Those Darn Nursing Caps: It Fell Right Into the Middle of It!

They came in all sorts of shapes based on the school you were attending at the time. Some were like cupcake holders, fluted all around, others like wings, sticking out on both sides and all sorts of variations in between. They had to be washed, ironed and starched to keep their unique shape while remaining pure white. There were even specially designed plastic carrying cases so your cap could remain sanitary while you transported it safely between home and your rotation.

Some of the shapes, however, were more designed to be looked at rather than being perched precariously on your head. Despite the clips and bobby pins being utilized to maintain their position one had to maintain a posture in a way similar to balancing a book on your head for your cap not to be turned askew.

The older nurses did not seem to have a problem, having mastered the trick of perfect positioning. I still think now they must have glued them on and never took them off for them to be so perfect. My school had the winged version, with just a small portion of the cap actually touching the head.

They were always getting in the way of procedures and patients. At the end of the shift, my fellow students and I often looked more like drunken sailors by the way the caps were positioned.

It was my first day of a new clinical rotation and my classmates and I were on a med-surg unit. My assignment was to give an enema to a patient. Since the patient was quite large I could take someone with me to assist in the turning.

Since it was not going to be an exciting task no one volunteered. In fact the student, I picked, grimaced as this was far from the exciting assignment she had expected. We were nervous as anything as we were about to carry out such a personal task for the first time.

We tried to hide our inexperience by maintaining our professional attitude. I spoke to the patient about what we were to do. To this day I am not sure the patient bought the story or was just being kind as she agreed to the procedure. I was all prepared including covering the bed as to avoid any mishaps.

Things did not go quite as the book said and we had a small mess. What I didn't plan for was my cap falling off and right into the middle of it!!

I was mortified.

My colleague, however, was holding her breath to suppress laughing out loud as tears streamed out of her eyes. I could read her mind as it said that's what you get for picking me.

We completed our tasks for the day with no further mention of the incident between us. I did, however, have to explain my cap was too soiled to be worn to the staff nurses who questioned me.

I thought it was all behind me until the next day. Apparently, my colleague shared the story. My classmates presented me with a newly formed "bobby pin of the year" award complete with a brand new package of the same!

I still have that cap tucked away in my closet. The first thing when I look at it this story comes to mind and I too often burst out laughing and have tears streaming out my eyes!