7 Top Considerations to Prioritize for Professional Healthcare Uniforms

Giving care in comfort

Long hours, hazardous materials, exposure to illness—it’s all in a day’s work for healthcare professionals. We understand that you need to meet the challenges you face every day with workwear that is durable, dependable and affordable. That’s why we’ve put together the following list. Make choosing the right the right healthcare uniforms for your organization easier by keeping these top considerations in mind.

7 top considerations for healthcare uniforms

1. Fabric

The type of fabric you choose for your healthcare workwear is perhaps the most critical decision you’ll make. 

Doctors, nurses and clinicians are on their feet for hours at a time, moving between rooms and departments to care for their patients. They need healthcare uniforms that prioritize comfort and durability above anything else—that way, they can spend less time worrying about itchy materials or ripping their scrubs and more time caring for patients.

Some popular hospital uniform fabrics include:

• Cotton, which is highly versatile, breathable and easy to clean, though it’s prone to shrinking.

• Polyester, which tends to be less breathable but is very durable, stretches easily and is resistant to wrinkles.

• Rayon, also called viscose, which is a lightweight material that requires more care during laundry cycles.

• Spandex, whose stretchy fibers offer a superior range of motion but may cause discomfort when worn over extended periods of time.

For most situations, cotton and polyester fabric blends offer a good combination of comfort, durability and stretch. However, some jobs (like surgeons or clinicians who handle hazardous materials) require uniforms that rely on unique fabric compounds to prevent exposure to harmful pathogens. Always check with organizations like the Center for Disease Control to ensure your fabric choice is appropriate for the position.

2. Color

The color of your healthcare uniform isn’t just a stylistic choice. Many organizations use color coding to denote employee rank or department. For example, blue scrubs may signify that the wearer is a primary care physician, while administrators might wear black scrubs. Find out if your organization has strict rules about the type of colors you need to use or is more lenient about color and pattern styling before making a final decision.

3. Branding

Along with color, you may need to consider adding the hospital or clinic name or logo to your employees’ scrubs. If so, look for embroidering services that can add those details in bulk. You also need to ensure that your chosen healthcare uniforms use strong enough fabric and have enough space available so your organization’s details can be prominently displayed without increasing the chance of rips or tears.

4. Pockets

Caregivers have to carry a lot of things with them throughout their rounds. They might need patient lists, extra gloves, pens, notes, a smartphone or pager, a penlight, shears—and that’s just the basics. Plus, their schedules are already packed. They don’t have time to run back and forth between their locker and their next assignment, so they need a place to store these critical tools. If their healthcare uniform lacks pockets, they’ll need some other way to carry all these tools with them, and carrying bags can be easily misplaced.

When shopping for healthcare uniforms, consider options that include pockets. Typically, the more pockets, the better—one front pocket on the shirt and two front pockets and one rear pocket on the pants are ideal. Confirm that the pockets are sturdy enough to hold multiple items without tearing to keep your workers from losing their gear. Also, make sure they’re a suitable size—if they’re too shallow to hold a pen or smartphone, they might as well not exist.

5. Fit

Hospital uniforms come in all shapes and sizes. Some fit snug to the body, while others are baggier. There are V-necks and crew necks for shirts, elastic bands and drawstrings for pants and a variety of contours to match. 

While it may be tempting to opt for the more stylish options, it’s important to remember that employees will work for long hours in a single stretch—for example, the average hospital nursing shift is 12 hours long. You don’t always have to sacrifice form for function, but try to prioritize a comfortable fit that provides an ample range of movement without getting in the way of delivering quality care.

6. Cleanability

Healthcare professionals deal with any number of substances that can stain or ruin their outfits, so they need hospital uniforms that are easy to clean. You can influence this with your choice of fabric to some extent. However, some scrubs include special chemicals or compounds that can prevent long-term stains, easily wick moisture away and maintain color over hundreds of washes.

7. Affordability

Healthcare uniforms should be comfortable and durable—but they also shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. Spend too much per uniform, and you may not have room in the budget to replace them as they inevitably get worn out. Compare prices make sure you’re stretching your finances as far as they can go.

Giving your healthcare workers the best in comfort

Just because caregivers put in long hours of hard work doesn’t mean they have to be uncomfortable while they do it. By prioritizing these features, you can provide quality, long-lasting healthcare uniforms that will rise to the occasion—just like your employees do every single day.

You also don’t have to break the bank to provide uniforms and other tools for your healthcare workers. Walmart Business helps your organization get the must-have supplies it needs while saving money with free shipping on orders over $35.¹ Already have an account? Upgrade to Walmart Business+, and your organization could save over $500/year while enjoying exclusive rewards.²

¹ Excludes most Marketplace items, freight and certain location surcharges.

² Savings based on 1 free $35+ delivery order vs. $9.95 fee and 1 free shipping order under $35 vs. $6.99 fee biweekly, plus 2% Walmart Business Rewards on monthly order >$250 (average value of $400).