The Cheap Scrubs Pockets Galore

These days, nurses are carrying bulkier and heavier gadgets such as smartphones and iPads for communication on the job. Gone are the days when all you need was a clip-on holster for your pager and a small pocket for your pens. With technology, it became easier for nurses (and even doctors) to verify medical information with the medical apps on their gadgets and gizmos. Unfortunately, the books may fit in the medical app but definitely the smartphone is too heavy and bulky to attach securely on any scrub pants especially since the drawstring and elastic waistband style has since become a favorite.

Another fact is that nurses these days carry more than just the usual pen, scissors and their PDAs. Have you got a family or a friend in the healthcare industry? If you have, take a look at what they usually carry or ask them what they need to have while they move around the hospitals to see to the care of their patients. If you do not have any idea, take a look at this list and you would know a clip-on is not enough for these items.

• 3+ Red and Black Pens
• 2+ Sharpies
• Medical/Bandage Scissors
• Hemostats
• Thermometer
• Kelly clamps
• Dressing Tape/ 3M Durapore tape
• Special adhesive bandages for securing IV's/Tegaderms
• Penlight
• Angiocaths
• Calculator
• Wipes/Hand sanitizer
• Alcohol pads or e
• Gloves (gloves and more gloves)
• Stethoscopes
• EKG calipers
• Saline flushes
• IV caps
• Trauma shears
• Post-it Notes
• Pocket Pillbox for Personal Meds
• iPod or MP3 player
• PDA
• Various coins (for the drink/vending machine)
• Lip Balm
• Keys (glued to you)

Depending on where the nurses work (surgery/med/pediatrics), these are some of what can be commonly found in any cheap scrubs pockets. No wonder they need several pockets on their scrub tops and pants or they are constantly sewing their pockets. I may not be a nurse but I have seen how often my sisters had her nursing scrubs repaired.

It actually didn't matter if it was an expensive or cheap scrubs, it all came down to the durability of her scrubs and of course the number of pockets. What is so amazing is that the nurses’ uses up all the pockets they have on their scrub tops (no matter how many they have) and the scrub pants as well. It seems to me that it makes going to and fro the hospital corridor pretty heavy. But my sister’s reply was better than having to go back and forth the nurses’ station to get whatever you need, that will be a lot more stress and pain for my feet. She said that with so many styles scrubs these days they can easily choose the best cheap scrubs for their needs and I was actually surprised to see that these nurse scrubs actually have more than one pocket, well even more than 2 pockets.

It was while doing this research that I realized there were different kinds of pockets. One would think a pocket is a pocket by any other name. That was until I saw the different kinds and how different each pocket was.

Defined as a flat pocket sewn to the outside of a garment, the patch pocket is the most present and widely used pocket-style in scrubs. The most common is having cheap scrubs with two generous patch pockets, roomy enough that you can stow several necessities and tools of the trade. Since it is flat on the scrub top with no cover it’s easy enough to get what you need and according to nurse, store whatever small thing you might have picked up as the shift goes by. Unfortunately having no cover is also its downside since when you lean over a patient or pick up something from the floor, the items can fall out of the pocket. Hence, styles have evolved with some pockets having Velcro along the edge or an inside pocket for the pens and smaller items.

This is almost like the patch pockets except that the location is not lower but rather on up on the chest side. The most common pocket style for unisex scrub top but the location and placement of the pocket can sometimes make it a little awkward for those with larger bosoms. So storing small items is okay but not necessarily the best especially for women.

Although there are scrub tops with chest pockets, it also would have hidden pockets or patch pockets on the lower portion of the top. In the case of DI-83753, like it says on the style name it has three pockets, including the chest pocket and it has two side entry pockets making it a three pocket nurse scrub top.

Welt pocket is defined as a small, flat pocket that is commonly used on the exterior and interior breast on a man's suit jacket. It is also common for a welt pocket to be used as a pocket in the back of men'strousers. And though often used in men’s apparel, it is also used on women’s attire though more often seen on pants to keep the front flat. A welt pocket can either have one or two lips or a finishing on the opening edge of the welt pocket. If there is only one lip it is usually the lower lip but there are two lips then there are finished edges on the top and bottom of the pocket opening. In this case, the lip of the welt pocket is made out of a different color from the fabric of the scrub top and thus serves also as an accent.

The kangaroo pocket refers to the style of pocket sewn onto a garment. It is called kangaroo pockets since it is actually based on the idea of the kangaroo pouch so much so that it almost in the middle part of the garment, the front lower portion of the nurse scrubs or dress. Although more often associated with sweatshirts, hoodies and simple cotton dresses, it has certainly crossover the medical apparel fashion. It is also called hoodie pockets because it is more commonly used on hooded sweatshirts or hoodies without zippers which allows a single large pocket which is open on either sides and roomy enough that you can put both hands inside to keep it warm. In the scrubs, the pockets are separate and located underneath not patch on the nurse scrub tops

These are the kind of pockets that are designed different than the usual. Sometimes it can be angled circular pockets or simply slits on the side. It can either serve as a beautiful accent for the scrub top or cannot be seen so it does not mar the design.

LA-8125 certainly look lovely with the angled entry pockets while the embroidered already make good accents for AD-617 and an obvious pocket would certainly mar the design and so the novelty pocket works.

The hidden pocket is the style of pocket that is like the novelty pocket as it is designed not to mar or show in any way on the scrub. These pockets are only accessible through a princess seam on a fitted top. Almost like the kangaroo pocket, the location of the pocket is closer to the center line of the body than the true side pocket. The pocket is slightly slanted for easy access without having to bend your arm or twist your wrist just to reach it. With a hidden Velcro or a way to secure, this type of pocket is a sure way to keep items secure though it would not be enough if one has to stow a lot of items.

Both the nurse scrubs featured shows in the image where the scrub pockets are and how accessible it is by showing where exactly where the hands will go.

There are scrub tops with multiple pockets. One of the styles featured here is AD-601 which has two patch pockets and one chest pocket for the various small items that nurses usually bring along as they go about doing their job. Take note that there is a smaller pocket inside the chest pocket, in this case the breast /chest pocket has a divider for the pen. The patch or chest pocket becomes an accessory pocket when it is designed with an inner pocket dividing the pockets into different compartments for the pens, the cellphone and other accessories like scissor or even an iPod.

Landau nurse scrub top or LA-8419 features four large front patch pockets with pencil/instrument division and scissor tape holder on one pocket on the right side and another two places to stow all the other items you need with you. It can be seen on the stitching how it is made durable enough for all the small necessities.

There are several kinds of pockets found in different blue jeans and other pants and that goes the same way with scrub pants.

Cargo Pockets - Cargo pants, the loosely-cut pants designed for the outdoors originally is hands down the favorite of pockets fanatics as it is made distinctive from other pants cut because of its multiple cargo pockets. Cargo pocket is simply a patch pocket except it has accordion folds so that it allows more room to carry other items and is closed with a flap secured by buttons, Velcro or snaps. It is said that the most number of pockets a cargo pants has ever had is 76 cargo pockets. Wow, I wonder how that looks. Although it is a little bit easier to retrieve or access items from the pockets of your cheap scrub tops, having a lot of things in there could also put a strain on your back. Thus putting these extras on your cargo pockets would be so much better.

Pork Chop Pockets - Interesting pockets are those named for their pork chop-like shape thus the so called pork chop pockets. Rather than being a square shape like most other pockets, pork chop pockets are rectangular with a diagonal opening, rather than the usual straight opening. This allows them to be deep yet easily accessible. Pork chop pockets are usually front pockets on casual garments and have no buttons and the rounded corner is actually the deepest part. Cargo pants, like DI-857455, often feature pork chop pockets near the waistband as well as the cargo pockets on the legs.

There are other types of pockets but these are the ones commonly used in nurse scrubs tops and pants. Like I have said before, we each have our own style when choosing what we wear at work but looking good, being comfortable and functional can go together if you just know what to choose. Durability, functionality and fashion can go together even when you get cheap nurse scrubs, one doesn't need to empty their pockets with expensive nursing uniforms, one just needs to make sure about the brands and that the online store one gets from has a lot of deals available.