Dot on i

The Nurses Uniforms History could start with the Middle Ages. Most of the nursing duties were performed in monasteries. The monks and nuns in their conventional dress tended to the poor and rich alike. Nurses from the 1600s to the 1800s were not looked upon as experts in the field and were usually viewed as having low morals. That view came about because unmarried women nurses stayed overnight in the homes of their patient or in hospital basements. Sometimes parties and drinking in the hospital lent to the bad reputation of the nurses.

It was not until the mid-1800s that partially trained nurses were employed by cities or local health districts to attend to the poor who could not afford the attention of a doctor. Their uniform was ladylike and often matronly in nature.

In the mid-1800s, Florence Nightingale, the daughter of a rich British landowner, refused her parents plans to marry her into a station of life befitting the times. She wanted a medical career in nursing. Due to her, nursing rose in position socially and uniforms began took on a more professional look. The professional nurses uniforms displayed obvious differences from those of the untrained. The nurses uniforms were covered with pinafore like aprons with capped sleeves, and hung to nearly floor length. Hats, or caps, had chin straps that resembled those of nuns gave an appearance of quality.

During World War I it became apparent that former styles of nursing uniforms were not practical. To care for the vast numbers of wounded, nurses needed to be fast and efficient. The skirts became somewhat shorter and the sleeves were either short or rolled up, and the aprons often disappeared altogether.

When World War II began there were more changes, and military style uniforms for the many nurses serving in the armed forces were changed to olive and blue and were even shorter since dress styles had also changed. Caps also appeared military, and matched the respective uniforms. Additionally there were different colors and insignias that corresponded to the rank or area of military service. Most however were shirtwaist style.

In the 1950s nurses uniforms took a more crisp, feminine look with short sleeves and a bib apron with shoulder straps. Caps were varied in styles from pill box style to a pointed version.

The 1960s saw a change to a slightly more casual look as open collars appeared, and scrubs became popular in the United States. Scrubs were reserved for the operating theatre in the United Kingdom however. Paper caps that were disposable came into use in the 1970s and later in the 1980s disposable plastic aprons began to be used.

As time has marched forward, uniforms have changed often due to necessity or reflecting current style. Today nurses continue to be a vital part of the worldwide medical community and wear a variety of styles of uniforms. Scrubs have become the norm in the United States being colorful, or whimsical, though many countries still have more traditional uniforms. Male nurses also have a variety of styles to choose from via the Internet.

The history of nurses uniforms show that styles and norms have changed, but one thing has not changed. We still need and appreciate our caring nursing professionals who attend to us all over the world. It is and always has been a vitally needed and appreciated profession.

Staffing shortage will become a thing of the past at your health clinic. This healthcare staffing company is dedicated in matching the right nurse and psychiatrists to the right physician assistant jobs and emergency medicine jobs.