Happy Friday everyone! Below I’ve listed links to news stories and blog posts on all sorts of interesting things. In addition to the stories below, I have some good news about scrubs from Lydia’s. For the first time ever Lydia’s is featuring a clearance sale on in-stock Katherine Heigl scrubs from her Monterey Collection. If you’re anything like me you love when designer pieces go on sale. Here’s your chance to get designer medical scrubs for over 30% off! This scrub top, one of my favorites is $17.99, down from $30. If you had plans to buy medical scrubs; now’s the time! Anyway, all this talk about sales is making me want to go shopping. Back to the news!

News Stories: Doctors and Nurses in the News

• America Nurse Today Launches New e- Edition
• California Team Selected to Advance Solutions to Nursing, Faculty Shortages
• Care in the air
• Doctor Takes on Cycle Ride to Say Thanks for Research
• Nurse worked 18 years with no license
• The American Dream: Dr. Quiñones' Incredible Journey

News Stories: Health News

• Diabetes rates skyrocket among Americans, CDC says
• U.S. Panel gives O.K. to 2 new combo vaccines
• Widespread HIV testing sought in the Bronx

Blogs:

• A Day in the Life of a Family Nurse Practitioner
• Clinton calls on nurses to back Obama
• Should Doctors Unionize?

Today I’m going to step outside my blogging box and get back to basics. I’m sure by now you’ve noticed that stylish medical scrubs and unique medical clothing uniforms that follow the trends of today are one of my favorite things to post about. I just can’t get over the fashionable details that adorn many of the designer medical scrubs and whenever I discover something new or stylish I want to share it with you! But as I said, today I’m going to get back to the basics. No talk about the trendy medical scrubs. Instead I’m going to share with you my opinion on the best of the best when it comes to basic medical scrubs from Lydia’s.

Whether it’s your regular wardrobe or your medical clothing uniforms wardrobe, there are just some pieces that you have to have, and those are the basics. In my wardrobe at home my basics are simple: brown and black shoes that match everything, one good pair of jeans, plain tees and tanks that can be dressed up or down and the white button down shirt. They might just be basics, but those basics are the basis of a great wardrobe. So when it comes to medical clothing uniforms, what are the must haves?

Here’s what I think about the basics of scrubs: You need a pair of comfortable shoes, a solid v-neck scrub top, a comfy basic tee, a versatile jack and drawstring scrub pants in the style that looks best on you. Finally, after you have all those pieces, and if your dress code allows it, you can add the trendy and stylish
medical scrubs to your work wardrobe.

So after browsing through the scrubs and comparing prices, styles, sizes and colors these are my picks for the best of the best when it comes to the basics of medical scrubs.
 
 
             
                                         

Medcial clothing uniforms tops, clockwise from top left corner: Annie Combo Top by Koi, two tops in one for $23.99, Everyday Unisex Scrub Top by Dickies for $9.99, Value Plus Reversible Unisex Scrub Top by Lydia’s for $8.99, Soft Brushed Four Pocket Top by Lydia's for $13.99,  Roxy Jacket by Koi for $24.99, Short Sleeve Spandex Knit Tee by Dickies for $9.99.

Medical clothing uniforms pants, left to right: Drawstring Bootcut Pant by Urbane for $18.99, Back Elastic Cargo Pant by Dickies for $14.99 and Unisex Four Pocket Pant by Lydia's for $11.99.

Shoes, top to bottom: Women’s Primo Breeze Pro for $49.99, Men’s Topo Moc Pro for $49.99 both by Merrell.


Which basics do you think are the best?

Uniforms can be good, uniforms can be bad and uniforms can be downright ugly. After putting some serious thought into it I decided that medical scrubs fall into the good uniform category. Now I know you might be thinking that my opinion is biased and of course I would think scrubs are good, but hear me out on this one. 

Before working at Lydia’s I spent four long years working in a restaurant and wearing a uniform that easily falls into the category of ugly. Think non-fitted, faux denim button down shirt, accompanied by a pair of unflattering khaki pants, topped off by a men’s tie. If the scratchy fake denim shirt didn’t send that outfit straight into the ugly category, then accessorizing it with a men’s tie certainly did. And that’s not really the worst part about this uniform. The worst, most obnoxious thing about this uniform is that it was replaced with a much more flattering uniform the exact same week that I put in my two weeks notice.

Prior to that I had a job which required me to wear a blue polo with black pants. Alright, there’s nothing horrible about that, right? Wrong. The shirt was only available in sizes that were twice the width and length of any normal shirt I would wear. Trying to tuck it in, as was required, resulted in me trying to shove yards of fabric into the waist of my pants. Needless to say this was not a good look or feel, and that is why this uniform falls into the bad category.

On the contrary to my old uniforms, medical scrubs come in a variety of colors and prints and there are more and more stylish medical scrubs each season. Although some of you may not get to choose the scrubs that you wear, you do get the reassurance that at the very least your medical clothing uniforms will be comfortable. For those of you that do get to choose, you’re lucky. Designer medical scrubs from brands like Koi, Urbane and Katherine Heigl follow all the latest fashion trends and come in a variety of styles and sizes. Your options are endless.

Bearing all this info in mind, you have to believe me when I say I browse through the racks of Barco Medical Scrubs, Landau Scrubs or stylish medical scrubs by Katherine Heigl with a slight feeling of envy. I would be elated to wear any uniform that was a nice color and didn’t feel like cardboard, not to mention any uniform with a pretty pattern, shape or fashion forward style. So for all those reasons, I feel completely justified placing medical scrubs in the category of good uniforms, even if I am biased.

Plus, as long as your uniform consists of scrubs, you can be reassured that you’ll never have to dress like this (unless you want to):

To see uniforms that fit into the good category, including restaurant uniforms, check out our sister company Uniform Warehouse. Or of course you can head to  Lydia's Uniforms. And please feel free to comment and share any stories that you have about the uniforms you wore before you wore scrubs.

Before working at Lydia's I never knew how many styles and options there are when it came to medical clothing uniforms. I can’t help but admire how fashion forward some of the scrubs are. At times I find myself looking through our designer medical scrubs and thinking, “I would wear that.”  And I don’t mean: I would wear that if I was a Registered Nurse that worked in the hospital next to my house. I mean: I would wear that on my day off when I ride my bike to the park or when I’m shopping downtown. So I went through our latest catalog and found some looks that are functional for work or play. Check them out and see what you think. Could I get away with wearing these tops, even though I’m not a nurse? I think so. Would you wear these styles on your day off? Let me know.

I think this shirt is more than appropriate for mothers as well as nurses. What mother hasn’t tended to a scraped knee or a bump on the head? (I’m not a mother or a nurse, so this shirt isn’t for me, but I bet there are lots of readers out there who fit into both categories!)

I love this hoodie. Everything from the waist details to the length to the colors is perfect. Can’t you see yourself throwing this over your favorite tee and jeans, or even as a swimsuit cover up?

Another great item to throw on for a casual look in the evenings or weekends. I hate to admit it, but I like this hoodie more than the ones I already own.

I can definitely picture myself wearing this with a pair of jeans. What do you think?

I’m sure once I take a better look at the items we have in for the fall catalog, I’ll find even more looks that are appropriate for work or play! In fact, Rachel’s already considering purchasing one of the new tops that’s made out of the bamboo fabric she mentioned in yesterday’s post. I think the two of us are on the same page when it comes to nursing scrubs!

I’ve been hanging out in our photo studio, looking at our new fall selection.  Our merchandising team has done it again- they’ve handpicked some of the coolest, most stylish scrubs I’ve seen.  With each catalog, I think “This is it. Scrubs can’t get much better than this.”  Truth?  They can, and they do, and it continuously amazes me.  From hospital scrubs to lab coats to designer medical scrubs, there’s always a new twist.  I can’t get over it.  Perhaps that’s why I eagerly run to check out our new selection as soon as it’s picked.   

As we begin proofing our catalog today, I am faced with the challenge of introducing our new scrub line to you on page 2.  Have you ever wondered who comes up with our catalog intro?  Yep, that’s me.  Here’s what I do: I check out our new collection, and pay particular attention to the brands that you tell me that you like.  Then, I think about how our scrubs reflect what’s going on in fashion that season and try to put myself in your shoes- in a nutshell, what do YOU need to know about our new line? 

Our fall nursing scrubs line is so cool!  I’m seeing lots of different fabrics and textures, including bamboo (Yes!  I’ve been asking for this one), a premium easy-care poly (by one of your FAVORITE brands), and lots of cool retro prints.  I’m seeing the same stuff when I’m out shopping, so I know you’re going to be as excited as I am about the fashion elements of this line. 

Stay tuned- I’m going to get you a sneak peek of some of these designer medical scrubs.  Also, stay tuned for Liza. She returns from her trip to California tomorrow, and I’m sure she’ll have lots to tell you.

No talk of scrubs here today; I’m taking a break from scrubs. Now I wouldn’t normally do that considering the blog is about medical scrubs, but I have good reason for it. And that reason is: I have pictures of adorable children! So take a look at these pictures that we received from the KCC Choir. They’re wearing uniforms from our sister company, Uniform Warehouse, and to show their appreciation they sent us these wonderful pictures, as well as this testimonial:

Uniform Warehouse has the BEST DEALS for our choir uniforms!  They give the best customized service and their prices are hard to beat anywhere in the U.S.  We have been VERY happy and pleased each year that we order from the Uniform Warehouse.  Not only are their products of high quality but the service and fast delivery is incomparable to other companies that I have worked with.  WE also are pleased that we can work with wonderful sales representatives like Darcy Travers at the Uniform Warehouse who cares and makes sure that our order is complete and done well from beginning to the end.  We thank and salute the Uniform Warehouse for their awesome service to customers!!! –Esther M., Director of KCC Choir

It was extremely thoughtful of the KCC Choir to take the time to make a sign and take these great photos. Everyone at Uniform Warehouse appreciates it, and I don’t know about them, but I personally think the kids look great and incredibly vibrant in their yellow uniforms!

P.S. Looking at the these pictures and seeing the large group made me think about how uniforms really do make a group look put together! Another way to do that is to add custom embroidery, which Lydia's and Uniform Warehouse both offer. If you're interested, check it out here.

P.P.S. Don’t worry; next time I’ll be back on topic and blogging about what we all know and love, stylish medical scrubs!

Be sure to check your mailbox for our latest Summer catalog. I'm so eager to show you this season's designer medical scrubs that I thought I would post the link here immediately so that you could see what all of the excitement is about.  I love the detail and thought that has gone into each of our new styles. These are not just your basic scrubs- each style has a twist that adds a bit of extra fashion detail, comfort, or fit.  Check them out for yourself! Just click here. 

I would like to send out my congratulations to Stephanie M. from Chino Hills, CA. Stephanie is the winner of our Win Your Wishlist Contest. That means $250 of merchandise from Lydia’s Uniforms belongs to her! What a perfect way to start Nurses Week, well any week for that matter.  

As for the rest of you who didn’t win, I know how it feels; I’m as unlucky as they come. But don’t worry; we have something for you too. Lydia’s is offering free shipping on any order of $50 or more. To receive the free shipping enter the code: NURSES58 when you checkout. So go ahead, take advantage of the free shipping and buy yourself something to celebrate Nurses Week. But you have to do it soon; this offer expires Saturday May 10^th, 2008 at midnight. 

So once again, congratulations Stephanie. I hope you enjoy your new designer medical scrubs and I hope everyone is having a wonderful Nurses Week!

I had the opportunity to have a great conversation with Kathy Peterson, the designer of Koi Scrubs the other day.  She and I really see eye-to-eye, probably because we both love to show off the fashion side of medical scrubs.  Here’s what she had to say…

Can you talk a little bit about your background?  Why scrubs?

My background is actually in fashion. I’ve been in the fashion industry for 15 years and started off working for Carole Little and have also worked for companies like Guess. I’ve done Disney product and really, I’ve just run the whole gamut of fashion design. I ended up at a uniform company called Barco and designed for companies like McDonald’s and KFC.  I had an opportunity to do some designs in the medical field and just loved it. It was the best happy medium between doing fashion and doing something that was functional. I really enjoyed the fashion element.  I love creating something that has a purpose… so that was the best opportunity to do something in fashion that was practical.

I started Koi because when you work for someone you don’t have control over the image of a product.  You have to turn it over to a marketing department and it wasn’t a complete vision for me. I wanted to control my product from beginning to end and have a unified vision. This was the next step because I was at the maximum I could grow.  This gave me an opportunity to share my vision and hope that people liked it.

What is Koi Happiness?

How we qualify a garment is that we look for something that is cheerful and happy, but functional.  We want to take the current trends and infuse the two. We interpret from fashion because we feel like a lot of the customers that are shopping for scrubs are the same ones shopping at Macy’s Bloomingdale’s or other stores. It’s important for me to have scrubs look like they’re viable in that same marketplace.  I think that the scrub market had existed for a long time on scrubs that did not have a fashion component.  Scrubs used to have fashion as a secondary component, and people focused on how practical it was, just the function.  We looked for things that married the two.  It’s great to create a product that people appreciate and helps them to feel good about themselves. 

What is the one thing you want customers to feel from your designs?

If we could in a small way help someone to feel better about themselves, that is the great reward for us. They work so hard and have such long shifts- anything we could do to make their lives easier or better is what we strive for.

I have to say that the road test of our scrubs was a success- not just because of what Leesa and I found, but because of YOUR comments.  What we found was that you are looking for sizing options and comfortable fit (kind of like us!).  I agree that everyone should feel like they look their best, whether at work or not, in scrubs or out of them.  So, without further ado, here are my top suggestions for medical uniform brands to try based on body type.

If you are petite or slender, try…

Urbane Scrubs - These designer medical scrubs are junior fit and flatter petite types most.

Baby Phat Medical Uniforms – Choose Baby Phat scrubs for a fun and funky alternative in scrub fashion.

Dickies Hip Flip – Popular “hip flip” scrub pant styling, and you’ll love the color palette.

Grey’s Anatomy – More celebrity uniform style comes to you in the form of quotes from the show and super soft fabrics. Made by Barco medical scrubs.

Our Own Signature Collections – Our Lydia's Signature Scrubs as low as $5.99.  Starting at XS and featuring petite and tall options as well as a variety of fabrics and prints galore. Great option for offices and hospital teams!

If you are average, try…

Dickies Sandwashed Scrubs– This line is missy fit and is sized like the misses section of your favorite department store. Lots of cute options!

Cherokee Authentic Workwear – The “hip flip” styling on their pants makes for a comfy fit and avoids “baggage”.

Katherine Heigl Medical Uniforms – She created this line after working in scrubs on “Grey’s Anatomy”, and trust us, she knows what you need in a stylish medical scrub!

Koi Nursing Scrubs – Youthful tailoring and girly details make everyone feel great.

Cherokee Flex-i-bles – This yoga-inspired line keeps you ready for action.

LA Rose – Cool basics & prints with extra detail in the styling.

White Cross – Your own style expressed in artistic designs.

Our Own Signature Collections – Our Lydia's Signature Scrubs as low as $5.99.  Looking for options?  Check here first!  Our hospital uniforms feature the most color choices you’ll find anywhere.

If you are curvaceous, try…

Dickies W – These scrubs are designed to fit all of your curves. 

Cherokee Basic Uniforms – One of the world’s most recognizable brands features specializes in super soft fabric. 

Landau Medical Scrubs – Top notch comfort with lots of options up to size 5X.

Our Own Signature Collections – Our Lydia's Signature Scrubs as low as $5.99. As always, our own line has options for EVERYONE up to 5X.

If you are tall, click here to see our full selection of uniform pants for tall sizes.

As usual, my morning is frenzied, and I have to race to get myself ready and things loaded up in the car before my son wakes up.  Since I’m a working Mom, I like to spend time with him in the morning before we leave for the day.  This morning I did things a little differently- instead of checking my closet for what to wear, I grabbed my scrubs out of the dresser (Thanks Lydia’s- and sorry about that stain. I guess you didn’t want these back anyway).  I actually felt like I was hopping right back into my jammies, but was excited about the opportunity to get a glimpse into what goes on in the world of nursing scrubs.  I will say that the scrubs did simplify my morning- I wasn’t doing much coordinating, and if truth be told, I usually spend more time analyzing how colors look against my fair skin than doing my hair.

Anyway, we hopped in the car and were on our way. I have to add here that I was starving because I had to do a fasting lab test after I dropped off Matthew at daycare.  However, I quickly let this go once I reached the lab and had such a fun time showing off my scrubs with the ladies that worked there (Note to employers: you should try out your staff in fun and flattering colors like the turquoise blue I was wearing- everyone was so excited to see it.).  Getting my blood drawn was a breeze, and I enjoyed the camaraderie I shared with the ladies in the clinic, all wearing scrubs.  I even surprised them with some Lydia’s tote bags and a few catalogs, and we proceeded to talk about our favorite items.

When I got to work, I kept an eye out for Leesa, because I knew she was wearing her uniform as well.  Sure enough, she was cheerful as usual, and looked cute in her designer medical scrubs (ok, like a dental hygienist too J ).  Together, we went to the morning manager’s meeting, and everyone was excited to see us.  The entire team caught our enthusiasm, and I think our vibe made everyone loosen up a little going into the workday.  This was one of the things I definitely noticed. I was having a hard time not smiling, and felt more relaxed than usual.  I know that this projected in my attitude toward meetings that day, and other projects I was working on.  This makes me wonder: how do scrubs affect your customer service skills?

There are a few things that I really liked about Cherokee Authentic Workwear besides the great color palette.  For example, the pants have this cool “hip flip” that ensures that they don’t bunch up, and it really helps with fit.  Also, it means that the legs don’t drag on the floor, which is something I’m picky about.  I love wrap styling for casual wear, but often find it cumbersome to pull off.  However, the mock wrap detail on the top was just enough to add a little style, and I found myself sticking my hands in the pockets all day (conveniently located- that certainly provided an answer for me about the styling of nursing scrubs!).

There were a couple of elements of my road test that I struggled with.  The scrub top wasn’t as tailored as the clothes I normally wear, and made me feel a little unkempt overall.  I’m not used to wearing anything baggy, and I also am trying to work off the baby weight, so this was something I was a little self-conscious about.  I looked at Leesa, wearing tailored looking Urbane scrubs, and wondered if she was feeling more orderly.  Also, like Leesa, I was super relaxed and ready to GO, so it was hard for me to sit at my desk all day. 

I was really glad to have the opportunity to road test a pair of scrubs for the day.  I’ve tried on lots of scrubs before, so that I can describe to you how they fit.  However, I’d never spent an entire day in them.  My respect for what you do, and the daily challenges that you face, has only been reinforced.  You need the most comfortable uniforms available so that you can focus on what’s really important- your patient.  It’s my goal to help you find them.

- Rachel

Want to test drive Cherokee Authentic Workwear Medical Scrubs yourself?  Click here to check them out!

Update: The ugly stain was removed!  But I’m still keeping the scrubs J

I am excited I get to wear my sneakers to work today.  The scrubs I chose are so bright and cheery and I love the fact that I have no “What Not to Wear” decisions to make today. 

When I come downstairs to make breakfast for my boys, they don’t even notice that I am wearing scrubs!  They continue to crunch away at their cereal until I finally announce that I am going to the office in SCRUBS!   “Oh, cool…where’s your stethoscope?”  my oldest asked.  The others just smiled like it was no big deal.  Well, wearing scrubs feels like a big deal to me.  I feel so fresh and bouncy, kind of like I am heading to the gym instead.

When I get to work, I walk through the Admin department before I reach the Web Department.  The staff is jealous that they don’t get to wear scrubs too.  I just want to find Rachel to see if she is dressed in her uniform like she promised.  We see each other and laugh, she says I look like a dental hygenist.  I like the color blue that she chose for her scrubs test drive. 

I settle in at my desk and find myself very comfortable.  Although, I have a hard time staying seated because I feel like I am dressed to MOVE.  The scrubs pants are so cozy, but the sleeve on my scrub top is bugging me a bit.  I am the kind of person that has to wear either long or short sleeves.  The sleeves on my designer scrubs are an elbow length so I am sensitive to the rubbing along my forearm.  Hey, that’s fashion for you…I always make the most stylish choice rather than the most comfortable.  I’m a slave to fashion even in my scrubs.

I made it through various meetings throughout the day feeling much more free spirited than I am used to.  It must be the sneakers…it’s kind of like “jean day”.  At one point, Rachel shot a picture of me standing at the vending machine.  I think the roominess of my scrubs made me feel like I could indulge more than I normally would –LOL! 

Overall my day wearing scrubs was uneventful.  I went about my usual work, drafting emails and looking at reports.  Today I felt like I was dressed for more action.  Our customers (yes, you!) need to be comfortable and suited up to care for patients.  It was good to experience that the scrubs we sell, are ready for you.  Have you test driven new scrubs lately?  Tell us about your experience.

Want to test drive our stylish Urbane Scrubs yourself?  Click here to check them out!