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My school never issued nursing caps to us, only pins. Whenever I see old pictures of nurses wearing their caps I have this urge to want to find one for myself, if of course it looked decent.
Think about it...most nurses haven't worn them since the 70's, but it stands strong as a symbol of what we do and who we are.
I would definitely wear one, but I'm the least likely to start a trend. :chair:
I might wear one if it helped keep my hair controlled...I'm not sure I like the ballcap idea, too casual.
And males could wear caps as well--make them like the whitecaps the sailors wear! Very male, very dashing.
OK, just kidding.....
Do sailors still wear those
they did when I was in, back in my Corpsman days
In 1981, my school required it. It cost $5.00. Many nursers still wore them on the floor. You do have to learn how to wear it right or they can flap in the wind like sister Batreal's Nun cap.
I hated it after graduation though. I considered it filthy and needing to be washed way to frequently for stick cardboard. My hands where always up there re-pinning it and this was in the days of no gloves at the bedside.
I came up with a clever solution of MODGE-PODGING it to a hard acrylic finish,so I could just disinfect it by sponging it down, but it made it awkwardly stiff and shinny.
I don't know how or when it fell of my head, but I am glad it did.
Nurses shouldn't have their hands in their hair.
I did envy one nurse who's school cap looked a lot like a soufflé cup with lace.
rn/writer, RN
9 Articles; 4,168 Posts
When caps were the norm, women were stuck wearing them and men, as the "new kids" on the block (and people who would look silly in the starched white hat anyway) didn't have to. Now that there are more men and any change would be evaluated by how it affected everyone, it would cause a huge ruckus to bring back the typical nursing cap for women and, once again, leave the men exempt. Unless we required men to wear the annoying things as well, and then "ruckus" wouldn't be a big enough word to describe what might well take place.
We could use Eric's suggestion and use baseball-type caps for all. Or we could just let the issue die a sweet and peaceful death and realize that very few careers require the constant wearing of a cap. I have better things to do with my brain than to strain it trying to figure out how to keep the thing neat, clean, and perched on my head.