If your hospital is planning to implement a new uniform program or dress code, there are several ways to make the change more palatable to your staff. Payroll deduction, which splits the cost of new scrubs over several pay periods, is one of them. Some hospital systems also partner with vendors to offer their employees discounts.
Still, with both of the options above, nurses end up footing the bill. Many hospital systems are now providing uniform allowances to help defray the cost of new uniforms. Given that a uniform program in general increases confidence in your nurses’ abilities, improves patient safety, and strengthens your organization's brand, paying for a portion of your staff members’ uniforms is in your best interests.
But in case you need more convincing, here are five reasons why you should offer your staff a uniform allowance:
Some unions require it.
From Japan to the United Kingdom, nurses have made one thing clear: a uniform allowance is a right, not a privilege. It’s steadily becoming the norm in the United States, too, with many unions including stipends toward the purchase of new sets of scrubs in their collective bargaining agreements.
Violating those agreements can have dire consequences. When ownership of their non-profit care center changed hands, one nurses’ union took the owners to court. Aside from costly litigation, another potential concern is a nursing strike.
It shows commitment to staff.
The cold, hard truth is that when it comes to employment opportunities, nurses have options. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects 439,300 new nursing jobs to be added by 2024. With that comes an unsurprising amount of job turnover, with a rate estimated at anywhere between 8.8% and 37%.
The good news is it doesn’t have to be that way. Benefits like a uniform allowance could potentially reduce nurse turnover by showing your commitment to staff. In the long run, you’ll also save on the recruiting and training of new nurses, while potentially avoiding patient errors.
You’ll attract and retain top talent.
A well-defined uniform policy is one of the criteria for achieving Magnet status, a designation held by only six percent of U.S. hospitals. To become a member of this elite club, you’ll need to bring top talent to your organization. And one way to make your hospital an attractive place of employment is to provide a uniform allowance.
Think of it as an investment in your hospital’s future. Subsidizing your nurses’ uniforms is a small price to pay for not only bolstering the status of your hospital in the community, but also helping you build a talent pool of dedicated nursing professionals.
It guarantees some adherence to policy.
Being a nurse is a balancing act between a busy work life and a sometimes even more demanding home life. Translation: your nurses may not be able to shell out $25-$50 for a new set of scrubs. A uniform allowance mitigates the cost factor, making it easier for your hospital staff to comply with the dress code.
And remember, you’re doing more than softening the blow to your nurses’ wallets – you’re also reducing the chances nurses will resist your new policies because of any perceived loss of individuality.
Those old scrubs could be hiding something.
More than anything else, however, paying for your staff members’ uniforms could increase your patients’ safety. You may shudder to think about it, but scrubs don’t get washed as often as they should. And those that are being washed regularly may not be getting washed properly. A study in the American Journal of Infection Control reveals that scrubs laundered at home contain higher levels of infectious microbes.
Yet another study shows that while the majority of microbes are removed by warm or hot water laundering, the few that remain could still be transmitted from nurse to patient. An annual allowance increases the chance that your nurses will jettison their old, potentially germ-ridden scrubs for ones that comply with your policy. That’s peace of mind for you and the community you serve.
Learn about Smarter Solutions for Uniform Programs. Click here >