Thankfully, popular shoe manufacturers that once directed all of their attention to athletic shoes have finally acknowledged the nursing shoe market. Today there are alternatives that offer modern, athletic, slip resistant and light weight features. No matter what your particular preference is, there are finally flattering and attractive alternatives.

Slip resistant soles are a welcome addition especially for nurses and medical personnel that are walking around hospitals and medical clinics all day. Avia offers 2 walking shoes styles for with slip resistant soles for under $35.00. First, Avia offers a walking shoe in both black and white for $29.99 that offers a synthetic upper and rubber outsole that are both oil resistant. They’ve added Canitlever technology to cushion the foot for extra comfort. Wide and regular widths are available. In addition, Avia added an Archrocker option this year for $34.99 which is available in regular and wide widths. The Archrocker technology helps promote a comfortable gait. The outsole still has Cantilever technology for comfort.

Skechers also offers several tried and true nursing shoe options modeled after walking shoes. The D’Lites shoe, the slip on Premix and the Marathon-slip resistant are all popular styles. The D’Lites are available in wide and combine leather and synthetic in the upper with a lighter weight outsole for better comfort on long days. The Premix has been very popular because it has an elastic closure rather than shoe laces which allow a quick slip on. The Marathon offers a slip resistant outsole and a leather/synthetic upper. It’s an excellent value at $39.49.

Skechers also recognized that nursing shoes don’t always have to be white. The Skechers Work line offers a Clara slip resistant clog in 4 different colors. Lightweight, strapless and certified slip resistant, it adds a little style and color to any nursing scrubs ensemble. It’s available in blue, light blue, pink and turquoise for $17.99.

Taking the nursing shoe market by storm are Natural Uniforms’ light weight clogs. For those who appreciate value, these ultra light weight clogs are $9.99. At that price, you can have a pair in every color. They are available in a variety of styles, with an adjustable strap, strapless, and closed heel. Customers love the light weight. Even for those who don’t wear their Natural Uniforms clogs to work, they provide welcome relieve at the end of a long shift, a great gardening shoe or beach shoe and a nice change for the weekend.

What is most important is that you find a pair of shoes that offer you the best comfort for your long days. Hopefully all of the new options available will make that task a lot easier.

Check out our nursing shoes.

No one needs to remind nurses, nursing students and anyone else in the medical profession about the importance of proper hydration, but sometimes the morning rush and hectic daily schedule prevent medical professionals from heeding their own best advice.  You can probably quote the statistics yourself about how many Americans are chronically dehydrated, so there’s no excuse for being one of them. 

You already know about the benefits of drinking water during the day, but do you know how to fit it into your already busy day?  Start with a safe, eco friendly, reusable water bottle that you can keep close at hand.  It helps if it will fit into your nursing bag or tote.

If you still prefer the thinner store bought plastic water bottles, try not to refill them.  Use them once then dispose of them in a proper recycling bin.  Reusable thicker plastic bottles are often under fire because of the Bisphenol-A content, but many manufacturers are now making bottles without BPA.  In response to the health concerns raised by BPA content, many people are converting to aluminum, but do a little homework first.  Aluminum bottles have an inner lining and reputable companies should be willing to disclose the contents of the liner and any test results which establish that the inner liner is safe.  Also, most aluminum bottles should be hand washed, not put in the dishwasher.  Check suggested washing instructions before making your selection. 

Stainless steel bottles tend not to have a liner and are usually dishwasher safe.  Increasing in popularity, they are now available in various colors by many manufacturers, keeping the cost competitive. 

Take just a few minutes to prepare yourself for each day.  Add a water bottle to your scrubs, cell phone wallet and other daily essentials.   Make a commitment just for this week to stay well hydrated then assess how you feel—don’t wait until you feel thirsty.  You take care of so many others.  Take care of you, too.

Stainless steel water bottle from Marcus Uniforms:  http://www.marcusuniforms.com/Productv52-P3204.aspx

Functional, Comfortable, Affordable Scrub tops and Scrub Pants for Men and Women

Skechers recently jumped into the medical scrubs market with a new line of functional fashion scrubs for men and women. The unisex line is just that: a line of scrubs that both men and women will be comfortable wearing. The scrub top features a soft cotton/polyester twill with a great shape and 4 pockets: a chest pocket, 2 front welt pockets that are well hidden at the side seams as well as a distinctive outer cell phone pocket above the hip. Skechers shaped the top for a slimming appearance with front and back side panels. The coordinating unisex scrub pant is equally well designed. Made of the same soft and comfortable fabric, it features an adjustable web drawstring and an elastic waist as well as a mock fly front. There are 5 functional pockets: side cargo pockets with yet another cell phone pocket and instrument or pen holder as well as 2 slash pockets and 2 back cargo style pockets with velcro flaps. Available in several colors from XS-3X, it offers a much needed slightly sporty modern upgrade to the ever reliable unisex scrub options.

For the women, Skechers used its experience in sportswear to design a well fitting, modern scrub ensemble that is still professional and functional. The warm-up scrub jacket features princess seams and back elastic for a more flattering fit, front kangaroo pockets, bottom band, rib knit cuffs and a zipper front. Also in brushed cotton/poly, it updates the scrub warm-up with a little touch of sport and comfort. The scrub warm-up can be paired with Skechers’ new long-sleeve tee. Skechers incorporated the popular burnout technique to add sheer words of healing, hope, caring and love to this great layering tee. Whether you like an added layer under your v-neck scrub tops or want to wear it under the Skechers’ jacket, it’s comfortable and stylish.

Skechers also deviated from the traditional v-neck scrub top with its new scoop neck. By slightly curving the neck line, Skechers offers a modern but professional alternative to solid scrubs. The scoop neck scrub top offers 2 front pockets with stitched down pen holder, back elastic for a little shaping and side vents. For those who are required to wear solids, but need a little dash of fashion, Skechers has the answer. The coordinating low rise drawstring pant is soft, modern, comfortable and functional. With a moderate flare, it offers an adjustable twill tape drawstring and an elastic waist. Similar to the unisex pant, it offers a lot of pockets: side cargo pocket with scissor pocket, 2 slash pockets, novelty front coin pocket with button flap and 2 back pockets with button flap.

Are you ready for a change that you can afford? Try on Skechers for an upgraded but flattering look and fit.

PALLETS BOUND FOR HAITI VIA CONNECTICUT CHARITY

On February 1^st, Marcus Uniforms and Jack L. Marcus, Inc. loaded 13 pallets of new children’s clothes, linens, adult shoes, underwear, socks and medical scrubs bound for Haiti.

Marcus Uniforms received an e-mail from a local school whose 8^th grade class was trying to raise funds for Jazz’d4Life, a Connecticut based charity started by the family of legendary jazz musician, Dave Brubeck, which is involved in long-term projects in Haiti and Africa.  Jazz’d4Life had built a school for orphanages as well as wells and water filtration systems in that area.

Upon receipt of the e-mail, Marcus Uniforms realized that it had several boxes of summer clothing and linens which were earmarked for its 50^th anniversary tent sale in July, 2010, as well as shoes and medical scrubs from its catalog operations that could be donated.  The school sent a mass e-mail out to its parents asking if anyone could help transport the clothing to Connecticut and Sensient Dehydrated Flavors quickly stepped in to donate a truck.

Marcus Uniforms’ donation quickly jumped to 13 pallets of merchandise including medical scrubs as we scoured our warehouse.  In the end, we loaded about 10,000 lbs. of merchandise onto the truck bound for Haiti via Jazz’d4Life.  Thank you to the local news agencies that joined us to load the truck. 

We are grateful to the organizations that partnered with us to make this project possible including the middle school students for their inspiration and dedication to community service, Jazz’d4Life for arranging transportation to Haiti and Sensient Dehydrated Flavors for stepping in with a truck.  We feel very lucky to be able lend a hand in our own small way to the people of Haiti during this critical time.    Our thoughts are prayers are with them.

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www.jazzed4life.org   www.MarcusUniforms.com   www.sensient-tech.com

A Little Preparation will Prevent a lot of Chaos

Have you been charged with ordering solid medical scrubs for your office or department?  Perhaps the thought of trying to please everyone has already caused a sudden increase in your stress level.  Here are a few pointers to help you navigate your way to hopefully pleasing most of the people, most of the time.

Establish the requirements first.  How much time do you have?  What is the required color?  Generally, if you are doing a group order, your goal is to have everyone in your office or department have a professional appearance that is easily identifiable.  Find out also if warm-up jackets or lab coats are allowed or required before you start.   You may want to ask if men and women can wear different styles such as a unisex style with a chest pocket vs. a traditional v-neck with 2 lower pockets.  You may also want to ask if everyone must wear the same type of scrub pant.  Sometimes there are flare pant options for women, elastic waist options and drawstring options.  

Finally, inquire about embroidery   Many medical departments are opting to add an embroidered logo or name to scrub tops to finish the look.  Knowing in advance exactly what the requirements are will help you to channel your scrub outfitting efforts in the right direction from the beginning.  Use your list of questions and answer as your road map.

Purchasing Solids for a Group‚ÄîNow that you know what color you are looking for, keep in mind that dye lots in solid medical scrubs vary from brand to brand even within the same manufacturer so be sure to order solid tops and bottoms from the same manufacturer AND the same line within that manufacturer.  For example, ">Cherokee Workwear solids are not always identical to Cherokee Studio B.  Similarly, Cherokee Workwear solid colored scrubs are not going to match exactly to White Swan Fundamentals solid colors even if you are ordering navy, ceil or black.  

Evaluate the Group.  A large group promises a range of sizes, not to mention preferences.   Generally, large manufacturers such as White Swan or Cherokee will offer the most options for sizing and styles which will make your job considerably easier.   First, are you outfitting men and women?  Men tend to prefer a chest pocket and a drawstring waist pant so make sure there is a unisex option.   If your employer prefers that everyone wear the same style, you may want to look for a 3 pocket scrub top option.  Do you need talls, petites or shorts in scrub pant lengths?  Having different length options for both men and women will help ensure a better fit and reduce exchanges, another benefit for you.  Cherokee Workwear and White Swan fundamentals offer those options in almost all colors.    Do any of the women require skirts?  Marcus Uniforms offers skirts by White Swan Fundamentals in several colors.   

Finally, establish your plus size requirements in advance so that you can be sure everyone‚Äôs scrubs will match.  Marcus Uniforms offers talls, shorts, petites and plus sizes in both Cherokee and White Swan.  We can also access the manufacturer‚ inventory for you if there is a size or color that we don‚Äôt have in our warehouse.

Size the Group.  No matter what brand you select and what retailer you choose, sizing information should be made readily available to you including instructions on how to take the required measurements.  Marcus Uniforms includes a manufacturer size chart at the bottom of every product page.   Each person should individually consult the size charts and submit size requirements to you including pant lengths.  Keep in mind that pant lengths are listed by inseam.  A spreadsheet becomes a valuable tool at this stage.

Select your Retailer.   When ordering medical scrubs for a group, you want to make sure that your retailer will continue stocking your selected scrubs so that you can easily replenish from time to time.  Is there a free shipping or group discount option?   How long does it take to ship?  What is the return policy?   Watch out for fine print on return labels.  If there is a return label included in the package and you use it, will you be charged for it later against your exchange or refund?  Is embroidery available?  If you don‚ see exactly the scrub style you want, will the retailer check with the manufacturer and find it for you?  Can you speak with a person directly to get your questions answered?  Is pricing competitive?   Ask questions or even ask for a price quote in advance.  You are an important customer and the retailer should be happy to assist you to earn your business.   If you need assistance with a group order, we‚Äôd be happy to help.  We can even go through these questions with you and help you sort out your information, make suggestions and help with sizing issues.

Consider Samples.   It may be a good idea to order some samples in advance.    Even if you have to pay for samples, check the return policy.  You may be able to return them within a certain period of time for refund.  Samples will allow you to make sure that the color and style that you‚Äôve selected meet your expectations.  They may also allow you to establish size guidelines and minimize returns later.

Pat Yourself on the Back.    Even if you haven‚Äôt pleased all of the people all of the time, you've outfitted a group in medical scrubs and you deserve a little praise.  Hopefully, a little advanced planning made it a relatively smooth process‚Ķuntil the required colors change.   Let us know how we can help at Marcus Uniforms.

The burdens and benefits of school uniforms are an ongoing debate throughout the US.  Does the uniform alleviate the distraction of wardrobe competition among students?  Does it help students learn better?  Do they behave differently?  Do schools have a right to dictate a dress code?  These are only a few of the questions that school districts must address when introducing or maintaining a school district dress code.   Most private and parochial schools would stand behind the argument that a consistent dress code creates unity and cohesiveness among the students, helps enforce discipline and frees students to focus on inner characteristics and academic effort rather than choice of outfit or shoe.   They contend that while clothing makes a person noticeable in a crowd, a dress code has an advantage of placing everyone on the same level platform, thereby temporarily erasing all social differences. School uniforms separate school as a  place of respect requiring a higher level of attention and respect which is different from the casual atmosphere of home.   It is that atmosphere, they argue, which fosters growth, development and learning at all ages. 

It is equally important to recognize that a uniform is worn by children and young adults during a long school day and therefore should offer an appearance that complements all ages and sizes, is comfortable so that students can concentrate on school and enhances self esteem.   Looking smart is much more powerful when the student is comfortable at the same time.   Children and young adults come in all shapes and sizes so one size fits all is not an acceptable choice for school uniforms.   For this reason, most stores offer plus size or husky uniform options.  Husky or plus sizes are used to refer to students who need a bit more comfort in targeted areas than what is offered in standard sizes.   Usually the term ‘husky’ is used for boys and ‘plus size’ for girls. Husky size pants are generally wider through the hips and thighs. The husky size shirts are a bit wider across the middle. Boys’ uniforms which are available at in husky sizes at www.MarcusUniforms.com are pants, shorts, dress shirts and polo shirts. Girls’ plus size uniforms include pants, scooter skorts, blouses and polo shirts.  

The difference between husky/plus size uniforms and larger sized standard uniforms is that larger standard sizes are simply bigger in an unvarying manner. Large sized uniforms do not take into consideration that the human body can be wider in some parts and slimmer in the others. Husky or plus sized uniforms address this inaccuracy. They are wider in the areas which have a tendency to gain weight and offer standard sizing in the other parts. For best fit, we recommend taking a few measurements before placing an order for plus sized or husky uniforms:

·         Measure the child’s height against the wall.

·         Measure the fullest part of the chest/bust. The tape should be held in such a manner so that it is comfortably loose.

·         Measure the smallest portion of the waist.

·         Measure the fullest part of the hip.

·         Measure the length of the leg from the hip to the floor.

The demand for husky and plus sized school uniforms has increased over the past several years which has simultaneously increased the number of options available.   Shop online for the best price and consult size charts for the best selection and fit.

White Swan originated in New York, in 1916, as a high-quality nursing uniform manufacturer. Later, the company merged with Meta, another well-known name in uniforms. In the 1990s, the companies became part of Dowling Textiles which made it possible to manufacture and expand their line of quality products at affordable prices. Today, White Swan is one of the best known brands for uniforms of all kinds including chef wear. They cater to both men and women, and their top priority is to provide comfortable and functional products at reasonable prices. They are the market leader in high-quality solids for hospitals, schools and clinics, as well as fashionable print scrubs,  Tru-Cord soft cotton corduroy scrubs, men’s and women’s lab coats and chef wear.    White Swan’s Fundamentals are 65/35 poplin with Soil Release.

Medical uniforms, scrubs and lab wear were originally designed for protecting the body during medical procedures.  Today, as nurses, hospitals and clinics try to establish their own unique identity, scrubs become a more important style statement. There are scrubs for pediatrics, veterinary and oncology departments.   “Uniform” no longer means starched, white and solemn.  Uniforms have become a reflection of one’s personality, an encouraging message to patients, a way to identify different departments within large medical facilities and, therefore, a more important matter of fashion and style.

White Swan offers lab coats in materials like Performance Poplin with Soil Release Finish, Cotton/Polyester Requisite with Soil Release Finish, Fine Line Twill with Soil Release Finish, Super Blend Twill with Soil Release Finish, and many others. Tops, pants and printed wear are also available in different fabric blends, shapes and sizes, including plus.

White Swan is always introducing more comfort and trendy designs for customers. They make constant effort to provide a larger variety without compromising the quality of their products. They blend their 100 years of experience as an industry manufacturing uniforms with the latest fabric, design and technology. More information about the company and its various products are available on the World Wide Web.

Medical uniforms and specifically nurses’ uniforms have evolved through the years, but have emerged as a very important part of the personality of the nurse. The historical starched white uniform signified a solemn discipline, compassion and caring. It was called called a “fever proof uniform” and covered almost the entire body of the nurse. Interestingly, however, the nurse never wore gloves or mask. The 1840’s saw new nursing uniforms which depicted the patriarchal constraints within which nurses worked and dressed. In fact, the uniform signified the dress of a female servant of the time. Fast forward to today. How times have changed. The new uniforms worn by nurses are called scrubs, offer bright colors, designs, encouraging words and a whole host of pant styles to fit all shapes, sizes and personalities.

Cherokee nursing uniforms

Cherokee has been one of the top brands of women’s apparel since 1972. Both comfortable and fashionable, Cherokee’s medical scrubs are available in solids and prints at very affordable prices. One of the most popular lines is “Cherokee Workwear.” The Workwear line offers over 25 colors at prices to meet your budget, not to mention petite pants, tall pants, flare pants and cargo pants. Cherokee created the HQ line featuring assorted print scrub tops including cartoon prints, for those working with children or the young at heart; holiday scrubs whether patriotic, Valentine’s Day or Christmas; veterinary scrub tops with whimsical cats, dogs, frogs, turtles and other pets; or fashionable floral scrubs. Most have a matching scrub jacket. Uniforms such as Cherokee scrubs are now a standard part of a nursing professional’s wardrobe.

Cherokee’s innovative style, comfort and quality make it a natural choice for nurses in all settings and an easy choice for anyone outfitting a large group of medical professionals. Cherokee knows that healthcare workers such as nurses are not just customers, but special individuals who make exceptional societal contributions. The brand’s tagline, “Inspired Comfort”, reflects not only the functional and the fashionable design of the nursing uniforms, but also the exceptional services performed by the nursing profession.

To see our extensive line of Cherokee scrubs, visit www.marcusuniforms.com.