Contemporary nurses' uniforms---history and traditions.

This paper explores the literature related to the history and traditions of contemporary nurses' uniforms. It also presents the views of nurses about uniforms following the abandonment of a prescribed uniform for nurses working in a Professorial Nursing Unit in a large Hospital in Victoria. The literature dealing with the question of uniforms focuses on professionalism, status and power, infection control, identity, modesty, symbolism and occupational health and safety. The nurses who participated in the study expressed many of these themes.