Scrubs

10 Dec Scrubs

Working as a part time university lecturer in addition to partaking in casual nursing shifts as an instrument & circulating nurse, I enjoy challenging my students with insightful forms of trivia. One such question I ask all of my perioperative students is, why are scrubs traditionally blue or green? So I thought I would ask you as well, and the first person who can honestly answer this question with minimal research, ie is first with the right answer will win a prize.

So why did we change from white scrubs to green and now blue. Is it because white shows up everything & it is so much more difficult to get the stains out , or does the colour blue signify infinity, meaning the surgeon has all the time in the world, & should never be rushed… or is it because, as the saying goes blue & green should never be seen & we are making up for the lack of colour in the operating room? Or is there a more practical component to these colours, such as the bugs don’t find these colours as attractive compared to say orange or purple?

I am hoping some of you know this answer without thinking too much about it or ‘googling’ the answer. Would love whatever thoughts you do have.