Scottsbluff, Neb., – Regional West nurses are now wearing color-coded scrubs to make it easier for patients and their families know at a glance who the members of their nursing care team are.

“The new uniforms reflect our dedication to quality patient care,” said Shirley Knodel, MS, RN, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President Patient Care. “The colors help our patients know who is providing care, the scrub style offer nurses as much comfort and freedom of movement as possible, and the consistency of the all caregivers wearing a scrub-style immediately identifies employees as Regional West caregivers.”

The decision to adopt specific colors was based on a survey of Regional West patients conducted by the medical center’s Professional Practice Committee in 2014. Staff participated in a pilot study in which registered nurses wore pewter-colored scrubs, after which patients were surveyed. The survey revealed that 58 percent of patients felt they were better able to identify their registered nurses due to the pewter scrubs. Staff then voted to choose the color to represent the various medical disciplines.

The new standardized uniform colors are as follows: Registered nurses wear pewter (dark gray)-colored scrubs; surgery nurses wear navy blue; Licensed Practical Nurses wear wine (burgundy); Interventional Radiology and Cath Lab staff wear ceil blue (periwinkle); Certified Nursing Assistants wear Caribbean blue (bright blue); and staff in the Birth and Infant Care Center wear pink tops with pewter pants.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 182-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 providers, and over 2,000 employees, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.