Search Methods
Searched PubMed and CINAHL for combinations of the following concepts:
dress OR attire OR uniforms
patient satisfaction
patient attitudes or perception
allied health personnel
patient care team
identification
nurse’s role

Search Results
Below are selected studies applying mostly to a general patient population. There are also studies about specific patient populations, such as behavioral health units.

PubMed
Relevant studies are in this PubMed collection.
These are observational studies of patient’s perception of nursing attire.

CINAHL
Title: An evidence-based approach to creating a new nursing dress code: a survey of patients reveal what nurses should — and shouldn’t — wear.
Authors: Windle L ; Halbert K ; Dumont C ; Tagnesi K ; Johnson K
Source: American Nurse Today (AM NURSE TODAY), 2008 Jan; 3(1): 17-9

Title: Dress code debate.
Authors: Kaser M ; Bugle LW ; Jackson E
Source: Nursing Management (NURS MANAGE), 2009 Jan; 40(1): 33-8
COMMENT: This small study included 20 patients and their family members and 12 nurses who represented children’s units. The preference of being able to distinguish nurses from other healthcare staff did come up in this study.

Title: Use of non-conventional nurses’ attire in a paediatric hospital: a quasi-experimental study.
Authors: Festini F ; Occhipinti V ; Cocco M ; Biermann K ; Neri S ; Giannini C ; Galici V ; de Martino M ; Caprilli S
Source: Journal of Clinical Nursing (J CLIN NURS), 2009 Apr; 18(7): 1018-26
COMMENT: Investigates parents and children’s (N=112) attitudes toward multi-colored v. white uniforms for nurses. Parents expressed preference for being able to distinguish nurses from other staff.

Title: True colors: more hospitals turn to standardized attire for nurses to better identify them to patients and to polish their professional image.
Authors: Gaskill M
Source: NurseWeek (15475131) (NURSEWEEK (S CENTRAL)), 2004 Oct 4; 11(21): 20-1

Reviewed and updated 4/16/2014