Nurse Stereotypes and the White Cap...

Lame. I really wish people would drop these stupid stereotypes. I hope that the new nursing-centered TV dramas will help put nurses into a more "dominant" and respected position in the health care field.

I was curious about the nurses cap thing. How is that "insulting" to the profession? I dig vintage stuff, and I would have no problem donning a white cap every now and again. Does this make me a shame to the profession or something?

I think today's generation probably do not care about it. I do know that a lot of little old ladies were looking forward to seeing me in my white nurse hat so I wear a white hat :-)

Originally the Hat was a symbol of achievement and professionalism- and also symbolised the role as being fixed and with limited involvement in nursing /healthcare decisions. Today from a personal perspective I find the nursing cap charming but obsolete. Working in hospitals with isolation rooms, in dialysis where accidents with blood leaks spray the immediate environment including oneself, the incredible challenges in mutating viruses and infections, the hat has no place in healthcare although historically, it symbolised the origin and development of the profession.

I love the hat, when I was little all I wanted was to have a hat. I'm from Colombia south America, and nurses there wore the hat and the white uniform, I think some of them still do, their hats colors and ribbons had different meanings. I agree that the hat doesn't have a place in healthcare, but it gives nurses a special meaning. My mom gave me a nurse hat for my graduation, I don't wear it, but I got it and I love it!! So the place where I'm from, wearing a nurse hat is a honor!!!
:dncgrp:

A hat does not make a nurse. The stereotype that needs to be addressed is that nursing is an all female profession.

The stereotype I would say is of the "naughty nurse." I tried watching Nurse Jackie who would be an ideal nurse in my view UNTIL it showed her doing drugs. Not an ideal I want tossed about.

I would say the stereotype as a nurse as just a butt wiper needs to go.... we make critical decisions for our patients all the time..... take care of the critically ill... get them through their most difficult times...

and somehow... we're "butt wipers." seriously. ***?

Every profession has stereotypes. Not all of them are flattering. TV is TV and if someone has a stereotype of me as a nurse when I come into their room, they sure as heck won't have it when I leave.

Nursing caps are one example of how a symbol of excellence has been altered by media. I am not a bra burner but the insulting image of nurses used in adult entertainment - that of promoting and reinforcing stereotypes of easy women, somewhat limited in intelligence and sexually tantalising -remains a topic which apparently cannot be effectively stoppped by nursing boards and educators.
Media, especially popular glossies remain culprits. Seen in print, negative images in nursing feed fantasy and promote sales at our expense.
Significantly, they reinforce the lack of power of nurses and influence or sabotage respect for us as professionals. We live in a democracy which unless used wisely and protected, is easily abused when expedient. Do the politicians approve??