For centuries most professions come hand in hand with a specific uniform. For instance, police are identified by their khaki uniform, lawyers by their black coats and medical professionals by their white lab coats. While others are sometimes subjected to changes, a doctor’s white lab coat is something that is universal. But have you ever thought about why medical professionals mostly wear white in hospitals? The answer to this is closely associated with its numerous benefits listed below.
Uses of Lab Coats or Aprons
Avoid Contamination
The first and foremost reason hospital uniforms include lab coats is to maintain cleanliness. Being a medical professional means having to take care of sick patients. This sometimes results in the transfer of traces of bodily fluids like blood, vomit, urine, etc. The presence of lab coats not just helps to protect the doctor’s clothes but also acts as the first line of shield against contamination.
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Spotting Stains
Next on the list of uses of a white lab apron worn in hospitals is that it helps to easily spot stains. Starting from bodily fluids like blood, vomit and urine to liquid medications such as iodine, all can leave behind quite the stain. However, there are times when these stains are so minute that they get missed while doing laundry. This is why medical professionals prefer white coats, as it is easy to pinpoint the spots.
Carrying Items
One does not have to become a medical professional to know that on-call doctors and nurses spend most of their day checking on patients. And it is not possible for them to go looking for items like a stethoscope, thermometer, torch, pen, pager, etc., every time they visit a patient’s room. This is why they prefer buying lab coats online, which come with a bunch of pockets to carry their belongings.
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Identity
Being a practitioner of medicine is one of the noblest works out there, and it takes years of hard work and patience to succeed in this field. This is why to commemorate a medical student’s achievement; most medical schools celebrate the white coat ceremony and the Hippocratic Oath’s recitation. This white coat marks an identity that upholds and prioritizes the commitment to save lives over everything else.
Easy Identification
The practice of medical professionals wearing white coats was first started during the 1800s. Years later, this tradition continues because of the fundamental reason it was started, for easy identification. All over the world, hospitals and medical centres incorporate white lab coats in their medical uniforms because it helps to distinguish between doctors and patients in times of emergency.
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Becoming a medical professional does not only mean being in charge of a patient’s well-being but also makes one obligated toward the patient’s family and loved ones. This is why along with the reasons put forward earlier, the white color is chosen instead of others as a symbol of honesty and integrity and a promise to do all that is medically possible to help those in need.