(IN)Appropriate Dress

[trinitymaster]

Nurse Practitioners are at the forefront of healthcare reform. Many patients only contact with a healthcare professional will be with a Nurse Practitioner.

My question is this: Do you cringe when you see a nurse practitioner dressed inappropriately for the professional setting?

Tell us about a personal experience that you have had with a nurse-practitioner who did not dress appropriately for their setting.

Examples would be a male nurse practitioner who wore skinny jeans and a muscle shirt, or perhaps a female that wore yoga pants and high-heel boots.

[Barnstormin' PMHNP]

I've never seen an NP dressed inappropriately that I can remember, they always looked very professional, that goes for the Dr.'s and PA's as well. I've seen far more inappropriately dressed RN's, LPN's, and CNA's.....slovenly looking in general or wearing childish scrubs in ICU, spray-painted scrubs, the list goes on and on. I also agree with the previous posts about administration wearing inappropriate dress too. .

[friggasdistaff]

Our entire ER staff wears scrubs (docs included). One of our NP's insists on wearing purple scrubs, which is the same color that the tech's/HUC wear. It's more than a little confusing for our patients.

[trinitymaster]

Back to the OP: have you seen NPs/Docs, etc., dressed inappropriately?

Where I live (and I go to five hospitals) I've never seen it.

As far as female NPs, it is always knee-high boots with three-inch heels, yoga pants etc.

They looked like they stepped off of the cover of a fashion magazine. Beautiful.....yes. Appropriate in the professional environment......my opinion is "No".

I have never seen a male NP for some reason.

I do not really care about doctors.

[trinitymaster]

I have honestly never seen this as an issue outside of student NPs that I occasionally have to remind of appropriate attire.

Sent from my iPhone.

Thank you for being a good mentor.

[trinitymaster]

My dad is a long-time ER physician who wears scrubs to everything. He wore Halloween-themed scrubs to my after-wedding dinner...in July. Does that count?

Physicians are not my concern.

As a fledgling profession set to take over a large chunk of healthcare, NPs must continuously present the image of a professional. Not saying that suits and ties or other formal wear should be mandatory.

Just saying that they cannot dress like high-school kids and be taken seriously

[BostonFNP, APRN]

Have you been working as an NP long? Have you addressed this with your local colleagues? Your regional/state NP association?

Sent from my iPhone.

[OCNRN63, RN]

One nurse practitioner at my hospital wears a college sweatshirt, black jeans, and Dansko clogs. Sloppy. With an attitude to match no less.

She's also about 50 years old.

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

What does her age have to do with anything?

[BostonFNP, APRN]

What does her age have to do with anything?

Old people are icky.

Sent from my iPhone.

[OCNRN63, RN]

As far as female NPs, it is always knee-high boots with three-inch heels, yoga pants etc.

They looked like they stepped off of the cover of a fashion magazine. Beautiful.....yes. Appropriate in the professional environment......my opinion is "No".

I have never seen a male NP for some reason.

I do not really care about doctors.

Why don't you mind your own dress instead of worrying about what others do?

[OCNRN63, RN]

Old people are icky.

Sent from my iPhone.

Yeah, it's all downhill once you're over 50...I should know!

[trinitymaster]

Have you been working as an NP long? Have you addressed this with your local colleagues? Your regional/state NP association?

Sent from my iPhone.

I am not an NP.

I apologize for any confusion.

I am in school for my MSN in Administration.

I am simply of the opinion that Nurse Practitioners should dress appropriately.

NPs represent the most esteemed of the nursing professions.

They should set the example for the rest of us to follow.

[trinitymaster]

Why don't you mind your own dress instead of worrying about what others do?

Because people form general opinions about classes of people based on their interactions with representatives of that class.