News

Nurse graduates create tartan range to honour profession and support charities

Profits from sales will go to support nursing charity helping to improve patient care
Jamie Smith and Georgia Duffy

Profits from sales of the tartan will go to support the Burdett Trust for Nursing, which helps to improve patient care

A new tartan featuring the colours of Scotland’s standard nursing uniform has been launched to celebrate the nursing profession
Picture: The Nursing Tartan

A new tartan featuring the colours of Scotland’s standard nursing uniform has been launched to celebrate the profession and support nursing charities.

Created by two nurse graduates from the University of Edinburgh, in partnership with global campaign Nursing Now Challenge, the tartan features shades of blue highlighted with burgundy to represent the uniforms worn by Scottish nurses, nursing students and healthcare assistants.

Special tartan just for nurses

Jamie Smith and Georgia Duffy

NHS Lothian nurse Jamie Smith was one of the nurses who initiated the idea of the tartan and hoped it would act as a symbol of kinship for the profession. ‘We thought by creating this special tartan just for nurses it could help recognise their contribution,’ he said.

The other nurse involved in the tartan’s creation Georgia Duffy, also of NHS Lothian, hoped the design would be taken up by nurses and their supporters. ‘Anyone can wear the tartan and we hope everyone will and can,’ she said.

A range of tartan merchandise, such as face masks, scarves, and ties is now available for sale. Profits from sales will go to support charity The Burdett Trust for Nursing, which funds nurse-led projects to help nurses to improve patient care.

Scotland was the second UK nation to introduce a national uniform for nursing staff in 2010, just behind Wales, which brought in a nursing uniform in the same year.

Currently, nurses in England are the only ones in the UK without a national uniform, but this could change next year after a consultation by NHS Supply Chain showed support for introducing a standard uniform.


In other news

Jobs