Freshers' Week, First Fitting: How SETU Waterford's New Nursing Students Chose Their Scrubs

Reading time:  5 minutes

Table of Contents

• Why a First-Week Scrub Fitting Matters for Nursing Students

• Inside the Fitting at SETU Waterford

• What the Students Tried On

• One Uniform Range, Three Nursing Pathways

• How Happythreads Works With Medical Universities

• FAQ

Why a First-Week Scrub Fitting Matters for Nursing Students

Starting a nursing degree means sorting out a long list of new things in the first week alone: timetables, module choices, placement paperwork, and somewhere in there, a uniform students will be wearing for the next four years. For most people buying scrubs, trying before buying is a nice-to-have. For a first-year nursing student, it's closer to essential. This isn't a uniform for one shift or one summer job. It's what they'll be standing in for long clinical days, moving between wards, and eventually being assessed in, right through to registration.

That's the gap Happythreads set out to close with a live fitting event during Freshers' Week at SETU Waterford, held for incoming first-year students across the university's three undergraduate nursing pathways: General Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, and Intellectual Disability (ID) Nursing.

Inside the Fitting at SETU Waterford

Instead of pointing new students to a size guide and asking them to order blind, our team brought a rail of scrub tops, trousers and a fleece straight onto campus. Students could see the fit, feel the fabric, and choose from our inclusive size range on the spot.

For a lot of first years, this was the first time they'd tried on medical scrubs at all, and the point of the session was simple: find the right size in each piece before ordering. Some had a rough idea of what size they'd need, having seen older students in scrubs before. Others had no real reference point and needed a steer, since scrub sizing doesn't always match what people expect from everyday clothes. Being able to try a top or a pair of trousers on there and then, rather than working off a size chart alone, took the guesswork out of it and meant nobody ended up ordering a size too big just to be safe.

What the Students Tried On

The lineup for this fitting was kept simple and practical, built around a specific number of styles suited for first year nurses:

• Cardi Scrub Top (women) — a V-neck top with a softer, more fitted cut, lightweight and no iron need it scrub top.

• Arthro Scrub Top (men): lightweight, breathable and ultra-soft. 

• Dickies Unisex Scrub Top — a dependable, no-fuss option from a brand a lot of students already recognise from healthcare placements.

• Holly and Laurie trousers (women) — Holly's straight leg and Laurie's slightly more relaxed fit gave students a real choice depending on how they like their trousers to sit and move.

• Scrub Fleece, for the reality of placement in Irish hospitals and clinical settings, where wards, corridors and waiting areas are not always warm, especially over autumn and winter rotations.

One Uniform Range, Three Nursing Pathways 

One thing that came through clearly on the day: the same lineup of scrubs worked for all three pathways. General Nursing, Mental Health Nursing and ID Nursing students all had the same choice of tops, trousers and fleece to try, and picked based on fit and personal preference rather than which pathway they were on.

Fit and freedom of movement came up again and again, along with how the fabric holds up to repeated washing across a demanding college and placement schedule. Pocket space for keys, notebooks and a phone mattered too, as did having something that still looks professional and put-together after a 12-hour placement day. Letting students try the Holly and Laurie trousers side by side, rather than picking from a product photo, made it much easier for them to land on the fit that actually suited them.

How Happythreads Works With Medical Universities

Events like this one reflect a broader part of how Happythreads works with third-level institutions and healthcare training providers: not just supplying nursing scrubs from a warehouse, but bringing the actual experience of trying them to the people who'll be wearing them for years, not weeks. For students starting a four-year commitment to General, Mental Health, or ID Nursing, getting the fit right in week one saves a lot of frustration (and a lot of returns) further down the line.

FAQ - SETU Fittings