August 2011 CLINICAL WARDROBE GUIDE What a Professional Wardrobe Says to Our Patients and Customers Rachel Heselschwerdt, a Great Lakes Caring nurse, fondly recalls the first time she drove to the home of a patient for their scheduled visit several years ago. Her patient was hesitant to open the door, because she lived alone. When she saw my professional attire, a big smile came across her face, said Rachel. It gave her the reassurance she needed to let a stranger into her home, and I was glad to have gained her trust. Rachel, who has continued to visit the same patient through recuperation, is one of about 900 direct care employees who interacts with over 6,000 Great Lakes Caring patients in a three-state area. Her story reflects our patient-centered approach. Our goal is to be an industry leader, from service to professional appearance, said Great Lakes Caring Chief Hospice Officer Laura Wagner. And while logo apparel may seem incidental to exceptional care, it has special significance for Great Lakes Caring patients, over 95 percent of whom are senior citizens. The average age of our patients is almost 80 years old. Many recall nurses in crisp, clean white uniforms from their past. For them, this style of clothing has become not only a symbol of cleanliness, but a source of reassurance, said Great Lakes Caring Chief Home Health Officer Jan VanBuren, adding that white clothing forms the basis of a Great Lakes Caring wardrobe, with red as an accent color. Clothing Makes Comeback Traditional white uniforms have undergone various transformations over the decades, from green to prints to anything goes. Lately, however, some healthcare professionals have begun to return to their roots and incorporate uniforms built around a timeless and classic white foundation, and Great Lakes Caring is leading the pack. Benefits The change is fueled, in part, by research showing that the absence of a standard look can create confusion among patients, many of whom are elderly. When different workers wear different colors and styles, it can be challenging for patients to identify a worker s role, according to reports. It s important to be easily identifiable to our patients as a matter of reassurance and professionalism, said Donyale Adams, a Great Lakes Caring Hospice credentialed nursing assistant and preceptor. Our attire should be dictated by our patients, many of whom are reassured when they see a professionally dressed clinician, she added. (Cont. on page 6) HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE At the top of each page you will find a list of professional disciplines. Look for yours and on that page you will see a chart posting your basic wardrobe items along with photos of each. This will help you to visually mix and match logo pieces with every day clothing and accessories.
Page 2 Clinical Wardrobe Guide Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, Preceptor and Mentor Scrub Top Scrub Pants, Jumper and Skirt Red or Under Armour Top (as under shirt) Longor Short- Sleeve Jacket Blouse In 3 Styles and Oxford Shirt Red and Gray or Non- Scrub Pants Gray Slacks, Blouse and Lab Jacket* Registered Nurse x x x x x x x* Red Lab Jacket with "TITLE" Licensed Practical Nurse x x x x x x x* Preceptor and Mentor x x x x x x x* x * Must be worn in combination as long as these three items are purchased from the Great Lakes Caring Company Store. Women s Short-Sleeve Jacket Unisex Sized Scrub Tops and Pants and Red or Non- Scrub Pants Women s Non- Flare Cargo Pants (In Two Styles )
Great Lakes Caring Page 3 Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, Preceptor and Mentor Women s Port Authority Blouse Comes In Short, Three-Quarter and Long Sleeve Lengths (Also In Maternity Style) Women s Red or Jacket Men s and Women s Red or Lab Jacket Men s Five-Pocket Scrub Top Women s Relaxed-Fit Elastic Waist Scrub Pants Come In Red, and Silver Women s and Men s Longand Short-Sleeve Button Down Oxford Gray Scrub Pants (In Unisex Sizes) SHOES: For those working in direct patient care, professional shoes, mostly white athletic type shoes or shoes of a chosen color that coordinate with attire, may be worn. Sandals, opened toe shoes or canvas shoes are not to be worn. Shoes must be a solid material without holes in the shoe body and appropriate for traveling in and out of a vehicle to the places our patients call home. Shoes should be clean and/or polished.
Page 4 Clinical Wardrobe Guide Nurse Practitioner; Spiritual Care, Volunteer and Bereavement Coordinators; Social Worker; Massage, Music, Occupational and Physical Therapists; Occupational and Physical Therapist Assistants; Dietitian; Speech Language Pathologist; Preceptor and Mentor Blouse in 3 Styles and Oxford Shirt Red or Under Armour Top (as under shirt) Jackets Skirt Jumper Black, Khaki or Navy Blue Slacks or Skirts Nurse Practitioner x x x x x x x Red or Polo Shirt Red or Sweater Vest Spiritual Care, Volunteer and Bereavement Coordinators x x x x Social Worker x x x x x x Massage, Music, Occupational and Physical Therapists x x x x x x Occupational and Physical Therapist Assistants x x x x x x Dietitian, Speech Language Pathologist x x x x x x Red Lab Jacket with "TITLE" Preceptor and Mentor x x x x x x x Women s Port Authority Long-Sleeve Blouse (Also In Maternity Style) Women s Port Authority Short-Sleeve Blouse (Also In Maternity Style ) Women s Port Authority Three-Quarter Sleeve Blouse (Also In Maternity Style) SHOES: For those working in direct patient care, professional shoes, mostly white athletic type shoes or shoes of a chosen color that coordinate with attire, may be worn. Sandals, opened toe shoes or canvas shoes are not to be worn. Shoes must be a solid material without holes in the shoe body and appropriate for traveling in and out of a vehicle to the places our patients call home. Shoes should be clean and/or polished.
Great Lakes Caring Page 5 Nurse Housekeeper Practitioner; Spiritual Care, Volunteer and Bereavement Coordinators; Social Worker; Massage, Music, Occupational and Physical Therapists; Occupational and Physical Therapist Assistants; Dietitian; Speech Language Pathologist; Preceptor and Mentor HME Clinical Non-logo Repertory black, Therapist, khaki or navy HME, Equipment Technician, blue slacks HME or Repertory skirts may Technicians, be HME mixed Warehouse and matched Supervisor with apparel on these pages. Preceptor and Mentor Men s Short- and Long-Sleeve Button Down Oxford Woman s Kendall Polo In Red or Men s Kendall Polo In Red or HH Aide, I & II, Homemaker, Hospice CENA II, hospice Certified CENA, Hospice, Home Health Aide I (Hospice CENA), Hospice State Trained Nursing Assistant, Housekeeper Hospice Spiritual Care Coordinator anything that is discounted, they cannot use gift card, but they can use gift card on regularly priced items Women s Short- and Long-Sleeve Button Down Oxford For more details about sizes and pricing go to our online employee store found on our company intranet and website GreatLakesCaring.com. Women s Jacket and Red Lab Jackets in Men s and Women s Styles (Sizes Vary)
Page 6 Clinical Wardrobe Guide Home Health Aide; Hospice Aide and CNA; Hospice State Trained Nursing Assistant (Ohio); Preceptor and Mentor Scrub Top* Professional Wardrobe cont. Scrub Pants, Jumper and Skirt* Red Scrub Top* Red or Under Armour Top ( as under shirt) Home Health Aide x x x x Hospice Aide and CNA x x x x Hospice State Trained Nursing Assistant (Ohio) x x x x Red Lab Jacket with "TITLE" Preceptor and Mentor x x x x x *Scrubs are to be worn in all white or all red. Research Standardized apparel also relieves employees from having to invest in an extensive and varied wardrobe. They create a sense of solidarity among similarly clad professionals, build a feeling of teamwork and identity among employees and promote the company image. But do uniforms really need to be white? Wasn t that the color eagerly mothballed by nurses decades ago? Opinions are divided on this subject. Research does, however, show that standardized white apparel has a positive impact on patient and family perceptions of professionalism. Among numerous recent studies since 1995, a study in the November 2008 issue of Applied Nursing Research presented findings on a survey of 499 patients at a large Midwestern tertiary healthcare center. Subjects viewed photographs of the same registered nurse posed in eight uniforms. It asked respondents to rank the photos according to the NIS (Nurse Image Scale). In adults, the NIS scores for white uniforms were significantly higher than NIS scores for uniforms with small print or solid colors. With aging, adults create perceptions of nurse professionalism based on uniform color and style. Traits of nurse professionalism were highest in white uniforms, the report concluded. Apparel by Discipline Great Lakes Caring joins many businesses and municipalities that require unified clothing. Several hospitals throughout the United States such as the Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta; Miami Valley Hospital in Ohio; and Cleveland Clinic have instituted a dress codes for their nurses. The University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics have issued standard uniforms as a way of communicating that the nursing staff takes its job seriously, according to news reports. Other professions known for their uniforms include pilots and flight attendants, chefs, police and security guards. In the end, it s all about the patient and what comforts and pleases them, said VanBuren. Based on patient feedback and research, white apparel fills that need nicely. Unisex Sized Scrubs Worn as an All Set Unisex Sized Scrubs Worn as an All Red Set SHOES: For those working in direct patient care, professional shoes, mostly white athletic type shoes or shoes of a chosen color that coordinate with attire, may be worn. Sandals, opened toe shoes or canvas shoes are not to be worn. Shoes must be a solid material without holes in the shoe body and appropriate for traveling in and out of a vehicle to the places our patients call home. Shoes should be clean and/or polished.
Great Lakes Caring Page 7 Home Medical Equipment Clinical Respiratory Therapist; Equipment and Respiratory Technician; and Warehouse Supervisor Red or Polo Shirt Oxford Shirt Black, Khaki or Navy Blue Slacks or Skirts * Red or Under Armour Top ( as under shirt) HME Clinical Respiratory Therapist x x x x HME Equipment and Respiratory Technician x x x x *Non-logo black, khaki or navy blue slacks or skirts may be mixed and matched with apparel on these pages. HME Warehouse Supervisory x x x x Woman s Kendall Polo In Red or Men s Kendall Polo Men s and Women s Shortand Long-Sleeve Button Down Oxford Details of New Apparel Make Lasting Impressions At Great Lakes Caring, the traditional white scrub set or lab jacket, once considered a relic of the past, has made a comeback that has been embraced by many direct care staff and patients alike as a symbol of crisp professionalism. Unified clothing doesn t make me a nurse, but it does make me recognizable to my patients, and it seems to give them reassurance, said Hospice Regional Director Deb Lang, a registered nurse who has worked in the hospice and home health industry for 31 years. The new apparel line, unveiled May 24th, features the company s new logo over the left pocket of the short-sleeved, v-neck top and the motto: Our Name Is Our Mission, on the right pant leg. The angel, an enduring symbol of the company s emphasis on providing exceptional compassionate care, is perched above the pocket embroidery. The other most notable difference between the new and old clothing line is a graceful wing stretched across the scrub top. The logo on the white scrub top has gray and red embroidery and a gray wing. The motto on the white scrub pants is in gray ink. The logo on the red scrub top has white and red embroidery and a gray wing. The motto on the red scrub pants is in gray. Fleece tops are in red and white, giving employees a choice within the wardrobe parameters. What better way to make a positive first impression on our patients than with the wings of an angel and a clean, neat, professional appearance, said Lang.
Wardrobe Guide Page 8 DRESSING AND GROOMING DO S DRESSING AND GROOMING DON TS Apparel is never a frivolity, it always means something. ~ James Laver Of all of the things you wear, your expression is the most important. ~ Janet Lane What a strange power there is in clothing. ~ Isaac Beshevis Singer March 30th is National Doctor s Day