Anyone HAVE to wear a cap?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I have been visiting a facility around here recently where the nurses MUST wear a cap. It is strange. I was told another facility around here also mandates them. I was really taken aback! The facility is beautiful. The population is elderly, and that may be okay, as that era was used to caps, but ... geez, I don't think I could do it.

My school requires us to wear a cap and I hate it. Basically, the hat screams, " Look at me-I'm an idiot," It is so embarrasing. The hat never stays on, no matter how many pins I put in it. And I am always bumping it in to things. It's more of a distraction than anything else. If I am in the middle of caring for a pt and my hat flies off my head, how does that look? and it happens a lot. I constantly get told how " cute" I look in the cap. I think I look like Chef Boy R Dee. I don't want to look cute-I want to look like a professional. Usually the elderly enjoy the caps because when they were younger, all nurses wore caps. The day I graduate I am going to burn my hat in protest

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maggie 7-Do you know I actually tried to use the infection issue as reason to do away with hats and I even cultured my cap, which was disgusting. It didn't grow anything. Apparently , the cap is not a very good breeding ground for bacteria. I was so disappointed.

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I don't know. There are still holdouts out there, but it just seems so silly and impractical to me.

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You can tell me that this reflects my being a child of the 90's but I will expand on the above.

I am a professional. My work and my attitude and my drive reflect this. I do not do anything while I am at work unless I understand the reasoning behind it. To explain the desire to wear nursing caps as being rooted in tradition and being symbolic of work accomplished just doesn't cut it with me. I do not perform procedures that are not routed in data and proof as to their purpose, so why should I wear an impractical, infection spreading object on my head just because that is the way "things are done and always have been done".

At least that is the way I look at the cap issue.

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The last time I wore my cap was at graduation. There are no facilities or hospitals in my area that require them. Thank goodness! But, I must admit that I really didn't mind wearing one along with my whites. I also liked wearing my Girl Scout uniform when I was a kid though. I wouldn't want to be forced to wear one, nor would I want to wear one today, as the darn thing didn't do anything but get in the way while trying to work, how many times I bumped that thing while working with patients. It's also not nice to wear when a combative patient decides to rip it off your head....and since it's pinned to not come off....out rips the hair too! OUCH! Not practical IMO.

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I just found out that I am going to be required to wear a hat during clinicals when they start. At first I was upset but obviously I do not have a choice so I am going to deal with it.. I was told at least I would be destinguishable from the ganitorial crew. Sorry I am of no help.. If you like the facility, you could just grin and bear it.

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I would not wear a cap. I certainly think that if a cap were required in this day and age that it was because everyone wanted it. To force something like this on others because an older nurse was stuck in a time warp of some sort it not appropriate. It would be like forcing modern women to wear high button shoes. This is not part of our current culture.

I wore a cap at my LPN and RN graduations in 1999 and 2001. I love my pictures in it. I wished I could have been allowed to keep the cap, but they recycle them for each new graduating class. The stripes are not attached with the old fashioned studs that they used to use for this. They are just kind of spot glued and it looks like it. I guess they can't get studs anymore.

The white bobby pins are not available anymore to hold them on either.

I started Nursing school in 1969 (did not finish) the cap was still customary for all nurses everywhere. We got the cap after the first trimester in a candle lit ceremony. Then after the next trimester we were awarded our stripe. Being an old gal I value the symbol of the cap. I would not wear it anymore than I would carry an oil lamp (another symbol)

In my day there was a lot of romance associated with the cap. My mom said it was the nurses crown and symbolized her athority.

I was wondering if anyone knew were one could even get a cap these days. I am shocked that some of you must wear them. Where the heck are they purchased?

AND here's a biggie. The hospital laundry used to clean and starch them for us. It was the only personal laundry that they did for the nurses. If a nurse washed her own cap it showed and looked real bad. If you MUST wear a cap how do you or who cleans it ?

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Originally posted by Agnus

I would not wear a cap. I certainly think that if a cap were required in this day and age that it was because everyone wanted it. To force something like this on others because an older nurse was stuck in a time warp of some sort it not appropriate. It would be like forcing modern women to wear high button shoes. This is not part of our current culture.

I wore a cap at my LPN and RN graduations in 1999 and 2001. I love my pictures in it. I wished I could have been allowed to keep the cap, but they recycle them for each new graduating class. The stripes are not attached with the old fashioned studs that they used to use for this. They are just kind of spot glued and it looks like it. I guess they can't get studs anymore.

The white bobby pins are not available anymore to hold them on either.

I started Nursing school in 1969 (did not finish) the cap was still customary for all nurses everywhere. We got the cap after the first trimester in a candle lit ceremony. Then after the next trimester we were awarded our stripe. Being an old gal I value the symbol of the cap. I would not wear it anymore than I would carry an oil lamp (another symbol)

In my day there was a lot of romance associated with the cap. My mom said it was the nurses crown and symbolized her athority.

I was wondering if anyone knew where one could even get a cap these days. I am shocked that some of you must wear them. Where the heck are they purchased?

AND here's a biggie. The hospital laundry used to clean and starch them for us. It was the only personal laundry that they did for the nurses. If a nurse washed her own cap it showed and looked real bad. If you MUST wear a cap how do you or who cleans it ?

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I quoted myself??!! gee that's what I get for editing my spelling and typing. Shees. I am old.

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Wow, there is still a place in this world that requires caps. I knew the burg was backwards but I did not know about that. I would have to staple mine to my head. Even 20 years ago I could not find away to get one to stay on my thin hair. They kept falling off and landing in unusual places. I don't think I threw it away but I have not seen it in 10 years. I wonder where it is?

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Originally posted by Agnus

I would not wear a cap. I certainly think that if a cap were required in this day and age that it was because everyone wanted it. To force something like this on others because an older nurse was stuck in a time warp of some sort it not appropriate. It would be like forcing modern women to wear high button shoes. This is not part of our current culture.

I wore a cap at my LPN and RN graduations in 1999 and 2001. I love my pictures in it. I wished I could have been allowed to keep the cap, but they recycle them for each new graduating class. The stripes are not attached with the old fashioned studs that they used to use for this. They are just kind of spot glued and it looks like it. I guess they can't get studs anymore.

The white bobby pins are not available anymore to hold them on either.

I started Nursing school in 1969 (did not finish) the cap was still customary for all nurses everywhere. We got the cap after the first trimester in a candle lit ceremony. Then after the next trimester we were awarded our stripe. Being an old gal I value the symbol of the cap. I would not wear it anymore than I would carry an oil lamp (another symbol)

In my day there was a lot of romance associated with the cap. My mom said it was the nurses crown and symbolized her athority.

I was wondering if anyone knew were one could even get a cap these days. I am shocked that some of you must wear them. Where the heck are they purchased?

AND here's a biggie. The hospital laundry used to clean and starch them for us. It was the only personal laundry that they did for the nurses. If a nurse washed her own cap it showed and looked real bad. If you MUST wear a cap how do you or who cleans it ?

Hey Angus...Here's one place I know of the get a cap.

http://www.traveltrunk.com/hatsandcaps.htm

I'm a nostalgia buff...I don't think I'd want to wear them all the time...but I do think they look much more professional then tooniforms. JMO.

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Specializes in LTC, ER, ICU,.

the employer i worked for in 2000 mandated hats to be worn by lpns and rns (females). i purchased it from life uniform in one of our local malls.

we also wore one 1990-1991 [lpn school} and my very first job too.

i didn't and don't have a problem with wearing one.

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