Anyone HAVE to wear a cap?

Nurses General Nursing

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I have been visiting a facility around here recently where the nurses MUST wear a cap. It is strange. I was told another facility around here also mandates them. I was really taken aback! The facility is beautiful. The population is elderly, and that may be okay, as that era was used to caps, but ... geez, I don't think I could do it.

Whoa...I went to that website, and the picture of the student nurse capping ceremony looked EXACTLY like mine...I remember sitting up on stage and seeing all of the nursing instructors come walking in, two by two, in spotless whites and their graduate caps(amazing how they all differed!). I graduated in 1985.

We wore caps all the time after we were capped, with varying stripes depending on what year you were...when you graduated you got a totally different style of cap...no stripe. Only wore it once or twice afterward, in a volunteer setting, but haven't worn it since. It still sits on my bookcase, and has about 2" of dust on it.

LOL about the nurses wearing caps to point out staffing prob.; it's not really funny, but it was a perfect visual.

I hate to say that I DO like to see the old pix of nurses in caps, just to reminisce, but wouldn't want to wear one now. Pts should just be glad to get a nurse, instead of getting into picayune issues like caps/no caps. Oh well...

Two of many reasons why I will NEVER, EVER wear a cap again:

#1. A quote taken from the website bean 76 posted:

"Originally, nurses wore the practical, white, pleated cap and apron of the maidservant, signifying respectability, cleanliness and servitude. "

#2. The cap I had to wear all during nursing school:

nursecap.jpg

Specializes in MS Home Health.

We used to wear one in the late 80s and early 90s. Kept getting caught in the TV that swung on the arm connected to the wall. Finally our manager said we did not have to. I used to pull it out once a year for Halloween! LOL.

renerian

Specializes in MS Home Health.

Nell no offense but that is one ugly cap.........................yikes........

renerian

Yeah, renerian, and just imagine what it looked like after it fell off into the toilet...

hi nannanurse i definately agree with you all i am in jamaica and almost all the hospitals require us to wear hats. i hate it with a passion because of i feel likr retireing even though i am i senior in nursing school. but i guess you americans need to brighten their darkness on this cap thing.

You can also order caps of virtually every size, shape, and style ever known through Kay's Caps. They're a store in New Jersey (I think)--just run it through Google. Their selection is far more extensive than The Travel Trunk, although you can't actually place an order online.

I ordered a cap identical to my grandmother's through Kay's, because my grandmother wants to be buried in her uniform (I kid you not). Being the practical sort, she tried on her old cap and found it to be rather moth-eaten. I took a pic of it and e-mailed it to Kay's; it took them 72 hours to create an exact match. It cost about $75, including a case, studs, and shipping. Now my grandmother can meet her Maker well-dressed.

If anyone buries me in my uniform I swear I will Haunt them!!!!!

Specializes in jack of all trades, master of none.

Aus Nurse, how on earth did you find my cap from LPN school?? I have been looking all over the place for it. :) Hee hee hee.

Seriously, that is exactly the cap I used to wear as a student, same big fat gray stripe.

Originally posted by RN2B2005

I ordered a cap identical to my grandmother's through Kay's, because my grandmother wants to be buried in her uniform (I kid you not). Being the practical sort, she tried on her old cap and found it to be rather moth-eaten. I took a pic of it and e-mailed it to Kay's; it took them 72 hours to create an exact match. It cost about $75, including a case, studs, and shipping. Now my grandmother can meet her Maker well-dressed.

What a thoughtful granddaughter you are!!! Hope your Grandma is proud of you.....:)

I had to laugh when I saw the pic of that cap. It's worse than mine!

I graduated LPN school 4 years ago and I bought my cap through the school. Although no one else in my class wanted one. I wore my cap voluntarily when I work at School Sisters of Notre Dame taking care of the elderly nuns and I really enjoyed it. At the facility I am currently at I wear street clothes and a cap does not go very well with a pair of jeans. I am one of those people that wish the cap would make a come back. I am with the one who said that the cap was the nurses crown. I worked very hard to become a nurse and I am very proud of my cap. It is now in a glass box on display in my home. I have it professionally dry cleaned every year.

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