Nurses in many hospitals and clinics have been looking for better shoes since the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010.
Nurses say the new trend in hospital and clinic dress has helped them maintain a level of comfort with their nursing uniforms.
Some nurses wear ankle-length skirts, some are opting for skirts that go down to their ankles, and some have changed their outfits to look more feminine.
The new trend is for nurses to wear loose fitting gowns, but it can be a bit overwhelming to try on a new outfit every day, said Lillian Mott, a nurse in Atlanta who has been wearing a short-sleeve blue dress since last fall.
Nursing school graduates and interns need to know what they are getting into, she said.
But a number of nurses also have asked for tips on finding a good nurse dress.
For one, find a dress that is easy to wear, Mott said.
For example, she would prefer a skirt that has no straps or a short skirt.
If a nurse’s gown is long, she might not want to go with a longer skirt.
Some of the tips below will help.
1.
Find a nurse uniform that fits your size.
It can be the size of the uniform itself or the length of the skirt.
A shorter skirt can make it difficult to find a perfect fit.
Mott recommends finding a dress you like that is a little loose and tight on the sides and can be worn in the front or back.
2.
Buy a pair of high-waisted white dresses that are flattering to your body.
They should be comfortable and will not pull at your legs.
3.
Find the right style.
Mollie Naylor, a nursing student at the University of Pennsylvania, said she prefers long-sleeved dresses with a skirt at the top and short skirts and stockings in the back.
She said she looks for a dress with a bow or two in the center of the back, and a ribbon down the middle of the waistband.
4.
Find nursing dresses with bows.
“I find a nurse gown that is pretty wide and has bows in the waist, and that’s what I like,” Naylor said.
5.
Choose a style that’s easy to keep in mind while you’re shopping.
“Make sure that you have a few of the same sizes of the fabric,” Mott advised.
For Mott and other nursing school graduates, Naylor has worn a dress from one size down to a medium.
A mid-size dress would be perfect for her, Nittleson said.
“But if I had to choose one size up, it would be my second size down,” she said with a laugh.
6.
Find some styles that fit your body type.
Miley Siegel, who studies nursing at the Indiana University School of Nursing, said nursing school grads need to be flexible and not rush to make the decision on which size to wear.
“If you don’t like what you’re wearing, you can just find something else,” Siegel said.
She suggested that people find nursing dress codes for their comfort level, especially when they are looking for a new uniform.
Nipps said that when it comes to nursing uniforms, people often want to buy dresses that look great in the shower.
Naylor wears a skirt for the shower because she prefers a long-waist dress to have to put on and take off again, she added.
Notts is not worried about her future dress or uniform choices, but she wants to try new styles that make her look more confident, especially for a senior.
She loves that the skirt has a bow on the back of it and is long enough to hold the bow, which is something many nurses can’t do.
