4.8 - General Guidelines for Clinic Dress

Clinic dress codes address patient and student safety as well as professional appearance to instill patient confidence.  Though some affiliates have employee dress codes that differ from those of students, the dress codes for students comply with standards for all facilities and must be observed at all times by students when at a clinic for any school activity regardless of the amount of time.  On days when not in the clinic environment, students are expected to dress in a manner consistent with an academic environment. Proper identification of personnel in clinical facilities is a courtesy to patients and other personnel encountered and a strict requirement for safety and accountability reasons.  Identification as a student indicates ties to a respected university and engagement in the educational process.  Required identification for students while in the clinical environment includes: 
 

• OUHSC photo identification card attached to the lapel, unless a specific hospital ID is provided for use.
• Identification is worn so the name and photo are visible to the patient at all times.
• Designated white lab coat and navy, blue-colored scrub-uniform purchased from the Uniform Shoppe with the MIRS Department patch sewn in the appropriate location:
  
  6221 E. 61st Street            10503 N. May Avenue
  Tulsa, OK 74136                Oklahoma City, OK 73120
  (918) 494-7682                (405) 755-6600
• Lab coat with MIRS patch sewn on the left sleeve of the white coat below the shoulder. 
• The scrub top with the MIRS department patch sewn on the left sleeve.

These guidelines comply with hospital professional dress codes and requirements. Guidelines are provided so that students may present a professional appearance and protect the health and safety of themselves and their patients.

• Clinic attire must be clean and tidy.  The purchasing and cleaning of clinical clothing is the student’s responsibility.    
• Strong odors such as perfume and aftershave should be avoided since people who are ill frequently become nauseated by even pleasant odors. Daily bathing and use of deodorant are essential.  
• Hair longer than collar length must be controlled by neatly tying it back or pinning it up in order to prevent hair from coming in contact with patients, germ-laden surfaces, or falling into sterile fields.  It is wise to wash hair daily to safeguard against bacteria and other organisms.  
• Men should be clean shaven. Beards and moustaches should be kept short and neatly trimmed to prevent hair from coming in contact with patients, germ-laden surfaces, or falling into sterile fields.  
• Fingernails should be kept short and rounded to avoid injury to patients and damage to equipment. Shorter nails are more hygienic with hand washing. If nail polish is used, avoid faddish or extreme shades such as black, blue, purple, green or yellow colors. No nail jewelry or nail art is allowed. Chipped nail polish, and artificial or extender nails are prohibited. 
• Jewelry such as long necklaces, elaborate earrings, and permanent jewelry are not permitted since they may scratch a patient, be grasped by a patient, become caught in equipment, or be a hygiene risk. 
  • Frequent hand washing makes the wearing of rings and bracelets inconvenient and increases the risk of loss since they should be removed when washing hands. 
  • Metal on any part of the body, whether visible or not, can have dangerous consequences when entering an area with an MRI system. 
• Body jewelry visible during clinical rotations is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to nose, eyebrow, lip, tongue, and chin jewelry.
• Tattoos must be appropriately covered during clinical rotations when required by the clinic site. 

Uniform attire requires a fingertip-length white lab coat with the departmental patch sewn on the left sleeve or left breast pocket; department designated navy blue-colored scrubs that are hemmed to the top of the shoe and neatly pressed; a solid white, form-fitting short or long-sleeved T-shirt worn under the scrub top; white socks, and all white leather athletic shoes (no colored shoelaces or markings and no high-top styles).  Scrub bottoms must fully cover the skin down to the shoes or socks when handling radioisotopes, so jogger-style bottoms are not allowed. Scrub tops designed to be tucked in must be tucked in at all times.  

Compliance with state and federal regulations for safe handling of radioactive materials dictates the dress code for nuclear medicine students. Students MUST wear their lab coats at all times while rotating in an area with radioactive materials, unless prior authorization by the clinic RSO is given.  (For example, Children’s Hospital does not require white lab coats for psychological reasons.)

Optional Uniform Attire:
A long-sleeved navy blue-colored scrub jacket with the patch sewn on the sleeve may be worn in clinics that permit it.  The jacket style is designated by the department. The optional scrub jacket does not replace the need to wear a designated short sleeve scrub top, properly fitted scrub bottoms, nor is it a substitute for the regulatory mandated lab coat for radioisotope handling.  A long sleeve, form fitting white t-shirt may be worn under the navy-blue scrub top (with departmental patch sewn on left sleeve) in clinics that permit it.
 

Uniform attire requires: a white lab coat with the departmental patch sewn on the left sleeve or left breast pocket; department designated navy blue-colored scrubs that are hemmed to the top of the shoe and are neatly pressed; a solid white, form-fitting, short or long-sleeve T-shirt worn under the scrub top; white socks, and all white leather athletic shoes (no colored shoelaces or markings and no high-top styles).  

Alternate uniform attire requires: 
A lab coat does not have to be worn if the following conditions are met:  Navy blue-colored scrubs as outlined above with the departmental patch sewn on the left sleeve or left breast pocket.  Scrub tops designed to be tucked in must be tucked in at all times.  Scrub pants and top combinations must not show the student’s bare skin when he/she is bending over or performing common tasks at clinic.

Optional Uniform Attire:
A long-sleeved navy blue-colored scrub jacket with the patch sewn on the left sleeve may be worn in clinics that allow long-sleeve jackets.  The jacket style is designated by the Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences.   The optional scrub jacket does not replace the need to wear a designated short sleeve scrub top, nor is it a substitute for the white lab coat which may be required to be worn by the clinic sites.  A long sleeve, form fitting white t-shirt may be worn under the approved navy blue-colored scrub top (with departmental patch) in clinics that permit it.  
 

Uniform attire requires:  a white lab coat with the departmental patch sewn on the left sleeve or left breast pocket; department designated navy blue-colored scrubs that are hemmed to the top of the shoe and are neatly pressed; a solid white, form-fitting, short or long-sleeve T-shirt worn under the scrub top; white socks, and all white leather athletic shoes (no colored shoelaces or markings and no high-top styles).  

Alternate uniform attire requires: 
A lab coat does not have to be worn if the following conditions are met:  Navy blue-colored scrubs as outlined above with the departmental patch sewn on the left sleeve or left breast pocket.  Scrub tops designed to be tucked in must be tucked in at all times.  Scrub pants and top combinations must not show the student’s bare skin when he/she is bending over or performing common tasks at clinic.

Optional Uniform Attire:
A long-sleeved navy blue-colored scrub jacket with the patch sewn on the sleeve may be worn in clinics that allow long-sleeve jackets.  The jacket style is designated by the Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences. The optional scrub jacket does not replace the need to wear a designated short sleeve scrub top, nor is it a substitute for the white lab coat which may be required to be worn by the clinic sites.  A long sleeve, form fitting white t-shirt may be worn under the approved navy blue-colored scrub top (with departmental patch) in clinics that permit it.  
 

Uniform attire requires:  a white lab coat with the departmental patch sewn on the left sleeve or left breast pocket; department designated navy blue-colored scrubs that are hemmed to the top of the shoe and are neatly pressed; a solid white, form-fitting short or long-sleeve T-shirt worn under the scrub top; white socks, and all white leather athletic shoes (no colored shoe laces or markings and no high-top styles).  

Alternate uniform attire requires: 
A lab coat does not have to be worn if the following conditions are met:  Navy blue-colored scrubs as outlined above with the departmental patch sewn on the left sleeve or left breast pocket.  Scrub tops designed to be tucked in must be tucked in at all times.  Scrub pants and top combinations must not show the student’s bare skin when he/she is bending over or performing common tasks at clinic.

Optional Uniform Attire: 
A long-sleeved navy blue-colored scrub jacket with the patch sewn on the sleeve may be worn in clinics that allow long-sleeve jackets.  The jacket style is designated by the department. The optional scrub jacket does not replace the need to wear a designated short sleeve scrub top, nor is it a substitute for the white lab coat which may be required to be worn by the clinic sites.  A long sleeve, form fitting white t-shirt may be worn under the navy blue-colored scrub top (with departmental patch) in clinics that permit it.