Abstract
BackgroundWearing uniforms help in the formation of professional identity in healthcare. It fosters a strong self image and professional identity which can lead to good confidence and better performance in nursing practice. However, most nurses in Ethiopia are not wearing nursing uniforms and the reasons remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of this research is to assess nurse uniform wearing practices among nurses and factors associated with such practice in hospitals in Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsA hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April, 2014 in five hospitals located in Northwest Ethiopia. A total 459 nurses participated in the study. Data was collected using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were analyzed in order to characterize the study population. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression models were fitted. Odds ratios with 95 % confidence intervals were computed to identify factors associated with nursing uniform practice.ResultsNurse uniform wearing practice was found to be 49.2 % of the total sample size. Around 35 % of the respondents that did not implement nurse uniform wearing practices stated that there was no specific uniform for nurses recommended by hospital management. In addition to this, nurse uniform wearing practices were positively associated with being female [AOR = 1.58, 95 % CI (1.02, 2.44)], studying nursing by choice [AOR =3.16, 95 % CI (2.03, 4.92)], and the appeal of nursing uniforms to nurses [AOR = 3.43 95 % CI (1.96, 5.98)].ConclusionNurse uniform wearing practices were not exceptionally prevalent in Northwest Ethiopian hospitals. However, encouraging students to pursue interest-based careers and implementing a nurse uniform wearing policy may have the potential to improve such practices.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12912-015-0117-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Wearing uniforms help in the formation of professional identity in healthcare
This study was conducted to assess nurse uniform wearing practices among nurses and factors associated with such practice in hospitals in Northwest Ethiopia
Study design Hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted to assess nurse uniform wearing practices among nurses and factors associated with such practice in hospitals in Northwest Ethiopia from March to April 2014
Summary
Wearing uniforms help in the formation of professional identity in healthcare. It fosters a strong self image and professional identity which can lead to good confidence and better performance in nursing practice. Most nurses in Ethiopia are not wearing nursing uniforms and the reasons remain unclear. The aim of this research is to assess nurse uniform wearing practices among nurses and factors associated with such practice in hospitals in Northwest Ethiopia. In addition to this, nursing uniforms promote professionalism and cleanliness, while promoting freedom of movement [2, 3]. Wearing a uniform fosters a strong self-image and professional identity which can lead to an improved sense of confidence and better performance in nursing practice [4]
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