In the 1970s, white disposable paper caps replaced cotton ones; in the 1980s, plastic aprons displaced the traditional ones and outerwear began to disappear.
Traditional uniforms remain common in many countries, but in Western Europe and North America, the so-called "scrubs" or tunics have become more popular.
Since the late 1980s, there has been a move towards alternative designs of nursing uniforms in some countries.
When this is not the case, male nurses wear a different uniform to their female counterparts.
In the UK, male nurses often wear a white tunic with epaulettes in a color or quantity that represents their year of training or grade.
[5] Beginning in the 1990s, and until the present time, the traditional nurse uniforms have been replaced with the "new" scrub dress in some countries.
The colours vary with grade, area of work, and hospital; however, the male equivalent of a sister (that is, charge nurse) tend to be shades of blue or dark green: often, this is the only colour to be recognised by the public as signifying a person in authority.