To cap or not to cap!

Nursing Students General Students

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I would love to hear feedback and/or opinions from other students on the whole nursing cap issue. I am graduating in May....Yeah! and there's a lot of controversy around the wearing of the nursing cap for pictures and pinning ceremony. In previous year's (including this one) a majority of students have voted to wear the cap and the nursing instructors have just said, if some of you wear them then all must wear them.

I fully support the students who want to wear the cap. I realize that it is personally meaningful to them. It's not to me and I feel it should be an individual decision. Everyone says that it would look weird if some wore it and some didn't. I don't agree. At our school the insturctors don't wear them and of course the male students don't. Just wondering how other students feel about this issue.

Specializes in Peds Cardiology,Peds Neuro,Pedi ER,PICU, IV Jedi.

Caps were worn when I was in nursing school...wayyy back in 1988 :roll :roll :roll

They served their purpose, and the tradition of honoring the "rights of passage" for nurses is fine, at least for ceremonial purposes.

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Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
Caps were worn when I was in nursing school...wayyy back in 1988 :roll :roll :roll

They served their purpose, and the tradition of honoring the "rights of passage" for nurses is fine, at least for ceremonial purposes.

Edited, didn't see the text after the rolling heads.

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

We wore our caps in the hospital about the first 10 years I was a nurse. For the past twenty years, no caps. I think we should be wearing caps and proudly doing so. It does not throw us back in time. Our caps set us apart from anyone else in the hospital. Patients don't know who is who. They ask

people delivering the trays for pain meds, they call their tech, their nurse. It's really sad in my opinion. I don't think we'll ever go back to wearing caps but I would gladly do so. Last Halloween I wore a white uniform to work with my cap, white hose, the whole thing and I got complimented by doctors and patients all day long about how nice it was so see a proper nurse.

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Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
We wore our caps in the hospital about the first 10 years I was a nurse. For the past twenty years, no caps. I think we should be wearing caps and proudly doing so. It does not throw us back in time. Our caps set us apart from anyone else in the hospital. Patients don't know who is who. They ask

people delivering the trays for pain meds, they call their tech, their nurse. It's really sad in my opinion. I don't think we'll ever go back to wearing caps but I would gladly do so. Last Halloween I wore a white uniform to work with my cap, white hose, the whole thing and I got complimented by doctors and patients all day long about how nice it was so see a proper nurse.

I have a couple problems with caps, and they're primarily pragmatic. First, they do tend to catch on curtains. Plus, those of us who have big heads would have a horrible time trying to get them to stay on, as would people with thick or coorifice hair that doesn't take well to clips.

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I was disappointed my school no longer had caps. That being said I would not have worn them daily unless required as they can be a pain. They are a symbol of accomplishing something and yes of a profession. Those who say whites and caps demean nurses must also think the army or police departments silly for requiring their employees to wear uniforms. My mother gave me her mother's nurses cap when I grauated. Will I wear it? Probably not but I don't carry my diploma with me everywhere either and I am proud of it as well.

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Our caps set us apart from anyone else in the hospital. Patients don't know who is who. They ask

people delivering the trays for pain meds, they call their tech, their nurse. quote]

Hey! That gives me an idea! We can have the people delivering trays wear caps. Like the people from food service can wear those long paper hats on their heads just like the hot dog boys used to wear at the hot dog stand! And they'll be proud of it, because it's a tradition! And symbolic! And it identifies them! Which sets them apart from the nurses. Who won't have to wear caps!

Hmm... now, what kind of hats can the techs wear...:lol2:

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

We didn't even get caps, and although I never planned on wearing one, I feel a right of passage wasn't fulfilled for some reason! I think I would have rather liked getting my nursing cap at grad so I could keep it as a keepsake of the hard earned degree I achieved! Instead, since our ceremony was short and casual...I voted to get married that day! It would have been fun to have a cap on at some point over my tiara! LOL!

Oh well...my 'right of passage' was purchased over the internet so that I had one....uhggggggg (see left..LOL! That is me after I got my license!).

However, I feel if one wants to wear one at grad they should, if they don't want to...fine!~ It is supose to be a ceremony for INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT and reflected there in!

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Specializes in PICU, ICU, Transplant, Trauma, Surgical.

Uhhh... what? I didn't know that nursing schools still make students wear caps. You don't have to wear those dress things too, do you? I know my mom had to when she graduated in 1980 from nursing school. Interesting..... and I'm quite glad we do not have to "choose" about wearing caps or not. When I read the title to this thread I thought it may be a question about capping a needle on a syringe.

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I don't think I'll look great in a nursing cap. Personally I would rather not have to buy or wear one. I don't think it is necessary. How about those who want to wear caps buy their own cap and pay for an extra picture one with their cap on for their own tastes and one sans cap for the group photo.

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Specializes in heading for NICU.

It is very interesting to walk down the hallway that leads to the nursing classes at my school. The walls are lined with the class photos of each graduating class. When you start at one end of the hall, you start with the earlier days. In those photos, nearly all the graduated students wore their caps for their photos...but each year after the number of caps in photos diminishes rapidly. The newest graduating class was just added to the wall recently and out of say 45 students, maybe 2 had caps on.

I do not plan to wear a cap, and I'm glad we have that option. Partly because I think it's too old fashioned, and doesn't depict the modern nurse of today, but mostly it's because of the very simple fact that I hate to wear hats, period.

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Specializes in Maternity & Well Baby Nursery.

This is so funny to me! I have been wondering the same thing. I was talking to the instructors at my nursing school. I am part of a program that is both at a CC and a hospital. The hospital had its own nursing school until a few years ago and then affiliated with the CC. The CC treats those of us as if we were long, lost step children that they are happy to take money from, otherwise just keep quiet and, oh you know, we'll let you stay in the program.

Anyway, the SON has a tradition of capping. I am in the process of seeing how many of my fellow students would want to have a capping ceremony. When I approached a couple of my instructors, they said that they were okay with that but that other instructors of the CC were against capping because it was subservient, demeaning, degrading, etc.

I grew up on the Cherry Ames-******* Nurse books. And just loved all of the traditions that her SON had. I am a bit of a traditionalist myself and don't see the harm in wearing a cap (not on the job) but for pinning or graduation or whatever. A long line of nurses wore their caps proudly and did not think it was demeaning but actually an honor. I am actually glad that we don't wear nursing caps on the job anymore. I've had my share of hair coming out of pony tails because of IV poles.

I am planning on purchasing a cap and getting my picture taken regardless of what my school does. But it truly is a matter of choice. It seems a shame that when other professions have a long line of traditions, special ceremonies, hats, handshakes,etc., that nursing doesn't, because we are a profession as well.

Just my nickel.

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If men currently make up something like 9% of the nursing work force, and the overall goal of the profession is to increase the # of nurses, expand the role of the nurse, and welcome diversity, how does the cap symbolize the future of nursing?

I see how it respects our past and honors those who have gone before, but what of the future? How do men feel about it?

Guys???

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