Medical scrubs are uniforms traditionally described as lightweight short sleeve shirts with drawstring pants that date back to the early 1940’s. They are generally worn in a medical environment by healthcare professionals. The name was derived from the practice of physicians thoroughly washing and scrubbing their hands before surgery. Before the term medical scrubs existed, nurses wore awkward and dowdy looking starched dresses with white aprons and caps, modeled after nuns.
Today, medical scrubs have evolved to become a major fashion statement. Medical scrubs come in a variety of styles, fit, colors and fabric. With so many options, this can make choosing where to buy the right uniform a challenge. So where do you buy quality medical scrubs?
Do Healthcare Facilities Provide Medical Scrubs?
Healthcare facilities are not required by law to provide medical scrubs. Some may provide them for free or give annual stipends for employees to purchase their own medical scrubs. In most cases, the purchase of medical uniforms is the employee’s responsibility. Your facility may give you firm guidelines on a specific color and/or brand to purchase.
Color-coded scrubs provide consistency and professionalism for staff and patients to better identify employees. This also makes finding where to shop a little more challenging. You could get lucky and work where the guidelines are relaxed and only require that they are neat and in good taste. No restrictions on brand or color makes buying scrubs a little easier. Policies vary from facility to facility so check the specific guidelines before purchasing.
Locations For Medical Uniforms
Once you have all the necessary information, you can consider the following places to find medical uniforms:
- mass merchandisers (i.e., Walmart, Target)
- online scrub shops
- specialty scrub shops
- mobile scrub stores
- hospitals
- nursing shoe stores.
A store that specializes in selling medical uniforms and accessories will be your best selection, especially if your facility guidelines are firm. They generally offer higher quality medical scrubs, better variety of brands, colors and range in sizes. In addition, they also offer accessories often brought with your uniform, like jackets, long sleeve shirts, scrubs hats, and compression socks. Other benefits of shopping at a specialty scrub store include product expertise, a pleasant atmosphere, and personalized customer service. Customers may prefer the expertise offered by specialty shops often operated by owners who are passionate about the products they sell, and work in the field.
On the other hand, employees may not offer the same assistance and product knowledge when shopping with mass merchandisers. They will also only carry one brand, maybe two. Online shopping offers you access to immediate sales and deals, like free shipping. But it may be difficult to choose the right size and fit. Buying at your local specialty shop offers you the convenience of trying them on. When shopping at an online scrub store, be sure to look at the description to make sure you are getting quality products. .
“I like my scrubs to fit well, be comfortable, and have good useful pockets.”
Tennille Johnson, PharmD, Scrubs To The Rescue owner
Scrubs To The Rescue is one of the best on-line and in-store specialty retailers of medical scrubs and uniforms in Houston. Our accessories include surgical scrub hats, nursing shoes, compression socks, and more. We believe that when you look good, you feel good. Working with the finest brands (Healing Hands, Cherokee, Maevn, ADAR, Wonderwink, White Cross) in the industry ensures we bring you comfort, style, and durability at affordable prices.
Shop with us to find your perfect fitting scrubs and accessories. We pride ourselves in providing expert knowledge about scrubs and a high degree of customer service. Whether you are looking for fitted, comfy, tailored, or classic styles, we have you covered.
