Dress Code for nursing students?

carolynd · Feb 27, 2005

Very interesting discussion. I am not sure I understand why we are having the discussion. I belong to a community college and we have a nursing education department. The belief of the nursing faculty is to present professionalism (including dress) in the classroom. How our students attire is their business except when in clinical agencies on school business. When in clinical agencies our students are expected to be in appropriate - approved attire - this means approved uniform, dress slacks/dress with approved warm up jacket or white lab coat and photo school ID. I think the bigger issue is "do instructors need to model professionalism when in the classroom".

akcarmean, LPN · Feb 27, 2005

for class: as long as they are dressed appropriately. no shirts that are suggestive or abusive language.
clinical: they wear solid blue scrub set with the school crest on their upper arm, name tag and hair tied up if length permits, no perfume, no jewelry and no long or artificial nails, no nail polish, facial piercing only if culturally and no other piercings visible.
i can scan you a copy and send one via your email address, let me know.

when i was in lpn school the info above applied for us except we had more like a royal blue top and white pants. that's the only difference of those listed above. when we were in lecture we could wear just about anything we wanted. jeans, shorts, sweat pants, t-shirts, but they had to be conservative (sp) no clevage showing, no short skirts. but come clincial time was a total differnet ballgames.

angie

goodknight · Feb 27, 2005

I'm a student, 18 yrs old, and at our school we don't have a specific "dress code" for lecture, although I wouldn't be opposed. It is suggested that we dress 'professionaly'.

Other's have said that nursing students are all adults. That may be so but some of them don't get it that a bare middrift ect. are not presenting a professional image. I have no problem with people wearing what they want outside of class, or to non-nursing classes, but I think that we are joining a Profession and should dress accordingly. If we have to have a dress code to acomplish that, so be it.

Now for clinicals we have the 100% white uniform. Looks very nice too. (never thought I'd say that...)

KrisRNwannabe · Feb 27, 2005

We have a dress code, for clinical. Unless you do it for the entire university it isn't going to happen. dress apporitately for clinical. ours is white scrubs (that fit properly and are clean, actually they had to remind a student of this, her scrub pants were so tight you could do gyn physical with them on and stains everywhere, pts actually refused to have her take care of them!!), white tennis shoes, long hair has to be up, short nails (light colored polish permitted), one pair of post earrings (don't see why if you had two holes in each ear that would be a problem), no visible facial piercings(i use a small, flesh colored dome for the top of my tongue piercing), no thongs (very upsetting but i have discovered the little boy short underwear things!) and no perfume (i miss my chanel No. 5 on clinical day, i even wear when i don't plan to leave the house!). other than that come to school with clothes on. i don't really care what people wear. I have been known to show for an early class in the flannel PJ bottom things and a hooded sweatshirt. big whoopie. remember we are all people. you might even catch a nurse on her day off looking... gasp.... not so professional!!

Kris

goodknight · Feb 27, 2005

you might even catch a nurse on her day off looking... gasp.... not so professional!!
Kris

Yes, but when you are attending class, that is not your day off. They way I see it, going to class is the same as going to work and you should look the part.

Kyriaka · Feb 27, 2005

I personally think their ought to be a dress code for all students (nursing or otherwise).

Every weekday I am given the "honor" of seeing girls and boys with tatoos, underwear showing, tight tops and even tighter bottoms, unkept hair, and multiple body peircings. It is disgusting. No one has any pride in the way they look.

S.N. Visit, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2005

If you were to implement a dress code for non clinical days, where would you draw line of professionalism? Whose opinion would make the rule?

Example... Just yesterday my nursing instructor told our class that she would rather that we did not wear make up at all to clinical, because make up even in moderation is very unprofessional." Now from a licensed cosmetologist's point of view, that statement is the exact opposite of what we learned in Cosmetology College. (Looking professional meant having your hair groomed neatly, make up blended to complement your features, nails clean, (shaped & polished), good hygiene, and clothes clean & pressed.)

My idea of dressing professional would be business attire, but how could I expect college students to dress any differently than the casual jeans & sneakers when a good majority are receiving financial aide?

What would be considered professional dress in your opinion?

Kyriaka · Mar 3, 2005

soap is cheap. But the only thing worse than a student dressed like a hooker (I am calling it like it is), is a teacher who dresses like one.

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · Mar 4, 2005

if you were to implement a dress code for non clinical days, where would you draw line of professionalism? whose opinion would make the rule?
example... just yesterday my nursing instructor told our class that she would rather that we did not wear make up at all to clinical, because make up even in moderation is very unprofessional." now from a licensed cosmetologist's point of view, that statement is the exact opposite of what we learned in cosmetology college. (looking professional meant having your hair groomed neatly, make up blended to complement your features, nails clean, (shaped & polished), good hygiene, and clothes clean & pressed.)
my idea of dressing professional would be business attire, but how could i expect college students to dress any differently than the casual jeans & sneakers when a good majority are receiving financial aide?
what would be considered professional dress in your opinion?

i'm no cosmetologist, but if you have on makeup, shouldn't it be that no one can tell you're wearing it? of course, with something like makeup (as far as a dress code), it's got to be all or nothing.

as far as 'professional' dress, you can get a pair of docker rip-offs at target, for much cheaper than some jeans. same goes for shoes (a-la pay less). but you certainly can't implement this for a nursing program in a college or university setting.

i think the thread has gone a little :offtopic:. by that i mean that i assume we're talking about those who come to class looking like they're going to a club, or to go solicit themselves. it should be a common sense dress code, but of course that's not enough for some.

mattdixon · Mar 15, 2005

If you were to implement a dress code for non clinical days, where would you draw line of professionalism? Whose opinion would make the rule?
Example... Just yesterday my nursing instructor told our class that she would rather that we did not wear make up at all to clinical, because make up even in moderation is very unprofessional." Now from a licensed cosmetologist's point of view, that statement is the exact opposite of what we learned in Cosmetology College. (Looking professional meant having your hair groomed neatly, make up blended to complement your features, nails clean, (shaped & polished), good hygiene, and clothes clean & pressed.)
My idea of dressing professional would be business attire, but how could I expect college students to dress any differently than the casual jeans & sneakers when a good majority are receiving financial aide?
What would be considered professional dress in your opinion?

Summed it up perfectly. Most students that I know in our nursing program aren't loaded, or have free reign of their parent's pocketbooks so they can't wear 60 dollar button up shirts and 50 dollar slacks with a nice pair of patent leather shoes to class. If I could afford those kind of clothes I would dress like that every day. As a matter of fact, I like dressing up nicely. But to be quite frank and honest, I don't have the cash to buy those type of clothes, so It's going to be a couple 15 dollar tee shirt from Old navy and a few pairs of 40 dollar jeans.

The whole pay-less shoe arguement and cheap slacks from Target is nice in theory, but to be honest cheap made dressy clothes look just that: cheap. They also tear up alot easier because of low quality construction and honestly they just look dumb for the most part.

I think as long as a student isn't coming to class in attire that would make someone think "what the hell" then they should be fine. We have a clinical and community uniform and it works great for those settings, but we can't be expected to have 4-5 nice outfits for our lecture/lab days. That would cost way to much on our budgets... classes and books where I'm at is around 3k a semester as is, and I barely afford that working part time.

goodknight · Mar 16, 2005

I don't think you have to dress up or wear expensive clothes to look professional. A pair of clean, unripped jeans with a nice shirt looks professional for a student. By nice I mean no outrageous writting, if it's a tshirt it should be neat not raggedy. Think about how much nicer just jeans, a belt, and a nice tshirt or button up looks compared to sweats with hottie on the butt do.

I understand that nursing students can't afford dress clothes for five days a week. I am a nursing student. I also think that professional is relative to the position you are in. A CEO might need the expensive suit for their job. A nursing student can look professional in clean, put together clothes instead of wearing frumpy looking rags or night-on-the-town get-ups.

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Mar 16, 2005

I don't think you have to dress up or wear expensive clothes to look professional. A pair of clean, unripped jeans with a nice shirt looks professional for a student. By nice I mean no outrageous writting, if it's a tshirt it should be neat not raggedy. Think about how much nicer just jeans, a belt, and a nice tshirt or button up looks compared to sweats with hottie on the butt do.
I understand that nursing students can't afford dress clothes for five days a week. I am a nursing student. I also think that professional is relative to the position you are in. A CEO might need the expensive suit for their job. A nursing student can look professional in clean, put together clothes instead of wearing frumpy looking rags or night-on-the-town get-ups.

Well stated :)