Anyone HAVE to wear a cap?

HRHNurse Carol · Dec 17, 2002

Well, I've heard of hospitals that still require caps, but I think it's absurb. jt- you have stated the only argument I have ever heard for wearing a cap that makes any sense at all. I wore my cap as an LPN for about 10 yrs, after I graduated in 1979. I remember once in ICU, this was about 1982, we all "forgot" our caps for a day to protest. The DON felt that the best way to deal with the problem was to ignore us for a day, although a memo on dress code was put out. I will never forget the next day when we all wore our caps again, the Drs. commenting on "having their nurses back". I had to wear a cap twice for clinical when I went back for RN, and when I graduated for the pinning. I paid too much for something that got worn three times. My mom wore a cap for most of her career, wore one at least 40 yrs. Although she concedes that the argument against caps has a lot of merit, she still scolded me in the parking lot after the capping ceremony when I threw it to the pavement and stomped on it. Said the cap was my dignity. I told her that a cap is in no way shape or form my dignity. She thought about it for a second and decided her statement didn't make a whole lot of sense either. My grandmother wore a cap her entire career, I don't know what her opinion was, but my guess is she'd of said there are more important things to have to worry about. The kicker is, my grandfather, before he went to med school, was a nurse. This was at the turn of the century when men just didn't become nurses (I'm proud of him). He never had to wear a cap. Neither has my brother, who has been an RN since 1970. You bet the cap is sexist. We just had a new hospital open up and on the first day a few of the nurses wore their caps. Well, it suprised people, cause I usually am a live and let live person, but I told them I was offended. I just don't think the cap is the message about nursing that we want to send out. I just simply have no respect for it plain and simple and would have difficulty taking any nurse that wore one now seriously. Getting rid of the cap was a difficult and important battle in gaining respect as professionals. And, if anyone wants to know if I am a nurse, I have a piece of paper that states it clearly. Thats all I need. I'm afraid that if I went into a place where the nurses wore caps, I would find myself wondering if pt. care standards were up to date. I just feel strongly about this. By the way, have you ever noticed how many older nurses have bald spots where they used to pin their caps? I have. That's appalling.

Barb(Old Biddy), ADN · Dec 17, 2002

I still wear white but without the cap. I love the full uniform but I find I get too much attention when I wear my cap and I stick out like a sore thumb. I've never had a problem keeping my cap on nor keeping it clean and white. I think it is nice to see a group of people and be able to pick out the RNs without having to get out the bifocals. The casualness of todays nurses is an example of the general attitude of lack of respect for ones appearance, lack of respect for authority, lack of manners and the "dummying" of everything. I also like the policeman's, the serviceman's uniform and any other uniform. Some of these people wouldn"t look as good as they do if they weren't MADE to keep their uniform to look a certain way. The old saying "dress for success" is not so out of date as some of you would like to think. You can't convince me that scrubs, gaudy prints and dirty, tri-color athletic shoes with with a big "N" on the side, long hair and nails makes you look like you've got it all together. Sorry, sweetie. You'll find out that every generation thinks it is better and brighter, but in the end they never are.

adrienurse, LPN · Dec 17, 2002

Well said Carol.

fab4fan · Dec 17, 2002

Wow...you stomped your cap...LOL!!!

I have to say I still have mixed feelings about caps; I felt so proud on capping day, real sense of accomplishment, and our student caps were pretty cool. Our graduate caps, however, were a total nightmare...huge things that resemble a nun's habit (what can you expect from a Catholic SON).

I would have the same feeling, though, if I walked into a facility and saw all the nurses in caps...whoa, "dee dee dee dee, dee dee dee dee..." It doesn't make sense where I work (ED), and when I worked Peds, I think it would have been outright inappropriate...scares the kids.

Personally, I like the different scrubs...very interesting and cheery. And my feet need the support that only a pair of athletic shoes can provide.

fab4fan · Dec 17, 2002

HRHCarol: My great-grandfather was an RN, too!!

zudy · Dec 17, 2002

Haven't worn my cap in years, but it wouldn't bother me to wear it again. The plus to it was the recogition, I think it made it easier for the pts to identify us. I loved my nursing school pin, but I don't wear it, either, I'm so hard on jewerly ,I'm afraid I would lose it.

Agnus · Dec 17, 2002

Carol,

I was a little sad when I read you stomped on your cap. At the same time I understand where you are comming from and cannot argue with any of it. It is true.

I'm just an old romantic (yes I know sexism is not romantic)

I come from an error when little as little girls the most glamorous and noble thing you could do when you grew up was become a nurse. Why they wrote series of romance novels about nurses.

I loved standing in front of a mirror with a paper nurse cap and dreaming of the day.

Then when I wore an actual cap I still loved the immage in the mirror. I had arrived.

So foregive these old gal sentiments. It is very true things for women were not always good.

Barb,

I have to agree about the unprofessional dress of today. I am always hearing the comment, "you have new shoes."

No my shoes are not new. Then they ask how I keep them so clean.

Hmm. key word "clean". You think they would figure that out.

I heard a nurse complain that her unit manager required white shoes. This nurse said she thought that dirty white shoes looked tacky so the manager should allow other colors like black or brown.

Hmm again key word "dirty".

Am I the only one who understands that dirt know no color. Am I the only one that understands dirty black or brown shoes are tacky too.

I wanted to say try cleaning your shoes and put a little polish on them. But it was not my conversation. Folks don't seem to know what either of those things are today. Fortunately my school still today gets on students with dirty shoes, laces, and sole edges. Funny the poor students do not know what to do about it!

Shoe laces are washable. You can do it in a tea cup or in a mesh bag in the washing machine.

I scuff my shoes every day with black marks, spill tube feeding on them, etc. Yet every day I come to work with them spotless and looking new.

I do not spend a lot of time on them. Less than the time you spend flossing your teeth, because I do it every day. Usually I Only need 1 to 2 minutes. And if you use a polish dirt, scuffs, etc come off easier. And it protect the leather.

There are great products out there today for shoe care. And they work.

Scrubs need to be ironed. Yes that is a dirty word and I don't like doing it either. Yes they are supposed to be permanent press. And if you take them out of the dryer etc.

Now take them out of the dryer and hang them right away. Then press just one set and comprare it to the others that you did not press. NOW you see the difference.

Well the difference is noticible to others when you are wearing it without having to do the comparesion test that you just did.

Toons etc are acceptable in peids only.

Even in peids, kids know that grown ups don't dress like that. Try a grown up print. Kids will still respond to you well and probably have more trust in your adult abilities too. Kids do admire adult prints and will tell you they like what you are wearing.

I started wearing whites (tunic with pants, no scrubs) about July. Amaizing the comments from the staff, doctors and patients. All very positive. I still get them. AND I have found a new level of respect from everyone. Yet I am the same person..

We battle hard in this country for "individuality" and rebell against the "dress for sucess" concept. "they should value me for my brains, skills etc not how I look. THE REALITY is we are VISUAL creatures. MEN are even more visual.

How you look, the care you spend on you appearance, the dignity with which you present your visual self does make a statement about how much care you put into things you do, your attention to detail. Who wants a sloppy nurse.

The message is if she is sloppy about her dress how sloppy will she be in my care?

If she doesn't take herself seriously enough to dress like an adult how seriously does she take her job or patient care.

I am not all miss business solom and serious on the job I have fun but I do try to present a professional immage.

I found that whites have led to me being taken seriously and that even though my colored scrubs were 'adult' they did not have the same effect.

I choose tunics that have shape are not sacks. I buy cheap Bobby Brooks pants from walmart for $9. They are twill and there fore heavier and less transparent than uniform pants. So I may pay a little for pretty femine professional tops I make up for it in pants. The most I've had to pay for a top was $23. I get things that are a little luxurious looking, like demask (lots and lots of compliments, this was a special order and was the one I paid $23) a touch of white embrodiery, things with some style, and shape.

Sorry, I've been having to get this off my chest for a long time.

I wash all my uniforms together and never have a problem choosing what to wear. All my pants are the same so they go with every top. I actually am able to keep them cleaner looking and have no stains because white will handle any type of stain treatment and can be bleached to death. When I wore colors I had stains that I could not get out. Sometimes it was because I did not notice them until after they came out of the dryer and the stain was set. Some times the stain remover was not enough and I needed bleach. So now you know the sceret of the nurse you hate because she can wear white and stay clean.

WalMart_ADN · Dec 17, 2002

noone will ever take my tinkerbell scrubs away from me! Agnus i see your point, however, i work peds and i can't tell you how many times my scrub top has been used as a distraction during a procedure....."honey look who's on her shirt? Do you remember......" as far as the cap, I wore it to my capping and my graduation, and now it is proudly displayed on my bookshelf.

Agnus · Dec 17, 2002

As I stated. Peids is the only place these are appropriate.

I remember when we went to colors. It was BECAUSE of peids. It is very appropriate there. Wear your tinker bells in peids by all means. The students are allowed to wear them in peids too. Those little angles need all the comfort cheer they can get.

p.s. you'd be hard pressed to get me to wear a cap today for work.

SherRN · Dec 17, 2002

YEEEE HAAAAAAA

You go BARB ! No problem here in keeping cap clean and white. Like I said in previous post " Wear what you want just nurse your brains out!." Just because I wear whites and a cap I would not Wonder if others were operating under archaic practices. Merry Christmas everyone !!!

HazelLPN, LPN · Mar 13, 2003

I guess I'm the "old biddy" that some of you are talking about. I have been a nurse for nearly 45 years. In my day, the cap was something that you worked hard for and were proud of. I'm still proud of it and wear my cap whenever I work. About twenty years ago, I tried to be "hip" and wore some scrubs to work. I never felt right. I never felt like a nurse, and honestly, patients and families DID treat me differently when I did and did not wear my cap. I dont think we need to have everone wear caps, since they have lost their meaning with many people. My point was to the young generation that we should wear what makes US feel good. For me its a cap and starched whites. For some of my co workers its scrubs. For some its bath robe and bad hair....but I digress

whatever works for you..

As for being a traditionalist, I think the cap goes beyond tradition. Not all tradition is good. I remember all too well having to get out of my chair for the doctor, making his coffee, addressing him as doctor. Well, things have changed!!! Now they get out of their chair for me, bring me coffee and they call me "Mrs H" and I call them by their first name. Don't argue with the grandma in the cap if ya know what good for ya!

mattsmom81 · Mar 13, 2003

Hmm. What about the idea that the cap is part of a uniform that says we're professionals? When I wore whites and cap nobody confused me with ancillary staff, anyways...LOL!

I read quite a few nurse-authored editorials asserting we lost a lot of respect when we came to work in pajamas (scrubs).

Not sure how I feel about this...maybe we should do a poll on it, eh?

I smile when I think back to my cap...we soaked them in thick starch and dried them flat on the bathtub, then folded them ourselves. We held them on with a little haircomb sewed on top and bobby pins in the back. In 1982 they were dubbed 'fomites' and became extinct in my area.