Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma. Has 41 years experience. Aug 31, 2014 Anyone have pictures of what male nurses used to wear? 0 Likes
Fiona59 Has 18 years experience. Aug 31, 2014 White panty hose is becoming harder to find. What I do find strange is the number of younger nurses who will wear dresses with no hose, just those little tennis socks. At least wear sheer hose! 0 Likes
Muser69 Specializes in Critical care. Has 42 years experience. Aug 31, 2014 Actually there is an infection control issue with skirts and dresses which is the reason they were for the most part gotten shot of in OR, L&D and other units/floors where nurses once wore scrub dresses. They were replaced by the scrub pants and tops common today.The idea is to contain "perineal fallout" from (to put it bluntly) beneath nurse's skirts. Where nurses or female physicians for religious or other reasons wish to wear scrub dresses "big girl" underpants must be worn with pantyhose (not suspender belt and stockings). Considering what accounts for undergarments among young females today (thongs about the size of a postage stamp) banning skirts and dresses seems far less intrusive than coming up with an exhaustive list of "allowed" undergarments. Even better than deciding whom is going to check and by what method.https://allnurses.com/operating-room-nursing/skirts-in-the-146292.html The hospital that I worked at in the early 1980's had this same rule because of " fallout" . Shortly after they rescinded the rule. 0 Likes
OCNRN63, RN Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website. Aug 31, 2014 Oh, please..."perineal fallout"? I've yet to come across credible evidence that this exists. Sounds like perpetuation of the female being somehow "unclean." 0 Likes
Fiona59 Has 18 years experience. Aug 31, 2014 Yup, I leave a trail of lady particles behind me, each and every shift! 0 Likes
Christy1019, ASN, RN Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing. Has 11 years experience. Aug 31, 2014 Yup, I leave a trail of lady particles behind me, each and every shift!Hahaha I love it! 0 Likes
poppycat, ADN, BSN Specializes in pediatrics; PICU; NICU. Has 43 years experience. Aug 31, 2014 When I was in nursing school, my classmates & I all hated our caps. They were shaped like Big Mac boxes (for those of you who remember when Big Mac came in a box). Because they were square, it was hard to get them to stay pinned & in place. We hated them!However, when I graduated & got my first job, nurses at that hospital were still required to wear caps. Most of the nurses there had graduated from that hospital's nursing school so they all wore the same cap. Mine became something that I was proud of because it wasn't the same as all of theirs. I did have problems with my cap, though, because I worked in Peds. Nursing caps & cage cribs don't go together well! 0 Likes
RNsRWe, ASN, RN Sep 1, 2014 Actually there is an infection control issue with skirts and dresses which is the reason they were for the most part gotten shot of in OR, L&D and other units/floors where nurses once wore scrub dresses. They were replaced by the scrub pants and tops common today.The idea is to contain "perineal fallout" from (to put it bluntly) beneath nurse's skirts. Where nurses or female physicians for religious or other reasons wish to wear scrub dresses "big girl" underpants must be worn with pantyhose (not suspender belt and stockings). Considering what accounts for undergarments among young females today (thongs about the size of a postage stamp) banning skirts and dresses seems far less intrusive than coming up with an exhaustive list of "allowed" undergarments. Even better than deciding whom is going to check and by what method.https://allnurses.com/operating-room-nursing/skirts-in-the-146292.htmlok. Now you have created images I did NOT need in my head prior to going to bed. Thanks! Seriously, though....I'd LOVE to see the data on "perineal fallout". REALLY??What the XU*#Y%Y is falling OUT?? 0 Likes
Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN Specializes in OR, education. Has 16 years experience. Sep 1, 2014 ok. Now you have created images I did NOT need in my head prior to going to bed. Thanks! Seriously, though....I'd LOVE to see the data on "perineal fallout". REALLY??What the XU*#Y%Y is falling OUT??And perineal fallout is bad but nothing is said about male chest and facial hair? I've seen some men with more hair sticking out of the top of their scrub top than you'd find on several ladies', well, use your imagination, combined. 0 Likes
DoGoodThenGo Sep 1, 2014 Though many today associate all uniforms of the past with prim and proper dresses, that was *NOT* always the case. Since nursing was by and large a female dominated profession often uniforms followed prevailing fashions. Yeah in the 1940's and 1940's you'd find various dresses from slim sheaths (with girdle) to full skirts but when the Swinging Sixties arrived and with it the Mini-Skirt (and hot pants as seen above), many facilities and even schools gave in to what young nurses (and a some older as the above photo speaks) wanted. That is skirts so short that bed making, hanging a bag or basically any other movement that caused one to bend or raise one's arms gave the world a nice good look. From: Child of the Sixties Forever: The short life of the miniskirtYou can see a range of hemlines for both students and staff nurses here: By and large the biggest thing to rock the nursing profession in terms of uniform was the emergence of the pantsuit in 1970. For those youngsters not around then let me assure you this was *big*. You only have to look at pictures of women in particular females from toddlers through college to see that sex rarely wore pants in public. When you watch old television programs or films from say the 1950's or 1960's you notice little girls wore dresses, and older ones either dresses or skirts with sweater sets or blouses. Dress codes from both schools, colleges and the workplace reinforced this social norm. And so it was with nurses, both students and professionals. Leaving aside jumpsuits assigned to military nurses working in certain areas and even then mainly out in the field, all female nurses wore dresses. Thus it was like a breathe of fresh air in 1970-1971 when places began to allow female nurses to wear pantsuits: » #ThrowbackThursday: Rise of the pantsuit: For 1971 nurses, it was ‘infinitely preferable to the mini’ The PulsePantsuits paved the way for separates and ultimately scrubs not just in the OR and units but the floors as well. 0 Likes
Christy1019, ASN, RN Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing. Has 11 years experience. Sep 1, 2014 Though many today associate all uniforms of the past with prim and proper dresses, that was *NOT* always the case. Since nursing was by and large a female dominated profession often uniforms followed prevailing fashions. Yeah in the 1940's and 1940's you'd find various dresses from slim sheaths (with girdle) to full skirts but when the Swinging Sixties arrived and with it the Mini-Skirt (and hot pants as seen above), many facilities and even schools gave in to what young nurses (and a some older as the above photo speaks) wanted. That is skirts so short that bed making, hanging a bag or basically any other movement that caused one to bend or raise one's arms gave the world a nice good look. From: Child of the Sixties Forever: The short life of the miniskirtYou can see a range of hemlines for both students and staff nurses here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/7071818165/in/photostream/?rb=1By and large the biggest thing to rock the nursing profession in terms of uniform was the emergence of the pantsuit in 1970. For those youngsters not around then let me assure you this was *big*. You only have to look at pictures of women in particular females from toddlers through college to see that sex rarely wore pants in public. When you watch old television programs or films from say the 1950's or 1960's you notice little girls wore dresses, and older ones either dresses or skirts with sweater sets or blouses. Dress codes from both schools, colleges and the workplace reinforced this social norm. And so it was with nurses, both students and professionals. Leaving aside jumpsuits assigned to military nurses working in certain areas and even then mainly out in the field, all female nurses wore dresses. Thus it was like a breathe of fresh air in 1970-1971 when places began to allow female nurses to wear pantsuits: » #ThrowbackThursday: Rise of the pantsuit: For 1971 nurses, it was 'infinitely preferable to the mini' The PulsePantsuits paved the way for separates and ultimately scrubs not just in the OR and units but the floors as well.I just read the article about pant suits, and what was the point of wearing hosiery under the pants?? 0 Likes
DoGoodThenGo Sep 1, 2014 I just read the article about pant suits, and what was the point of wearing hosiery under the pants??Article refers to "hose" which could be either knee highs or panty hose (highly doubt for many reasons anyone work a suspender belt and stockings).One assumes the dress code requiring "hose" meant no sweat socks and or going without any sort of foot covering (bare legs). Unlike today where you often see the bottoms of scrub pants not only below the ankle but literally cleaning the floor, pantsuit slacks ended about above or just below the ankle. Thus some "skin" would be visible certainly when sitting down or reaching upwards. 0 Likes
DoGoodThenGo Sep 1, 2014 Final note on skirts, especially minis and nursing.Those wearing soon became acutely aware of how proper body mechanics not only preserved one's back but also modesty. *LOL*That is when having to pick something up from the floor or say adjust a wheelchair, bed, cath bag etc... you bent *at the knee* and not from the waist. I leave it to your collective imaginations as to the rationale. *LOL* Remember this was also the era of hand cranked beds and multiple bed wards/rooms. You have no idea how many naïve young nurses, students, nurse's aides would be summoned and asked to raise or lower a bed in a room or ward full of males. It was all lads together and after a few instances the female soon realized what all that giggling and other verbal sounds were about. You also quickly learned it was not often safe to turn your back on a good number of male patients from teens through their 90's who had a cane or crutches. 0 Likes
RNIBCLC Specializes in Maternity. Sep 1, 2014 This thread is a great review on nursing history and uniforms. I like it. 0 Likes
NICU_Nightingale, BSN, RN Specializes in NICU. Has 7 years experience. Sep 1, 2014 Can I just say I graduate in December and my school does the whole pinning ceremony... Therefore I will be purchasing my own cap and getting graduation pictures in it. Call me a traditionalist I guess, I love the cap- so unique to nursing. You nurses are so lucky to have one (even if you hate them haha) 0 Likes
DoGoodThenGo Sep 1, 2014 Just in case anyone is wondering the above photo shows "Hanes House School of Nursing" which is still around and part of Duke University. HANES HOUSE | Open Durham 0 Likes
RNIBCLC Specializes in Maternity. Sep 1, 2014 Can I just say I graduate in December and my school does the whole pinning ceremony... Therefore I will be purchasing my own cap and getting graduation pictures in it. Call me a traditionalist I guess, I love the cap- so unique to nursing. You nurses are so lucky to have one (even if you hate them haha)Good for you! I think it should be a rite of passage. Enjoy! 0 Likes
DoGoodThenGo Sep 1, 2014 ok. Now you have created images I did NOT need in my head prior to going to bed. Thanks! Seriously, though....I'd LOVE to see the data on "perineal fallout". REALLY??What the XU*#Y%Y is falling OUT??Well you can start by researching the work of Anna Hambraeus done in 1988 regarding air borne bacteria in ORs. 0 Likes
