We were told yesterday that we're required to wear white scrubs for our 45 minute pinning ceremony.
As students, we are required to buy and wear ceil blue scrubs.
They want us to buy a set of white scrubs to wear for this short, silly ceremony.
I, being the way I am, questioned this idiocy and pointed out that a lot of the students in my class can barely afford to go to school and still feed their kids and pay their bills, and firmly averred my deep disdain for making us buy these "wear once" scrubs. On top of $1300 tuition + books this semester, $50 "pinning fee", $139 BON application fee, $50 HESI fee, $20ish fingerprint fee, $200+ NCLEX fee.....I've had enough.
Am I just being a fartknocker about this, or do any of you see this as stupid, pointless, and lacking concern or awareness about the financial woes of nursing students? I'm in a better position to afford this than most of my classmates because I had savings from past employment and my wife has a good-paying nursing job.
Some of my classmates, I have had to buy their meals at the stupid "end of semester clinical group gathering at the most expensive restaurant we can find, where we give the employed instructor the gift we managed to scrounge up $10/ea to buy" because some kissass, or often, the instructor, picks PF Changs instead of Shoneys.
It wouldn't be so bad if any of the hospitals here allowed whites (most of them have color-enforced dress codes), but to add ONE MORE expense, to be used for one stupid ceremony...well, it aggravated me.
The instructor, more used to meek and mild students who don't question the status quo, blinked about 10 times and then informed me I should start a petition to be given to the director of our program.
I couldn't agree with you more. If you were required to wear ceil blue scrubs throughout the program, then ceil blue scrubs are the school uniform, and should be worn for the graduation ceremony. White scrubs for the ceremony will be presenting a false image. In your petition, state that the students want to present a genuine image to maintain the integrity of the event.
Do you have to attend your graduation ceremony? I am not into that type of thing, when I get accepted into nursing school I will not be attending my graduation ceremony, I just don't have the patience, and I hate taking pictures
Our school does the same thing and it drives me crazy. We have pretty cool school colors if you ask me and our scrubs reflect it. Gold tops and black pants and it looks pretty slick. Yet whites for graduation...pass. I know nursing has its roots in wearing whites, but some traditions can change.
I would simply say that "I can't afford ..." the things that aren't absolutely necessary and do some sort of alternative activity to show respect or celebrate an ocassion. For example, for a gift for the teacher, I would simply write a nice note. For a party, I would have a pot-luck or simply not attend or order a little apetizer rather than a meal, etc.. If asked why I did not participate in some of the more expensive things, I am not too proud to say, "I wish I could afford that ... but I can't." I've never been afraid to separate myself from the crowd in such a way. It's worked well over the years.
I feel your pain. We have constantly had "things come up" which are mandatory, and cost more than we can afford. We had to go to a thing called "Mock Trial" last semester. It cost $20 a ticket, and we had to wear business clothes. For those of us who were mom's before starting school, and who lost weight, put on weight we had to go buy new clothes for this one event. They decided to start a new testing thing in the middle of first semester which will tack an additional $70 a semester onto our bill. The hospital where I am being assigned for clinical this semester charges $3.00 a day for parking. This means I will pay $3.00 for Sunday, and $3.00 for Monday so $6.00 a week or $24 a month just to go to clinical.
Yeah we were the same way, although we had to wear whites for clinical, so we already had them. We did, however have to purchase our pins. The school brought in a rep, kind of like they have for class rings, and they wanted over 100 bucks!! I went to the uniform store down the street and paid 7 bucks. We also had to pay for things like insurance, ATI testing, parking, etc at school..which i would not have minded so much but they didnt include it in the tuition price, and informed us that we had to pay out of pocket, that day, or loose our spot in the program. I wrote a bad check. I have three children at home and my husband doesnt make crap..Not to metion, i live 50 miles from campus, drive an SUV, and had most of my clinicals at a hospital that was convenient for the instructor..which happened to be 75 miles one way from my home. Also...we had to pay parking at most clinicals, since we werent recognized at either employees or visitors, and couldnt get our tickets validated..peds clinicals were TEN DOLLARS A DAY!!!!
I thought we were in school to better oursleves and our familes lives, and get an education to work in a field we enjoy...not go bankrupt!!
Our nursing school has bake sales with t shirts and supplies to raise money. In the grand scheme of things, the bigger picture ..Isnt it worth it? You are doing all these things for a LICENSE in a career that will reimburse you for your uniform one day. I for one am grateful, that I have an opportunity to wear these unflattering scrubs, and pay fees for graduation. A dream come true to a lot of people, I am honored. I cant wait to buy that ridiculous nursing dress, with the funny cap. Many have done it before me, and I am continuing tradition.
Have you gone to those technical schools that hit you up for fees ..Nothing is free anymore, at least in 2 years you will earn enough to pay off your loans within a few months. How neat is that?
Isnt it worth it? You are doing all these things for a LICENSE in a career that will reimburse you for your uniform one day.
No I'm not. I'm studying med-surg and pediatrics and OB and mental health issues for a LICENSE, not going to some stupid, expensive ceremony that don't have jack to do with my future license. So NO, it definitely is NOT worth it.
Why don't you just send out a petition like your instructor suggested? That should be easy enough to send out during lecture or pass around during clinical, and if you have a large number of people signing the petition it makes a lot bigger impact than one person going to the director. If no one signs it than you will realize you are in the minority and you don't have to attend.
Sounds just like my program...only local hospitals donated our pins and lamps, and gave us red roses at the pinning ceremony. It was the most beautiful surreal occasion...especially when they dimmed the lights and we passed a candle from one to the other to light our lamps before we said the Nightingale Pledge. I still get goosebumps when I remember it!
Honestly you can find cheap white uniforms or borrow them from previous students. Your pinning ceremony is so memorable and I'd hate to see y'all miss out on something so special
Graduation, though?? Pshaw!! I didn't care two cents about spending hours in an auditorium with students I didn't know. But my nursing class was special to me and still is.
caliotter3
38,333 Posts
I couldn't agree with you more. If you were required to wear ceil blue scrubs throughout the program, then ceil blue scrubs are the school uniform, and should be worn for the graduation ceremony. White scrubs for the ceremony will be presenting a false image. In your petition, state that the students want to present a genuine image to maintain the integrity of the event.