How to fix hair for clinicals?

1. Hey everyone. I have a question for you all. I start my nursing clinicals and classes this summer and in my handbook it states hair above the collar and no pony tails. So, if you have long hair how do we fix it? They don't expect us to cut it do they? Just wondering what you guys do.
   
   Thanks,
   Angie
2. 

   About dramaluvr

   Joined: Mar '04; Posts: 99
   Medical Transcriptionist

   31 Comments

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3. 
   Apr 10, '04

   Occupation: Operating Room Nurse Specialty: 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER ; From: US ; Joined: Jun '03; Posts: 17,036; Likes: 1,007

   The bun. Off the collar and no ponytail.
4. 
   Apr 10, '04

   Joined: Mar '04; Posts: 5,926; Likes: 15

   OIY! Is this the norm? Maybe I should just cut my hair then.
5. 
   Apr 10, '04

   Occupation: Nurse, of course Specialty: critical care; community health; psych ; Joined: Sep '03; Posts: 2,355; Likes: 621

   I love my short layered cut. It's so easy to deal with and always looks fresh.
6. 
   Apr 10, '04

   Joined: Mar '04; Posts: 5,926; Likes: 15

   I love my longer hair though and so does my hubby. Is this also the norm for RN's after school, to have to wear your hair in a bun? I know when Trey was in the hospital, the nurses with long hair had the front pulled back but left the back long.
7. 
   Apr 10, '04

   Joined: Mar '02; Posts: 1,318; Likes: 41

   No ponytails?! Egad!
8. 
   Apr 10, '04

   Joined: Dec '03; Posts: 37,336; Likes: 5,525

   Would definitely recommend having it pinned up and not in the pony tail, just from experience. What if you have long hair and it is in a ponytail, you are leaning over to put in a foley catheter for the first time and your tail falls into the sterile area?........or, how about doing a dressing change and swinging your head around to get something and your hair flies into your sterile field?
   I have actually seen both of these scenarios occur. Sure, you do see staff with pony tails hanging, but they already have RN behind their name and have done the procedure a few times already. Many of them also carry banana style clips in their pockets to pin their hair up for any of the above.
   
   It is also knowing when you need to make sure that it is out of the way..
9. 
   Apr 10, '04

   Occupation: Operations Management Joined: Mar '04; Posts: 123; Likes: 5

   Hmm. I would go with a purple spiked mohawk. Oh, make sure and include the nose ring too!
10. 
    Apr 10, '04

    Occupation: Student Nurse Joined: Jan '04; Posts: 46

    We're told to put our hair in a bun or "Paul Revere" style. Lol, I had never heard it put that way, but it's how I wear my hair most of the time. It's like a ponytail, except that you secure your hair much lower. Like around the nape of the neck. Unlike a pony tail, you don't have to worry about it swinging into something, or falling foward. I also put my hair up like a pony tail, but I don't pull my hair all the way through. I make it low, I've found the lower it is, the less you have to worry about it getting away from you.
    BTW, I loved the suggestion about the mohawk!
    -Maggie
11. 
    Apr 10, '04

    Occupation: banking Joined: Jan '04; Posts: 193; Likes: 2

    Well I have long hair. what I do is either french braid. Or I braid it and tuck up the end back through my ponytrail holder it looks like a braided bun.
12. 
    Apr 10, '04

    Occupation: Lactation consultant, L&D RN, some postpartum Specialty: OB, lactation ; Joined: Oct '03; Posts: 1,951; Likes: 96

    I have really long thick hair and I wouldn't *want* it in my way. I will do a bun, braid etc. (need to learn to french braid!). We are told it will have to be off the collar, too. I wonder how strict they are b/c I like a low bun and with all my hair some still hangs down the way I do it. I don't want to do it up high because I would have a terrible headache at the end of the day if I did that. I am hoping a bun sort of thing will be good enough down low, it will not be able to get in my way or fall into any procedures that way. If I do the twist, pull up to my head and clip thing (don't know how else to explain, you know the thing when you have a tail sticking up in the back of your head if you leave to much out the clip?), mine is so long that it still hangs a little in the back on my collar even doubled up and clipped. If I cut mine short, it is much MORE work, then I have to style it to make it look decent (too wavy to just let it dry).. with it long I can just brush it out and let it dry.
13. 
    Apr 10, '04

    Joined: Oct '02; Posts: 549; Likes: 19

    For clinicals, I usually wear my hair in a bun, which looks silly but it's easy to do. If I have time, I french braid it and tuck the end up underneath the braid. Some of the girls in my class wear their hair pulled up with various types of clips, but clips give me a headache after a few hours.
14. 
    Apr 10, '04

    Occupation: RN/critical care and rehab Joined: Jul '01; Posts: 122; Likes: 1

    When you start working after graduation it will simply depend on the facility. I wore the cap as a student nurse with ponytail, and believe me, it took a pack of bobby pins and a can of white rain hairspray to secure! Anyway, through many years of perms, short hairdos, highlights and life as a blond, I am back to shoulder length, mousy brown wavy/straight hair. Never could get used to any type of ponytail or clip!!!

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