Nurses’ Scrub Jacket
Thesis for Master of Science
This study not only found agreement among the participants on many issues related to the scrub jackets, but it also satisfied a variety of personal preferences through the design of the new prototypes. In addition, it is possible to gain a deeper understanding of the design case and generate an optimal design to provide better comfort and protection that is more acceptable to medical industry workers.
AN INVESTIGATION OF CURRENT NURSING SCRUB JACKETS AND PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS
This study not only found agreement among the participants on many issues related to the scrub jackets, but it also satisfied a variety of personal preferences through the design of the new prototypes. In addition, it is possible to gain a deeper understanding of the design case and generate an optimal design to provide better comfort and protection that is more acceptable to medical industry workers.
Conceptual Framework
In this study, Watkins’ seven-step design process (1988) is used as a framework of the study. In order to define the design criteria and develop the new prototypes following the FEA needs types – Functional, Expressive, and Aesthetic aspects of new scrub jacket design, Watkins (1988) proposed the following seven steps as essential to successfully design functional apparel: accept, analyze, define, ideate, select, implement, and evaluate.
Functional Design Process (Watkins, 1988)
FEA consumer needs model (Lamb & Kallal, 1992)
Fabric Tests
Sweating Guarded Hot-Plate (SGHP) test and stain test were conducted to evaluate the thermal properties and investigate a better stain resistant fabric for the new scrub jacket prototypes.
Sweating Guarded Hot-Plate (SGHP) test
In the ISO 11092 standard (Sweating Guarded Hot Plate Test Method), a fabric's thermal resistance and water-vapor resistance are important in determining the suitability for wearing functional and optimal clothing in the ambient environment. Regarding the thermal issue which is one of main reasons of scrub jacket, this study has expected to find the fabrics with the highest Rct, which means fabrics that keep the body warm better, as well as ones with the lowest Ret, which means the ones best for moisture ventilation among the ten fabrics through hot-plate test.
Stain Test
According to AATCC Test Method 130-2000, the stain test investigated a better stain resistant fabric for the new scrub jacket prototypes. Commonly, scrub jackets have a high possibility of becoming stained by coffee and ballpoint ink easily. Thus, both coffee and ballpoint ink were conducted to stain resistance test in this study.
Design Criteria
The framework of the consumers’ needs includes FEA model which are three considerations: Functional, Expressive, and Aesthetic needs (Lamb & Kallal, 1992). Based on the pre-focus group interview and fabric tests, design criteria identified ten needs factors for this study.
Define Design Criteria
The functional consideration was usually involved in the characteristics of the materials such as fit/ movement, thermal balance, easy to wear, ease of care, and durability. In the aesthetic consideration, enhancing factors of good visual design like line, shape, style, and design details are included, and professional appearance, cleanliness, and hygiene appearance were classified into the expressive consideration.
Interaction Matrix of Design Criteria
There were no conflicts in the design criteria. However, several conflict conditions should be remedied before making new nursing scrub jackets. Cleanliness/Hygiene should be incorporated into the nursing scrub jacket design while Ease of Care should not be ignored. Durability should also not be compromised with relation to Cleanliness/Hygiene. Getting stains on jacket from medicine spills, blood, and other body secretions is expected to happen quite often in the nursing profession.
Prototypes
Based on the results of the pre-focus group interview, the needs and dissatisfaction of participants were considered and three prototype scrub jackets for nurses were designed. The three prototypes also applied the effective fabric combinations resulting from the fabric tests: hot-plate test and stain test. All three prototypes were designed with the consideration of ten design criteria factors: Fit/ Movement, Thermal Balance, Easy to wear, Line/Shape, Ease of care, Attractive/Stylish, Cleanliness/Hygiene, Durability, Professional Appearance, and Design Details/Convenience. Each prototype responded to each of these factors.
Prototype A
Prototype B
Prototype C
References
Hamilton, J. J. (2011). Scrub suits: Revisited. Orthopedics, 34 (5), 338-339.
Lamb, J. M., & Kallal, M. J. (1992). A conceptual framework for apparel design. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 10 (2), 42-47.
Watkins, S. M. (1988). Using the design process to teach functional apparel design. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 7 (1), 10-14.
Wiener-Well, Y., Galuty, M., Rudensky, B., Schlesinger, Y., Attias, D., & Yinnon, A. M. (2011). Nursing and physician attire as possible source of nosocomial infections. American Journal of Infection Control, 39 (7), 555-559.