Professional image: First impressions count
Evidence shows that a professional image among health care providers is an important part of the patient/client experience and contributes to quality care. Maintaining a professional image at work can include everything from clothing and grooming, to ID cards for security and more visible name tags that indicate role or discipline.
New guidelines for VCH
To help improve the health care experience for patients and clients, VCH has developed new guidelines: Professional Image – First Impressions Count.
What do the guidelines cover?
- ID card to be worn above waist with photo and name visible
- Magnetic/pin-on name tag on left upper chest (provided for staff with patient/family contact)
- Grooming including cleanliness, hair and nails
- Accessories: pins, earrings, short chains, plain band ring and watch are appropriate
- Clothing suitable for work performed—no athletic wear, no soiled or revealing clothes
- Footwear that meets Worksafe BC regulations and VCH footwear policy.
More detailed information can be found in the guidelines or you can ask your manager.
Why do we need these guidelines?
The guidelines are in part a response to feedback from patients, families and visitors indicating difficulties in identifying the various types of care providers as well as individuals. A survey of VCH patients and family members showed that their experience could have been improved if they were able to more easily identify health care providers by name and by role. Over 90% of those surveyed felt that being able to identify the role of the health care provider when receiving care is very important. Over 80% of those surveyed felt that specific workwear would help to identify health care providers.
What’s next?
- Managers and leaders will help employees understand the new guidelines and how they apply and ensure expectations are clear.
- New magnetic and pin-on name tags are distributed to all staff and physicians who have in-person contact with patients, clients or the public.
- Optional VCH workwear will be available for purchase online this fall at bulk discount price. The workwear is high quality and is colour-specific by discipline. More information on this online store will be coming in fall 2016
Got questions?
- Check the Professional Image page on VCH Connect
- Read the guidelines: Professional Image – First Impressions Count
- Read Questions & Answers about Professional Image at VCH
- Discuss the guidelines with your manager.
Tell us what you think
The guidelines have been developed with input from staff, patients and physicians and your feedback on the result is important. Do you think the new guidelines will achieve the intended result? Is professional image an important part of your job? What examples have you seen of professional or unprofessional image at work?
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Jen Larson
I am happy to see the policy. Not only for professionalism but also for safety and security. I think it is a great reminder right before the warm weather comes to dress appropriately and wear proper shoes!!
Katy Tucker
I am very happy with the name tag idea, great for accountability !!
R
I dont work in a public or clinical space in VCH, but some of my coworkers take ‘casual Friday’ a bit too far. It should be noted that it is casual business wear on Friday and not what I wear casually on my own time. It is good to have a policy that covers the majority of front line employees, but I think there should be some policy that applies to this non frontline group of employees.
Nancy
I really appreciate staff wearing name tags that are standardized and readable, It’s good for patients/clients/residents, family members and visitors, but also a benefit to all our interdisciplinary staff working in such a large organization.
I like to be able to call people by their name and sometimes my memory fails me, I’m looking forward to getting everyone’s name correct, the first time !
Michelle
Professional image is great idea to push forward. It should also happen on the phone when we can’t see the persons name tag, introduce yourself.
K
Great idea to distribute magnetic name tags. Some staff at my worksite currently use lanyards, which is clumsy and can be a choking hazard if it gets caught on something or pulled by a patient.
Kathy
Professional image is important as a first impression to patients. However staff working in office settings who do not see patients at all should not be forced to follow all points in the guideline.
Thomas
I think these new requirements are fantastic! I work in an environment where we do not have direct interaction with patients, and sometimes this can lead employees to be careless in how they dress. These new rules will hopefully stop my co-workers from coming to work in sweatpants and worn-out hoodies.
Alannah
This seems very reasonable to be done. It can be a bit of a challenge working in community as scrubs are not a part of the uniform to find comfortable work wear. But can agree that athetic wear is probably best not for work.
Nichoe
Magnetic name tags are a good idea as the others have mentioned. Now, if there was a way to combine the ID tags for certain room/department access and the name tags together…
Allie
I was actually really surprised when I started working at VCH in 2009 and there was no dress code or policy.
I’m fine with this, and hope that it will help staff and patients a like.
MARY JANE CASTILLO
I work in a SPECIAL CARE UNIT where we care for residents with late stage dementia. Residents react through vision and touch. The way carestaff and nurses carry themselves affects how the residents behave. I make sure I always look good every single day I work. For sure my shift is a winner!
Tony
I’m curious about the above guideline “ID card to be worn above waist” while the guidance document states “May be… worn on a clip at waist level”. I ask becsaue I wear mine on a clip on my pants pocket when my shirt has no pocket.
Tom
I have not heard anything about this at my work site either.
I am also wondering if the clothing options for purchase will include VCH vests. I know that many nurses wear them as a way to stay warm, and they are able to remove them when delivering patient care. Also, they do not pose infection control issues as they are sleeveless and do not interfere with hand washing (like a sweater or hoodie would).
Rennie Brown
Hi Tom. Vests will be available as well. An online store is coming in the fall. Watch VCH News for the announcement. Thanks!
Val Morrison
Appearance is important and does convey a strong message. .I appreciate the ‘no athletic wear ” in addition to the guidelines on hair and nails.
Brenda
We have magnetic name tags at our work site and they are great! As an allied health professional who doesn’t wear a uniform I am thankful for an identification option that doesn’t damage my clothes, stays put (and yet transfers easily) and doesn’t pose a choking risk (as lanyards can).
I fully support presenting a professional image and being easily identified. I am concerned however, about compliance. There has been no mention of these guidelines at my work site and I know that not everyone reads the vchnews.
shelli keys
Professional image is very important as well are portraying an image to the public. Some examples I have seen as excessive makeup, dangling earrings, long colored nails and most of all, long hair. Many staff are also wearing exercise pants and short tshirts. This is definitely not the image of a nurse that we want to portray .
shelli
Kathryn
Love the magnetic name tags. Like Tom, as a casual, it helps me quickly identify who does what and vice versa.
Would be great for casual staff to have name tags as well.
Johanne
It may be a good Idea to use a easy release lanyard and a clip to clip to your pocket. This is so the ID does not flop onto your patient when you are leaning over the bed but does not get lost if the clip comes loose.
Shoes may be an problem since 12 hour comfort is so important.
Vera
I was taught that wearing nail poish affects the efficacy of infection control because it can harbor more bacteria growth. Shouldn’t it be refrained at all patient care areas instead of restricting the color of the polish?
Cathy
I fully support presenting a professional image. First impressions are everything!
sharon
thanks for ruling out spandex!
Kate
Any word yet on the colors specific to certain professional designations? Wouold also be really great if the new photo ID cards went back to the old ink that does not rub off so easily to fit in with the green goals we are trying to advance at VCH
Rennie Brown
Kate, there will be an online store coming in the fall with VCH workwear available at discount prices. You’ll be able to view the colours then. Purchase will be optional of course. Not sure what to tell you about the ID cards. Maybe put your suggestion forward to the Security folks who take care of ID card processing at vchphotoID@vch.ca.
Khatidja Shariff
I support the new vision you have in mind for all its reasons! The magnetic name/role pin will be very practical in clinical bedside work. Will we also have to have the large picture id on us all the time at the bedside? Using a lanyard to hold it and wear around the neck is impossible and unsafe during bedside nursing. Without the lanyard, a better securing device (safety pin) is needed to ensure it doesn’t fall off .
Tony
I like the idea of the magnetic name tag with one’s name and role on it. Our team does a lot of outreach and our badges often get caught in jackets and/or turned around from climbing up stairs.
Barb
I’ve been wearing a name and designation tag since I started nursing. Patients find it very helpful. Wearing yor ID around your neck is a safety hazard. It could be grabbed by an aggresive or confused patient and cause choking or it could get stuck in a bed rail, etc.
Tom
Pin on / magnetic name tags are a great idea. (I’ve been asking for one for a while now). As a case in point, they greatly benefit casual staff who are not familiar with the permanent and more senior staff on units, and they help identify occupations more easily. Often, I am referred to as a student (even though I am a casual nurse). I think this is a good step in the right direction.