Nursing school uniforms and their fate after school

[RunBabyRN]

A nurse asked me last night about my plans for my white Danskos after school, and I hadn't really thought about it. I'm kinda thinking I may have an artist friend of mine ink them up for me, but I wanted to hear what you guys have done or plan to do as well! My shirts I likely won't wear again (since the patches have been there awhile now), but my pants I will (ours are blue, not white). I don't want to wear white shoes after school, but I don't want to waste nice shoes! One nurse said a friend of hers planned to have them dyed, but she never heard how they turned out or how much it cost.

[dt70]

Keep the shoes and have them custom dyed for your personality. Much better than in a closet for sentimental reasons.

Pay it forward on the uniform and any items that's only good for school.

[FlyingScot, RN]

We decorated ours with paint and glitter, paraded through the hospital and ended up on the top floor of the nursing school (6 stories) and threw our caps (yes caps) off the roof gleefully cheering as they got run over by the cars below!!!

[RunBabyRN]

Keep the shoes and have them custom dyed for your personality. Much better than in a closet for sentimental reasons.

Pay it forward on the uniform and any items that's only good for school.

That's kind of what I'm thinking. if I have an artist friend ink them up, I'll still wear them- I'll have it done in a way that's work-appropriate. I DO want to wear them, especially since they ARE expensive and have worked well for me being on my feet all day.

[dt70]

That's kind of what I'm thinking. if I have an artist friend ink them up, I'll still wear them- I'll have it done in a way that's work-appropriate. I DO want to wear them, especially since they ARE expensive and have worked well for me being on my feet all day.

I checked google for painted dansko shoes and there were a lot of nice results. The trick is to pick something you would like long-term.

Maybe the friend can change the color, and paint a pattern over the new color.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I was just at a professional meeting where they auctioned off some vintage (like 60 years ago) uniforms for good money. I am sure the nurses who wore them then would have cheerfully burnt them then, but here they were, making good bucks for a good cause.

Especially if yours have the school name on them, hang on to them for a few decades. You just never know.

Or you could just donate them to the local high school drama club for the costume box. Always appreciated.

[mama.RN]

Gave mine to a student entering the same program from which I'd just graduated.

[Blossom7]

I'm planning to ask my classmates and instructors to sign or draw a picture on my top. I think it is a great way to immortalize my experience in nursing school.

[RunBabyRN]

I'm planning to ask my classmates and instructors to sign or draw a picture on my top. I think it is a great way to immortalize my experience in nursing school.

Ooh, that's a cool idea! I have three tops, so I may do that with one!

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

The shoes I tossed because they were cheap. The pants I saved because they were comfy and down the line I may work at another hospital that uses black scrubs. I saved one white top and we have a recycling program for the tops. The SNA sells them for a few bucks and the money goes towards pins that they give out to people who write essays to be read at the pinning.

[OCNRN63, RN]

We had the docs and nurses on our last clinical rotation sign our uniforms, and we signed each other's uniforms. They weren't like uniforms today that you can wear after you graduate.

[Stephalump]

We have a party at the end of the semester.

This semester's final party will be a bonfire.

Burn, scrubs. Burn.

[Stephalump]

I'm planning to ask my classmates and instructors to sign or draw a picture on my top. I think it is a great way to immortalize my experience in nursing school.

I LOVE this.