Forced wearing of nursing cap.

[onetiredstudent]

I'm a senior registered nursing student and our school has a pinning ceremony to mark the completion of our program.

Our class contains about 20% men, equal split of black and white in both genders. I am approaching 50 and this is not my first career.

The director of the nursing program gave the class the "option to vote" on the wearing of a nurses cap for the pinning ceremony and our class photo. The majority of the class voted to wear the cap, men excluded from wear.

I do not wish to wear the cap and have been told by program director that "the class voted to wear it and you have to or you will not be able to participate". I understand the cap is traditional, but I feel it calls specific attention to my gender and not my success in passing nursing school. I've worked very hard to get where I'm at and I wish to celebrate my success with a pinning ceremony.

I truly feel that being "forced" to wear the cap is discriminatory based on my gender alone. Period. The guys are not made to wear them because they are considered "feminine or female dress", and I don't wish to be "forced" to dress as such either (we are all wearing pant-scrubs by unanimous vote).

I respect the choice of anyone else that wishes to wear the nursing cap. I don't and won't presume to force my opinion on them.

Has anyone else had this experience?

Does anyone know of any precedence against forced wearing of nursing caps to participate in school activities, etc? Any input on how else to proceed in approaching my school administration would be appreciated.

I welcome the input from both genders, seasoned and new nurses, students and educators, and anyone else on here that wants to chime in.

I ask only, that you be nice to me and each other. This is very serious for me.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

The tailoring a dress code article was a good one.

[umbdude, MSN, APRN]

Sorry OP. I think I would be pretty upset in that situation too. This is a ceremony, important but not a life-death situation that they have to force someone to do something. If students want to wear the cap, they should be free to do so; and if they don't want to wear it, they should have that choice as well.

Not suggesting that you do this, but if I were put in your shoes I would just skip it (as long as I can still get my degree that's all that matters). I actually skipped my HS graduation and my master degree graduation, and only attended my Bachelor's graduation because my parents would like to go. To me, it is what I can do with my degree that matters and I am proud of my accomplishment whether or not there is recognition.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Can you get away with different dress codes? Yes. Should you be able to? No.

[kalevra, BSN, RN]

Do you have to pay for the silly hat? If so you should not be forced to wear the thing. All that hat means is. " hey look a woman".

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

How do I unsubscribe from this thread?

[umbdude, MSN, APRN]

How do I unsubscribe from this thread?

Go to your bookmark page, check the box next to this thread, go to the bottom of the page and choose "delete bookmark" from the drop down menu.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Thaks umbdude!

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

The point is that there are too many other more important issues at hand to worry about wearing a cap for a short passage of time. Wearing that hat is meant to be an honor, not derogatory action. The women who truly shaped nursing into to what it is today, many of them wore that hat..

My perfectly honest truthful opinion, because that's what the OP ask for,is to just not go if you can't let yourself wear the cap. If the OP really wants to wants to participate in the ceremony, the pull it together for an hour and then call it a day.

OP apparently doesn't see it as an honor. She sees it as a negative. If men don't have to wear it but she is required to wear it if she wants to be able to be in the ceremony, that is unfair treatment. It is discriminatory and is based on the students' gender. It is, therefore, sex discrimination.

I am annoyed that OP has not updated us by now.

[mind_body_soul RN]

Our LPN pinning was mandatory and I would have worn a clown suit if they had made me because I was so happy to be done.

[PatMac10,RN, RN]

OP apparently doesn't see it as an honor. She sees it as a negative. If men don't have to wear it but she is required to wear it if she wants to be able to be in the ceremony, that is unfair treatment. It is discriminatory and is based on the students' gender. It is, therefore, sex discrimination.

I am annoyed that OP has not updated us by now.

Unfortunately, for the OP, the program doesn't base it's dress code decisions on one individual or the minority out of a group. She now has two decisions to make, if the ceremony hasn't already taken place. She can wear it and attend or bot wear it and not attend.

[rncat2000]

Wearing of the nursing hat was optional at my pinning, but I wore one both at the pinning and for my pictures. It was in honor of those in my family who are nurses. I am a fourth generation nurse my great grandmother, grandmother, and aunt were all nurses! I now have pictures of all four of us together with the hat on from four different eras. It is really amazing to realize with procedures improve and new techniques and equipment comes along the basic skills of a nurse is the same as what my great grandmother was doing when she worked! It really gives me a strong sense of pride for our heritage as nurses!

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

The poll is interesting, I'm shocked that with 150 responses roughly half of the respondents find mandating the cap at the gradation ceremony gender discrimination. I would have thought only a few outliers would have thought so, for it seems like a very extreme point of view IMO. Obviously I don't agree, and personally have found no merit in the arguments presented here supporting that position, but am fascinated nonetheless. It's been an intriguing discussion and I appreciate the thoughtful comments even while I remain unconvinced.