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What color scrubs do nursing students wear?

Nursing student uniform colors in England, Scotland and US schools, how many sets to get, and what to check in your school's dress code before you buy.

Short answer

  • There is no single color: each US school sets its own, and UK students follow national or trust uniforms.
  • England's national uniform puts students in cloud blue with navy trim; NHS Scotland uses a silver-grey tunic with navy trousers.
  • US examples include Galaxy Blue at Kirkwood, red at UNMC, and black for RN students at Donnelly College.
  • Read your program handbook before buying; some schools require a named vendor, embroidery or a patch.
In this guide (9 sections)
  1. What colour do student nurses wear in the UK?
  2. What color scrubs do nursing students wear in the US?
  3. Do I have to buy my own student uniform?
  4. How many sets of scrubs do I need?
  5. What should I check before buying my first scrubs?
  6. Can I wear a shirt or jacket over or under my scrubs?
  7. What fabric should a first set be?
  8. Do I need the same color once I qualify?
  9. What to check before you act

There is no single color for nursing students. In the US, each school picks its own: Kirkwood Community College specified Galaxy Blue, the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Nursing uses red, and Donnelly College uses black for RN students. In England, trusts on the national NHS uniform dress students in cloud blue with navy trim, and NHS Scotland uses a silver-grey tunic with navy trousers.

The safest first step is the same everywhere: read your program's dress code before you buy anything.

What colour do student nurses wear in the UK?

England. The NHS Supply Chain colourway sheet for the national healthcare uniform lists "Students" as cloud blue with navy trim. Bedfordshire Hospitals, which began its rollout in January 2026, shows students in the same colors. Adoption of the national uniform is up to each trust, so a trust that hasn't adopted it may use something else.

Scotland. NHS Scotland's national uniform policy, DL(2018)4, gives nursing, midwifery and AHP students a silver-grey tunic, in the same style and fabric as staff uniform, worn with navy trousers. The tunic carries the university or college logo. The policy says medical and dental students are not covered.

For the full list of staff colors, so you can recognize who is who on placement, see NHS uniform colours.

What color scrubs do nursing students wear in the US?

There is no national US color standard that we found. Schools and hospitals set their own. These examples come from published dress codes, with dates, because they can change.

School or employer Student uniform color Other rules noted Document date
Kirkwood Community College Galaxy Blue; top and pants must match Buy from campus bookstore; patch on left of top; optional white jacket Revised 12 Mar 2019
UNMC College of Nursing (Nebraska) Red scrubs in acute and long-term care From the college's named vendor, embroidered; patch on left sleeve Last edited 4 Nov 2025
Donnelly College Black for RN students; red for PN students Solid white or black shoes; no clogs, sandals or boots 2025–2026 handbook
Lehigh Valley Health Network, student nursing patient observation assistants Solid burgundy top, black or khaki pants White sneakers or nursing shoes Updated 28 Apr 2017

Two things stand out. First, colors vary even between schools. Second, several programs control more than color: vendor, embroidery and patch position are often specified. The Kirkwood document is from 2019 and the LVHN one from 2017, so treat them as examples, not current rules.

Do I have to buy my own student uniform?

It depends on where you study.

  • In the UK, NHS England's 2020 guidance says organizations should provide enough uniforms, including for students, so that there is a clean set every shift. Ask your university and placement trust what they issue before you spend money.
  • In the US, students usually buy their own. Kirkwood sold scrubs through its campus bookstore. UNMC requires scrubs from the college's chosen vendor, embroidered with the college name.

If your program names a vendor, buying the "right color" elsewhere may not be accepted.

How many sets of scrubs do I need?

Kirkwood's scrub requirements recommended two sets, because clinicals, lab and simulation are often on consecutive days. NHS England's guidance aims for a clean set every shift, without needing to wash daily.

A simple worked example:

Your week Shifts between washes Sets worn Spare Sets to have
Two clinical days, washing once a week 2 2 1 3
Three 12-hour shifts, washing every two days 2 2 1 3
Lab plus two clinical days, washing once a week 3 3 1 4

The spare covers a set that gets soiled mid-shift, which NHS England says should be changed immediately. Start with the minimum your program suggests and add more once you know your timetable.

What should I check before buying my first scrubs?

Use your program handbook as the checklist. The points below come up in the dress codes we read:

  • Exact color name. "Galaxy Blue" or "cloud blue" is a specific shade. Kirkwood advised buying top and pants from the same brand because dye lots vary.
  • Vendor and embroidery. Some schools require a named supplier and logo.
  • Patch position. Kirkwood puts the patch on the left of the top; UNMC on the left sleeve below the shoulder.
  • Pant length and fit. Kirkwood asks for hemmed, straight-leg pants that don't touch the floor.
  • Sleeves. UK placements usually require bare below the elbows. See bare below the elbows rules.
  • Shoes. Kirkwood asks for closed heel and toe with rubber soles; Donnelly allows only solid white or black; NHS England and Scotland ask for soft-soled, closed shoes.
  • Jewellery and nails. UNMC requires short nails with no polish or artificial nails. Donnelly limits jewelry to wedding or engagement rings and one pair of small post earrings.
  • Care label. If you wash at home, check the label against your placement's washing rules. See how to wash scrubs.

Can I wear a shirt or jacket over or under my scrubs?

Often, but only in the colors your program names. The dress codes we read are specific:

  • Donnelly College allows a white scrub jacket for warmth and a white shirt under the scrub top.
  • Kirkwood allowed only an optional white jacket, with white or neutral socks that match the scrubs and have no decoration.
  • UNMC lists scrub jackets among the garments that carry the college patch.
  • LVHN's 2017 dress code let registered nurses wear a navy scrub jacket or a solid navy or white shirt underneath.

In UK placements, anything with long sleeves has to come off or be pushed up for patient care under bare below the elbows rules. A fleece or cardigan bought for cold wards may not be allowed on the ward itself; Leeds Teaching Hospitals, for example, limits uniform cardigans to non-clinical areas.

What fabric should a first set be?

Your program decides the color and sometimes the vendor, which can fix the fabric too. Where you have a choice, look at two things on the label: the fiber mix and the maximum wash temperature. If you will wash at home and your placement expects hot washes, a label that only allows 30°C or a cold wash can be a problem. Our scrub fabric blends guide shows published labels for five styles.

Do I need the same color once I qualify?

Usually not. In the US, your employer's color program replaces your school's. LVHN's 2017 dress code, for example, put registered nurses in solid navy and nursing assistants in royal blue. In England, a newly registered nurse on the national uniform moves to hospital blue with navy trim. Wait for your employer's dress code before buying your first post-qualification set. For fit, see scrub size charts.

What to check before you act

  • Read your program's current dress code or handbook, not an older PDF.
  • Ask whether uniforms are issued (UK) or bought from a named vendor (US).
  • Confirm the exact color name, embroidery and patch rules.
  • Check shoe, nail and jewelry rules at the same time.
  • Ask your placement site whether its rules differ from your school's.

Questions people ask

What color scrubs do nursing students wear in the US?

It depends on the school. Kirkwood Community College specified Galaxy Blue, UNMC's College of Nursing uses red, and Donnelly College uses black for RN students and red for PN students.

What colour do student nurses wear in the NHS?

On England's national uniform, students wear cloud blue with navy trim. In NHS Scotland, nursing, midwifery and AHP students wear a silver-grey tunic with navy trousers.

How many sets of scrubs does a nursing student need?

Kirkwood's 2019 scrub requirements recommended two sets because clinicals, lab and simulation can fall on consecutive days. Count your shifts between washes and add a spare.

Do UK student nurses have to buy their own uniform?

NHS England's guidance says organizations should provide enough uniforms, including for students, for a clean set each shift. Check with your university and placement trust before buying anything.

Can nursing students wear any brand of scrubs?

Some schools allow any brand in the right color, while others require a named vendor or embroidery. Kirkwood suggested buying top and pants from the same brand because dye lots vary.

General information only, not medical, legal or employment advice. Your employer's uniform and laundry policy comes first, and brand specs and prices change. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Sources

  1. NHS National Uniform Colourways, England (NHS Supply Chain A3 sheet, via British and Irish Orthoptic Society)checked October 23, 2026
  2. Our uniforms (Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)checked October 23, 2026
  3. DL(2018)4: NHSScotland national uniform and dress code (Scottish Government)checked October 23, 2026
  4. Uniforms and workwear: guidance for NHS employers (NHS England, 2 Apr 2020)checked October 23, 2026
  5. Nursing program scrub requirements (Kirkwood Community College, revised 12 Mar 2019)checked October 23, 2026
  6. CON student clinical attire (University of Nebraska Medical Center wiki, last edited 4 Nov 2025)checked October 23, 2026
  7. Student dress code, Nursing Student Handbook 2025-2026 (Donnelly College)checked October 23, 2026
  8. LTHT Dress Policy v7.0 (Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, approved 17 Oct 2022)checked October 23, 2026
  9. Role specific dress code (Lehigh Valley Health Network, updated 28 Apr 2017)checked October 23, 2026

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