A new uniform policy at John R. Oishei Children's Hospital is creating controversy and apparently confusion among hospital staff.
According to a union letter from Local 1168 AFL-CIO, Kaleida Health will soon restrict pediatric nurses from wearing printed scrubs. Instead, the union said, nurses will be required to wear only solid colored scrubs.
Several nurses told 7 Eyewitness News they received a memo outlining the new policy in October. That memo indicated the new policy would take effect January 1, 2018. Some said they were disappointed with the change because the printed scrubs were often an ice breaker with young patients and their parents. They also said the uniforms with superheroes or holiday themes made pediatric patients feel more comfortable.
In an email response, Michael Hughes, senior vice president and chief of staff for Kaleida, said the ban "isn't true." He said the uniforms are negotiated during labor agreements, and the current contract isn't up until late 2018.
