Caps anyone??

[KibbsRNstudent]

I finally get to nursing school after waiting my whole life(literally since I was 2 yrs old I wanted to be a nurse) to get the hard earned cap and I found out the other day that they do not give out caps anymore. Just pins(and that is after you buy your pin) My grandma was a nurse and she used to make me a cap and draw a red cross on it and then bobby pin it to my head. I felt so special with taht on. I used to go around with my "cap" and my grandmas stethascope and play nurse. My grandma told me that someday I woudl earn my own cap. Now I find out taht they are oing away with the caps as no one wears them anymore. Well I say bring the cap back! (I would wear it. :) ) but even if no one wears them at least bring them back as the symbol of the hard earned trophy. ya know?

[finness]

heyyy...i want a cap!

[CHATSDALE]

i absolutely postively hated that CAP.....

[wonderbee, BSN, RN]

Cap? No way! The cap is a symbol of the submissiveness and servitude of women throughout time; a time when nursing was considered women's work. We're working too hard to dispel that identity. I'm all for doing away with anything that identifies nursing as a "pink collar" job.

[nurseLori]

My class was also shocked when they said, "ok, time for you to plan your pinning." We had to plan it, and do it all ourselves, and purchase our own pins. There were many of us who were sad that caps were not avialable as well. We felt let down. It was like, ok you made your big achievment, now throw your own graduation, if you want.

Our local hospital gives out little caps, you can fold up and wear, to the children that come and it says "future nurse on one side". I took one, turned it inside out so it was all white, and put my pin on it, and it is proudly displayed on a shelf in my living room. Soon after, everyone in my class followed. Our teacher talked about when she graduated, and I wanted to cry when she described a large ceremony with the stripes, and each school had a unique cap and a pin.

I would never wear one on the job, but I like the ceremonial stuff!

[BabyRN2Be]

When my mom graduated in the early 60's, they all wore caps. When she went back to work in a nursing home in the mid-80's, she wore a cap so that the residents would know that she's a nurse. By that time caps weren't worn at the hospitals anymore.

Around that time, I looked for a way to start somewhere in nursing, so I looked at a place around here that had an 2 year MA program. Their second year students wore caps to differentiate them from first year students. Kind of hookey, and they thought that way, too (at least the students did, the instructors loved it).

I think that nursing is full of a lot of wonderful traditions and history that needs to be passed down. I think that a ceremonial capping/pinning would be nice, but in all practically, not in the workplace. Infection control, falling off into sterile fields, the cap being knocked off... too much bother.

[CA CoCoRN, RN]

Once, when I was in college, I wanted a cap. As I progressed through the program, and saw the changes in nursing, the advancement of the professional field, I decided that, though tradition is nice, I wanted to move forward. Moving forward means that some traditions need an ending point in order to embrace the future.

When nurses wore caps, there were few, if any male nurses.

When nurses originally began wearing caps, the primary (only) place of employment was a hospital.

When nurses wore caps in the hospital, many of the advanced skills and knowledge that we now possess and utilize was not ours to have and do.

When nurses wore caps, some of our primary functions were simply being the soothers of pt and the bedpan empty-ers and wheelchair pushers, stating, "Yes, doctor..." and darn near genuflecting in their presence.

Our roles as nurses, men and women, have greatly expanded and encompass almost every area of our current culture, in and out of the hospital.

In my eyes, and many of the eyes of the general, uneducated public, the cap takes us back to the days of the nurse who was the handmaiden. I am not a handmaiden. I am a facilitator of care using my knowledge and skill which continues to evolve. My "image" should well evolve too.

I love some of the traditions of nursing, the pinning, etc. I am aware of the history of nursing as well. However, just any field has it's traditions and customs which have fallen by the way-side due to avances....I feel that this is one which should be looked upon as nostalgia, but not continued. Especially as it's impractical to most nurses nowadays, whether they do direct patient care or not, and a holdover from a bygone area.

And hey...what would men wear??

Equality remember??

[allamericangirl]

Once, when I was in college, I wanted a cap. As I progressed through the program, and saw the changes in nursing, the advancement of the professional field, I decided that, though tradition is nice, I wanted to move forward. Moving forward means that some traditions need an ending point in order to embrace the future.

When nurses wore caps, there were few, if any male nurses.

When nurses originally began wearing caps, the primary (only) place of employment was a hospital.

When nurses wore caps in the hospital, many of the advanced skills and knowledge that we now possess and utilize was not ours to have and do.

When nurses wore caps, some of our primary functions were simply being the soothers of pt and the bedpan empty-ers and wheelchair pushers, stating, "Yes, doctor..." and darn near genuflecting in their presence.

Our roles as nurses, men and women, have greatly expanded and encompass almost every area of our current culture, in and out of the hospital.

In my eyes, and many of the eyes of the general, uneducated public, the cap takes us back to the days of the nurse who was the handmaiden. I am not a handmaiden. I am a facilitator of care using my knowledge and skill which continues to evolve. My "image" should well evolve too.

I love some of the traditions of nursing, the pinning, etc. I am aware of the history of nursing as well. However, just any field has it's traditions and customs which have fallen by the way-side due to avances....I feel that this is one which should be looked upon as nostalgia, but not continued. Especially as it's impractical to most nurses nowadays, whether they do direct patient care or not, and a holdover from a bygone area.

And hey...what would men wear??

Equality remember??

A Baseball Cap with RN or LPN on the front. As much as guys live in ball caps, I'm surprised one of you hasn't figured out how to make it a part of your uniform. :rotfl:

[NurseCard, ADN]

There used to be a nurse who worked at my hospital until about a year or so ago, who actually did wear a cap, all the time (I live in Kentucky). Her reasoning was simply this; she had earned it, she was going to wear it.

I'm not for caps personally, but I am for nurses ONLY, being allowed to wear white. That, to me, is a priviledge (?) that I have earned. At my hospital, nurses and techs all wear just about any colors that they want to, as long as tops and bottoms coordinate, and no one is allowed to wear pants with any kind of prints on them; just solid.

[hoppermom3]

Our school does not require caps, but my friends bought me one and I plan to wear it for pictures and pinning ceremony. When I get frustrated and feel like this is taking SOOO long, I get my cap out and try it on in front of the mirror...it motivates me. I am sentimental by nature.

[kesneysmom]

I am from Tennessee and when I worked in LTC 4 years ago we had to wear all white and our caps. It wasnt a big deal and the residents loved it, so it was fine.

I can see that nurses that work with peds ect, it may not be as appropriate. It would probly scare the kiddies.