Forced wearing of nursing cap. - page 2

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... Read More

  1. by nursegirl75
    Dec 12, '12
    If it's such a big issue for you, just don't go to the ceremony. Everyone wins.
  2. by wooh
    Dec 12, '12
    I'd show up without the cap. Unless they plan to make the men wear the cap, it is discrimination.
  3. by Orca
    Dec 12, '12
    I'm glad my school did away with them. I saw some of the photos from prior classes and the caps they had looked goofy, almost cartoonish. I don't believe that anyone should have been made to wear one.
  4. by OCNRN63
    Dec 12, '12
    Quote from onetiredstudent
    From another perspective: should a school that receives money from the federal government in the forms of financial aid be permitted to discriminate against a student based on sex?
    If this is the hill you wish to die on, go ahead. I think you got a lot of good advice from previous posters. Would you still think the ceremony was discriminatory if the vote had swung your way?
  5. by wish_me_luck
    Dec 12, '12
    My class did black dresses/pants suits for women and I think black pants and button up shirt for men. Classy. I did get a pinning picture and I love it. We have a big picture with the whole class and small pictures of individuals around it. They do it every year.

    I think you are making a mountain out of a mole hill, by the way.
    Last edit by wish_me_luck on Dec 12, '12
  6. by workingharder
    Dec 12, '12
    Traditions are a way to tie the past to the present. In the field of nursing, the pinning ceremony and caps are an acknowledgement of the generations who founded and grew the profession. If I were female, I would go along with the desire of the majority. It's a small thing, it does no harm, and it's a bit of a salute to those who created the job you're embarking on.
  7. by ItsANurseLife
    Dec 12, '12
    I think it's kind of sad that so many people are willing to ditch tradition. I agree that it's a way to tie the past with the future and I don't see it as a sexist issue at all. My grandmother was a WWII nurse and I love my picture of her in her nurse whites with hat on. I was proud and honored to wear my hat and my white dress and hose for one day to celebrate my own accomplishment and as a tribute to my grandmother and all past nurses' achievements. I am glad I don't have to wear the hat to work, but it is special to me. Kind of a silly issue to get worked up over in my opinion. Congratulations on graduating - I bet there were at least a couple of folks that didn't pass who would be glad to wear any hat for a day in exchange for becoming a nurse. Just as a side note: on random occasions when I wear all white scrubs to work I get a surprising amount of respect from both doctors and patients.
  8. by anotherone
    Dec 12, '12
    I would show up without it and if not allowed to participate do be it. after passing school and the nclex i would tell them off in a nice letter or two if i wanted to. maybe some bored news tv reporter would enjoy this depending on how boring your local news is and how much of a backlash you fear getting. honestly, be prepared for this in the real world of nursing
  9. by amoLucia
    Dec 12, '12
    As much as I am an advocate of caps, I do believe that NO ONE should be forced to wear a cap in today's standard dress code.

    I'm swallowing hard as I say this as I think the difficulty here is the all-or-none cap requirement that bothers me.

    Is there sexism, gender-bias or discrimination here -I doubt it. I think your poll tries to measure the wrong perspective. A better poll should have asked whether cap-wearing at your ceremony should be mandatory.

    And for that I would have voted a big fat NO. And I would have supported you but for a different reason - that of freedom of choice.
  10. by Orca
    Dec 12, '12
    Quote from OCNRN63
    If this is the hill you wish to die on, go ahead. I think you got a lot of good advice from previous posters. Would you still think the ceremony was discriminatory if the vote had swung your way?
    This is where I stand. The issue was put to a majority vote, and unfortunately you wound up on the losing side. If you are willing to risk missing out on the public acknowledgement of your proud achievement over wearing a cap, so be it. Like many significant events in life, pinning only happens once. Bite the bullet and stand proudly with your classmates. It's not like you will ever have to wear the cap again.
  11. by nursel56
    Dec 12, '12
    Quote from onetiredstudent
    From another perspective: should a school that receives money from the federal government in the forms of financial aid be permitted to discriminate against a student based on sex?
    Many of the schools take a hands-off approach with regard to the details of the ceremony and the financing of it, so I'm not sure this would apply under those circumstances. The time to nip it in the bud if that's what you want to do is to speak up forcefully at the beginning of that process.
  12. by wooh
    Dec 12, '12
    Quote from OCNRN63
    If this is the hill you wish to die on, go ahead. I think you got a lot of good advice from previous posters. Would you still think the ceremony was discriminatory if the vote had swung your way?
    Her way wasn't discriminatory. It's not like there's an anatomical reason men can't wear hats. Either make EVERYONE wear the hats or don't require it.
  13. by somenurse
    Dec 12, '12
    Quote from Aurora77
    How are you being discriminated against? You were admitted to the program and are now about to graduate. The class voted and the majority apparently doesn't agree with you--that's not discrimination, that's democracy.
    Sadly, as most americans who study history know, one can have a democracy which supports discrimination.
    The two things, democracy, and discrimination,
    can easily go hand in hand. Happened right here in the USA for centuries. Not sure why someone thinks democracy prevents discrimination, but, it doesn't.
    at all.

    We also have to trust, that whoever counted up the votes, is actually telling the truth, too. which is a whole other matter.

    Yes, yes, whether you love nursing caps.
    or
    whether you loathe nursing caps,
    it IS discrimination to tell a female graduate with no penis, that SHE can't participate in her ceremony, unless she wears a certain hat
    but, the men don't have to.

    It's that simple. If the people with penises also have to wear the hat, fine! THEN it is NOT discriminatory, then it's just part of the deal, for eveyrone. But only choosing ONE gender, and forcing them to wear hats, is undeniable discrimination.

    I think those who are dismissing the OP's urge to participate in her own ceremony, as no big deal,
    may have forgotten how important that moment is for many graduates. Being denied the chance to have that moment,
    that every nurse here remembers very well
    as no big deal
    might not be fair way to look at this.





    I think someone earlier, who said, it should be up to each individual student, to choose, wear the lil maid hat, or not, is great idea. some will choose to, some won't.

    I don't think not wearing a hat is, in any way, not respecting those who went before us. what? There are TONS of things we no longer wear, or do, that the pioneers of our field did. Doesn't mean we disrespect history by moving forward, at all. In olden days, a nurse couldn't date while in school, but, i don't think going back to that equates to "respect" for our history, any more than i think forcing someone to wear a hat if they have no penis is fair, either.

    FREEDOM! Freedom for those who want to wear caps, and freedom for those who don't! YAY! THAT is best solution. Let the dudes wear hats, if they want to, too.

    Denying a graduate the chance to have her moment, as she is recognized for her accomplishments,
    is not fair.
    Last edit by somenurse on Dec 12, '12

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