With considerable fanfare, the Nursing staff at The Mount Sinai Hospital debuted new uniforms in Guggenheim Pavilion on Tuesday, December 10, marking the first time in more than 30 years that the entire nursing patient-care team will be identifiable by the color of their uniforms.
“Without a consistent dress-code, patients had difficulty distinguishing our nurses from the many other staff who provided bedside care,” says Carol Porter, DNP, RN, FAAN, Chief Nursing Officer, the Edgar M. Cullman, Sr. Chair of the Department of Nursing, and Associate Dean of Nursing and Research. “In a hospital where relationship-centered care is the professional practice model, our goal is always to improve the patient experience. The RN uniform will now serve to guide patients and their families to better identify, and relate to, Nursing staff.”
The 18-month uniform project required the support of hospital and nursing leadership, representatives from Mount Sinai’s Local Bargaining Unit, and the hospital’s clinical nurses. Ultimately, the clinical nurses chose teal blue as the official color for registered professional nurses. Patient care associates, technicians, mental health associates, medical clinical associates, and clinical oncology associates have adopted navy blue; and nursing assistants will be identified by baby blue.
I was impressed with the “uniformity” of the unifoms. Staff looked very professional. I was here 2 years ago and see a noticable difference in the attitude of the employees. Feels friendlier. Very helpful in finding way around hospital. I was watching the patient information board and my husband was still listed in holding after I spoke to the surgeon that everthing went well and would be going into PACU soon. Not sure if his “sensor” was not working or how that happens.
I was given wrong directions to the surgeon’s office by the 2nd floor registration person who handed me a piece of paper with “generic” directions to the PACU. Did not listen to the question I asked. These were the only situations I encountered that was not the WOW that I experienced everywhere else in the hospital. Be proud, Mount Sinai, you are amazing.