareness.

To help you show your support, we’ve stocked our online store with breast cancer awareness nursing scrubs and medical supplies from Baby Phat, Cherokee and Dickies. If you place your order now you’ll have your new medical scrubs by the beginning of October and you can wear them throughout the month (and of course there’s nothing wrong with wearing them year round).

In addition to wearing pink, is there anything that you’re doing in October to support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month? If so, leave a comment and tell me about it. Or if you have pictures of you and your co-workers wearing your pink scrubs or working to raise awareness send them in, I would love to share them on the blog.

You’ve told us time and again that Cherokee scrubs are your favorite medical uniforms, so we took it upon ourselves to give you an amazing selection to choose from. We currently offer 400 Cherokee products and that means (I hope) that we have just what you’re looking for. In our Cherokee Super Store you’ll find prints, solids, tops, bottoms, lab coats, stretch scrubs, boutique fashions, you name it!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of these options, let me give you a few recommendations. If your main focus when buying new scrubs is fashion and comfort, try the Cherokee Body, Flexibles or Touch collections. If you like to stick to the basics then you’ll definitely want to go for the Cherokee Authentic line. And if you’re all about style then Studio B scrubs are for you. We also have Men’s medical scrubs and sports scrubs so don’t miss those either.

Well, that’s enough from me. Stop reading and go check out our Cherokee Super Store. And don’t forget that you can get free shipping on orders over $75 if you order soon!


Have something to say? Leave a comment here.

My congrats go out to Shawna, last month’s winner of our Editor @ Large contest. Shawna is a medical assistant in Ohio and she wears scrub uniforms on a daily basis. Dickies scrubs  have always been her favorite, “they are very comfortable, long-lasting, and I don't ever have to iron them--I just spray them with some wrinkle releaser and I am good to go!! (lol)” she said. Shawna entered our contest on the blog and here’s her winning comment:
And to those of you who didn’t win, don’t forget to take part in this month’s Editor @ Large contest, which is in session now! Click here to enter.

As we stocked our web site and catalog full of new products for fall, once again I couldn’t help but notice how many of the medical uniforms were influenced by everyday fashions.  Take a look at these two styles below and how similar they are to their designer counterparts.

The first two are vibrant colored solids that both feature the empire waist and the scoop neckline. And I don’t know about the designer look, but I can tell you that the Jockey Scrub Top is incredibly soft!

             Designer Style:           Scrub Style:
             Po Scoop Neck              Jockey Sweetheart
             Empire Waist Top         Neck Scrub Top


The second pair includes two tunic style tops that feature can’t-miss prints in eye catching color combos. The tunic style is flattering on almost everyone, which explains why it’s coming back for everyday wear and making its appearance on designer nursing scrubs.


          Designer Style:                   Scrub Style:
        Tunic Top by BCBG          Metropolitan Top by Koi



So what trends have you seen showing up on the latest medical uniforms?

I enjoy the drama that is played out on T.V. and at times picture my self working in a grand hospital. Then I snap back to reallity, I work in a 35 bed hosptial where the experience is limited and I am slowly loosing all my skills. Sometime I say "I'm leaving" but I just can't its my home and we are already loosing all of our nurses to big countries like the U.S. and the U.K. Here I am a jack of all trades master of none. I am going to try give you a picture of this place. It's one long ward, it's separated in cubicles male and female. There is no medical or surgical wards ect. everyone is in one big pot. On the female side there's paeds. and matty. Even thou the place is small you go home mentally drained. On a average day I have at the max 16 pts. with limited staff one RN, one RN midwife, one nursing assistant. when the midwife get a woman in labour its the one RN and assistant to manage the 16 pts. Out of the 16, 4 are critical needing ICU care. I would have all medication to serve and still monitor the critical pts as ordered. Then there is still doctors rounds, with all appearing at the same time and all wanting their orders carried out STAT. Now there is still feeding of patients, turing of the medical bed patients, the surgical ones that have dressings to be done. ( lets not forget the midwife who is now deliverying a baby by herself another disaster waiting to happen.Yes the OBGYN doesn't deliver babies here, all they do are the CS). There is never an orderly around so all the heavy lifting is mine. I work whole shifts without a break because there is never enough staff to relief me. To make a long story short even thou the place is small it is stressfull having to think medical, surgical, peads, ICU and all that comes with illness in one shift. On top of the work load the treatment of the nurses by other staff and the public is one I would not wish on my worst enemy. Many days I cry before I go to work and I cry when I finish. I am thinking about leaving the profession but I love being a Nurse.

Name: Carol

Happy Friday everyone. Enjoy the weekend and enjoy the free shipping that we’re currently offering on all orders over $50.

Now here’s the news from the week:

Healthcare Professionals in the News:

• Three hospitals rate lower in readmissions
• NYC school nurse recounts swine flu triage
• Seven Of 10 Nurses Report Insufficient Staffing, According To ANA Online Poll
• Young Doctors Weigh in on Healthcare

Health News:

• Celiac Disease Increases Sharply
• Feds outline new food-safety initiatives
• Patients fret over proposed Tylenol restrictions
• Final rules out for government stem cell research

Blog Posts:

• Why Nurse Stereotypes Are Bad for Health
• Soliant Health’s 20 Most Beautiful Hospitals in the U.S. Rankings for 2009

Have something to say? Leave a comment here.

Stock up on scrubs while the shipping is free! We're currently offering free shipping on all orders over $50. That means there's no reason not to buy the new lab coat, nursing scrubs or medical supplies that you need. This offer only lasts a few more days, so make sure to take advantage of it while you can.

Need some help deciding what to buy? I highly recommend checking out our newest products which include some fun basics and prints by Cherokee. I would also suggest shopping the Lydia's Pro-Series line which is currently on sale.

Happy shopping!

Have something to say? Leave a comment here.

Heads up! Dickies scrubs just went on sale at LydiasUniforms.com and we’re currently offering $4 shipping on all orders. These are two awesome deals and they’re even better combined, so it’s an ideal time to stock up on medical scrubs. I was browsing the marked down Dickies scrubs and there are some great prices. I would definitely recommend checking out this contrast wrap scrub top ($9.59) and the wide leg scrub pants ($11.19). The prices can’t be beat and these are two top sellers.

Which Dickies scrubs do you consider must-haves?

P.S. I just gave away a pair of Koi scrub pants on Twitter and tomorrow I’ll be announcing the winner of June’s Editor @ Large contest on the blog! Check back to see if you’ve won!

Unwritten Rules within the Nursing Profession
Courtesy of NurseConnect

Like many professions, don’t you think there are many unwritten rules in nursing? Depending on where you work, you have probably been exposed to many of these tacit expectations. Some of these norms are more obvious than others.
 
For instance, beginning with nursing school, most nurses are told that there is the “ideal way of doing things in our profession,” and then, there is the “real way things are done.” I remember hearing this idiom when I first started out as a nursing assistant. It still sounds cynical to me.
 
Since the early days of nursing, there seem to have been several unwritten rules based on convention. When it comes to health and life-and-death situations, it makes sense to have some hard-and-fast rules. However, at times, inflexible “traditions” may interfere with a nurse’s critical thinking. They can also hamper the potential for promoting positive change within a facility.
 
This brings me to a common, unwritten rule among certain groups of nurses: Don’t ask too many questions. Having precepted students and oriented new nurses, I can definitely identify with this notion. Nurses stay busy, and questions (especially complicated ones) can slow us down. Too many questions can interfere with our already hectic workload.
 
One of my favorite responses to an overly inquisitive student or new nurse is to have them briefly tell me what they think the answer is. This approach empowers them to learn to think through their questions before approaching busy nurses for an easy answer. If practical, I encourage novice nurses to research some answers on their own. Of course, this depends on the type of question. For theoretical questions, I try to give them a quick overview and then encourage them to look at relevant literature. On the other hand, when questions are in regard to ongoing duties or imminent procedures, then quick (and accurate) answers are essential. Sometimes, we must interrupt our own work flow in order to assist new nurses with equipment, clinical skills, or locating vital supplies.
 
Some health care facilities seem to have an unwritten rule that nurses must be fast and efficient. While I believe that nurses should be organized and effective, they must also be tuned into the needs of the patient and family members. Patients don’t like to feel rushed, and rushing can lead to errors. Furthermore, it may not be effective to try to rush all of our tasks into one hurried encounter with our patient. Take, for instance, patients with increased intracranial pressure or the unstable patient who may desaturate with too much stimulation. These patients need to have their bedside care doled out in easily manageable pieces.
 
Another unwritten rule in nursing seems to be that a seated or talking nurse is somehow unproductive. Most of our seated time involves charting, which is very much a part of our expected nursing role. And, talking to patients and family members is not necessarily nonproductive. We may be calming our clients, assessing their mental status, or building their trust. This unwritten rule is closely related to the all-too-often “norm” of expecting nurses to skip meals and interrupting them on their way to the rest room.
 
There is a great deal of physical work involved in the routine bedside care that we provide everyday. Hopefully, your facility doesn’t have an unwritten rule that every nurse should “tough it out on his own.” I prefer sharing the load, whenever possible. Many hands make for a lighter load.
 
Does your facility or floor have any unwritten rules or nonflexible traditions?

Have something to say? Leave a comment here.

Happy Friday everyone. Enjoy your weekend and when you're shopping LydiasUniforms.com don't forget that we're currently offering 20% off ALL Cherokee medical scrubs in addition to $10 off orders of $79 or more.

Now here's the news from the week:

Healthcare Professionals in the News:

• Edie Falco's Nurse Jackie a Model For Hospital Drug Use?
• Doctors’ Pay, A Key to Health Care Reform
• National Nurses Movement Launches Ad Campaign For Nurse TV Shows
• Resume Writing Tips for Nurses
• California Boardrooms Awakening to Advantage of Nursing Perspective

Health News:

• Canada to ban phthalates in toys, vinyl bibs
• Nestle Recalls Raw Cookie Dough Products
• Perceptions of diabetes still stuck in 1960s
• FDA warns against using 3 popular Zicam cold meds
• Study links some ADHD drugs to rare deaths

Blog Posts:

• First bad error

Have something to say? Leave a comment here.

Happy Friday everyone. I hope you all enjoy the holiday weekend and don’t forget to take advantage of the Lydia’s $3 Shipping Sale. We’re offering 20% off Cherokee Authentic AND $3 shipping on all orders.

Now here’s the news from the week:

Healthcare Professionals in the News:

• Nurses, Insurers, Others Pushing To Be Included In Health Reform Debate
• Are Medical Residents Working Too Hard or Not Hard Enough?
• Survey: Doctors say recession lowers patient volume
• Nursing Unions Urge Congress To Pass Nurse-Patient Ratio Legislation

Health News:

• One-Third of Americans Don’t Use Sunscreen
• ‘Secret Shopper’ Fights Hospital Deaths
• Swine Flu Closes More Schools as Worldwide Cases Exceed 10,000
• Research Reveals How Down Syndrome Shields Against Cancer
• Deadly Medical Errors Still Plague U.S.
• WHO seeks swine flu vaccine help for poor nations

Blog Posts:

• Proper IV Documentation is Our Best Protection
• On “Medwives”

Have something to say? Leave a comment here.

Happy Friday everyone.  It's been a busy week here at Lydia's Uniforms. Between our Nurses Week Celebration and a new catalog release, we've had lots to do! In my opinion, the Nurses Week Celebration went really well; I had a great time giving away gift certificates everyday and it was fun to read all your comments. I'm also a huge fan of the new summer catalog. It's filled with stylish, functional and affordable scrubs and like I said in yesterday's post, there is something for everyone. If you haven't already seen the latest summer styles, make sure to check them out. We have over 125 new pieces, from nursing scrubs to lab coats and more. You can view them all here.

Now, here's the news from the week:

Healthcare Professionals in the News:

• International Nurses Day Chance To Improve Conditions For Health Workers In Developing Countries, Opinion Piece Says
• One Doctor's Quest to Cut Unneeded Treatments
• In patients' hunt for care, doctor database a place to start
• Nurses in Washington Fight for Medicare
• Virtual Doctor Visits Satisfactory for both Patients and Physicians

Health News:

• Senators open to compromise on healthcare revamp
• New Study Data Indicates Long-Term Defibrillator
• Ginger may help chemo patients with nausea
• US now has 4700 cases of new swine flu- CDC

Blog Posts:

• National Nurses Week Ends- What Now?
• Calling out the near miss

Have something to say? Leave a comment here.

I have good news! Our summer catalog has arrived. Check your mailbox or head to our website and browse the latest medical uniforms. We have new scrubs from all your favorite brands, including a few collections that I’m really excited about! The looks this summer are perfect warm weather styles and there’s a little something for everyone. The Landau Bioshield Collection is perfect for the practical medical professional, Studio B by Cherokee is exactly what the trendy worker is looking for and new tops from Dickies are all about summery prints.  Plus there are tons of basics and plenty of affordable options.

So what looks are getting all the buzz here in the office at Lydia’s? Well I asked the stylish ladies in the web department and here are our summer scrub picks:

Lydia’s Uniforms employs an incredible group of people. You can always find someone here who is working to better their community or the lives of others. Today’s post is an example of a Lydia’s employee who is working for a cause that’s important to many. The employee, Heidi, has been impacted by Cancer within her family multiple times in the past five years and this year she will be participating in Relay for Life in order to raise awareness and in hope of finding a cure for this disease.
She would like to share her story:

If you would like to donate to the 2009 Relay For Life of Sparta on behalf of Heidi Wolbert please click here.

Looking for fresh, new medical scrubs? No need to wait for the arrival of the summer collection from Lydia’s because we’ve just added 70 new products from Baby Phat and Cherokee Scrubs to our online store. With everything from stylish medical scrubs in vibrant solids to adorable cartoon prints (including Dora, Spongebob, Carebears and more!), these new products should be enough to tide you over until you receive your next Lydia’s catalog in the mail.

Below are a few of my personal faves. Browse the entire selection of new scrubs here and share your favorites with everyone by leaving a comment.



From left to right: Cherokee Seuss Stories Scrub Top, Baby Phat Contrast Piping Scrub Top and Cherokee Healthy Heart Mock Wrap Scrub Top