A coated medical instrument can include a first layer bonded to a metal substrate surface of a medical instrument, a second layer bonded to the first layer, and a third layer disposed on the second layer, The first layer comprises chromium (Cr), hafnium (Hf), titanium (Ti), and/or niobium (Nb). The second layer comprises a nitride, oxide, carbide, carbonitride, or boride of chromium (Cr), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), zirconium (Zr), and/or silicon (Si). The third layer comprises a nitride, oxide, carbide, boride, oxynitride, oxycarbide, or oxycarbonitride of chromium (Cr), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), zirconium (Zr), and/or silicon (Si). Methods for making coated medical instruments are also disclosed herein.
