Nurses dressing up for Halloween

Nurses Relations

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Our company has sent a memo allowing us to dress up for Halloween and is even making a contest of it. Several nurses are really disgusted with the idea saying it is completely unprofessional. I've never dressed up for work, but I don't really care if others do. What is your view on the issue?

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

I have actually witnessed the very negative (unanticipated) effects of "Halloween in the hospital"..... Phlebotomist costumed as Dracula (cute, right???) shows up in MY neurotrauma multi-bed ICU . . . at 4 AM to draw the AM lab. Violent reactions from multiple semi-lucid terrified patients. One managed to dislodge skeletal traction & chest tubes, which required a return to OR.

Mistakes were made, people were blamed.

Nope, not a good idea in an acute care setting.

Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i think that putting a halloween accent piece on if you work in a setting where it may be appropriate does no harm, icu or psych, maybe not... but in peds or LTC...sure possible appropriate... maybe even on a medical floor depending on the floor. But know the limits. Yes, running a code with hair full of glitter or dressed as a ghost or a giant hot dog is probably not the best idea or most professional move. But popping a kittycat ears head band on or putting a set of bat wing earrings in for the day probably won't upset anyone. After all, it's nice to try and raise patient's spirits a bit too, but keep it in the bounds of professionalism. And besides, if the fertilizer hits the ventilator, you can always take your little halloween accoutrement off.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

We used to.....and it was fun. Most of us "dressed up" as nurses with cap and all!! It was fun to see patient reactions to the "old uniform".

The grim reaper, angel of death, anything bloody, and religious costumes were not allowed.

Specializes in Geriatrics, rehab, Alzheimers.

I work in LTC and I think the residents would love this! Of course, the costumes should not interfere with work. The patients' days are so similar...sleep, eat, a little activity, eat, sleep....ect. I think holidays are special days for them and bring a bit of happiness and fond memories. I don't think our work does this though. The do have kids come in and give out candy which is a great idea too.

Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Oh yes we will definitely be dressing up. We do theme days all the time. We had an 80's day, a Duck Dynasty day(lots of cammo! lol), we dressed for July 1st,lots of fun.We are extended Halloween and we are dressing up the 30th and the 31st.We are the most rockin'floor in the whole hospital.We are busy working on our next theme day.The old folks love it. I think we are doing superhero day sometime.

Oddly enough we are the only floor that does this. We have decorations every where.We have dressed patient up as well.

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

The ONE holiday of the year where it ROCKS to be working in a children's hospital!

I WISH I had a white dress uniform and my old cap. I would lap the field at the costume contest.

Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

We had a nurse dress up as a nun last year. I would have been totally freaked out if she came in my room and I was a confused elderly patient or psych pt.

We had a transporter dress up as Michael Jackson and he freaked out the patients too.

Specializes in Critical care, Trauma.

I work in a doctor's office and last year our pod (two doctors, their nurses and receptionist) all dressed up as crayons. It was simple, the patients thought it was cute and it didn't cause any problems. The costume was basically a very loose, sleeveless sheath dress with a hat that we all wore over scrub pants and a long sleeve shirt.

However, if I was working in a hospital I think I'd go with some of the others' suggestions and do something "halloween themed" but not a full costume... animal ears, a hat, something that doesn't get in the way or cause patients to question professionalism.

I used to wear whites and my nursing school cap to the ICU on Halloween. Faked 'em out.

The best thing I ever saw like this was in a huge and wonderful SNF where I had clinical for first year students. The Alzheimer's floor was 55 beds and run by the best staff ever. On Halloween (a clinical day for the students) all the staff dressed as Smurfs, with blue makeup and the funny hats, although regular uniforms. Oddly, none of the patients seemed to think anything was amiss and many really liked it.

But I wouldn't do it in a regular hospital. A cute light-up jack-o'-lantern pin or little bat earrings (yep, I have some) perhaps, but not a full-blown party-store-rental costume.

Specializes in CICU.
I think it's v. unprofessional, but I've found over the years that no one really cares what I think about anything. :)

Life got a little less annoying when I learned and accepted that... :cat:

Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.

The ONE holiday of the year where it ROCKS to be working in a children's hospital!

I WISH I had a white dress uniform and my old cap. I would lap the field at the costume contest.

You've still got almost two weeks, there is still time to hit eBay. However am warning you vintage whites and caps aren't going cheap these days.

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