[Color preferences for nurses' uniform from nurses, hospitalized 5-12 years old children and parents' perspectives]

ABSTRACT

There is a growing movement towards more casual uniforms within pediatric Nursing. The study aimed at assessing the color preferences of nurses, parents and children regarding nurses' uniform in selected university hospitals of Tehran City. A cross sectional study was conducted. Through non-randomized convenient sampling, 365 pediatric nurses, 744 pediatric patients and 480 parents, drawn from selected university hospitals of Tehran City were recruited to the study, during one year since 2007, summer. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting demographic data and two questions regarding the participants' color preferences. Five photos showing a nurse with different uniform colors [pink, white, light blue, dark blue and colorful] while checking a child's pulse were used. Descriptive and inferential statistics [analysis of variance with repeated measurement, chi-square and Cochran's test] were used to analysis the data by SPSS software [version 11.5]. Female children and their parents reported pink color as their first choice [45.2 and 45.6% respectively] while boys preferred light blue [31.4%]. The first choice of nurses was dark blue [42.2%] which 10.6% of mothers and 17.6% of girls liked it as well [P<0.001]. Nurses with less than ten years of nursing experience, preferred dark blue [49.1 vs. 32.9%; P=0.002]. Fathers preferences of colors were not statistically significant [P=0.017]. Pink and light blue were most preferred by children and their parents to dark blue of nurses. The study recommends changing the color of nurses'uniforms in pediatric wards, considering children and their parents' perspectives