Nursing uniforms – a brief history

Here at AWB, we’ve been tracing the history of nursing uniforms.

In doing so, we stumbled across a great infographic (included below).

We also unearthed some history behind the iconic outfits, once known simply as ‘the national’ and now likely to be known as ‘scrubs’.

Traditional nursing uniforms are believed to be based on a Nun’s habit. With Nuns having played a key role in nursing throughout the years, the uniform now stands as testament to their compassionate work.

The first nursing uniform

During the 1900s, at the time of Florence Nightingale, one of the Miss Nightingale’s students is said to have designed the first bespoke uniform for nurses.

In the UK, with the advent of the National Health Service, the uniform that we traditionally associate with nurses was first introduced. It was then simply referred to as ‘the national’.

Today, we see a vast array of different styles, fits and colours, with the majority of nurses nowadays wearing what are called ‘scrubs’ or ‘scrub suits’.

The history of nursing – an infographic

Below is an infographic via NurseLabs.com, which shows the history of nursing with mention of modern nursing’s beginnings in the 1900s. This is the time when modern nursing uniforms were first designed and introduced.

Shop for nursing uniforms with AWB Textiles