Going Back To Wearing Whites and The Cap!

[live4today]

Yeppers......strongly thinking about it!

There's a nurse on my unit who wears her starched white nursing dress, white stockings, white shoes, and her nursing cap every tiime she works.

Everytime I see her, something in me gets "quickened"...so to speak. I start reflecting back to when I first donned my nursing attire as a nursing student all excited about my first day of clinicals. I never tired of dressing for my clinicals throughout college.

Once I graduated and landed my first job, I got to experience that thrill all over again but of course at that time the only ones NOT in whites worked in ER, L&D, and the various ICUs of the hospitals I worked in.

Then, I started seeing less and less white uniforms and nursing caps over time to the point I hardly see any anymore.......until I saw the nurse where I work. I'm impressed by the way she dresses, the way she carries herself, her assertive manner, her take no crap style, and her dedication to all she went to school for and her pride in earning her cap and uniform to this day long after finishing school. I don't know how old she is, but if I were to guess, I'd say she was mid-thirties or 40 maybe. Hope I'm not wrong......she's a great person. Maybe I'll ask her how old she is, and tell her how much I admire her "style" as a nurse.

I have loooooonnnnggggg lost my nursing cap. I cannot remember what I did with it. Probably got lost in all the moves I have made over the years. Now, I want to return to my Alma Mater's bookstore and buy me a nursing cap with full stripe and wear it again. I don't even own a white uniform anymore. Alllllllll scrubs of various colors and prints.

I'm just wondering how many nurses posting have felt the need or desire to don that cap and uniform again....if only just for a shift or two........ya know....like "dressup Friday"?????

I already can hear the millions of voices saying already "NOOOOOOOOOO WAY........those days are history"........so I respect your point of view on that, too. But, how many of you even think about wearing your cap and uniform on occasion?

Thanks for ALL replies!

[nurseybetty]

edited for violation of TOS - no advertising, please

[marcicatherine]

As an RN working in a busy Emergency Room, the thought of wearing white uniforms and caps brings a tear to my eye. A tear from laughter. I spend my days being bled, puked and crapped on. Not to mention the times i have had to crawl under equipment or other co-workers to reach something during a code. We wear hospital issued scrubs. I couldn't possible imagine bringing home the funk that I get into some days. Wearing white and caps is a novel idea, but I think I would need a raise to afford the amount of uniforms I would need.....Just one woman's opinion.:roll

[unknown99, BSN, RN]

who would want to wear those dreadful caps again. they get in the way, are crooked all the tome, etc.... besides, the cap does not make the nurse!! the heart makes the nurse.

[Furball]

Hospital provided scrubs are better for infection control. White is very impractical IMO....it just highlights all the crud you come in contact with during a typical shift.

[GI Issue Nurse]

I have always felt that if a facility wants its nurses, especially in critical care areas, to wear scrubs it should supply them and launder them. Change in and out of street clothes and leave the scrubs in the hospital. It only makes sense to leave the germs where we found them...in the hospital. The laundry service uses much hotter water and ironing machines than can be used at home. I have always felt that I am bringing home things I don't want to expose my family to. Besides, if you get splashed with something unmentionable you can easily change into a clean set of scrubs! Did you know that hospitals are required by Federal law to provide you with clean scrubs and to launder your clothes if you get splashed with a patient' body fluids??!! I would much rather have them launder their own scrubs than mine!

The other side of that is that I get tired of all the changes in scrubs patterns and colors. Every unit wants to be different or the uniform company decides to drop a pattern/color and there you go again spending $$$ on new uniforms. When you are living from paycheck to paycheck it hurts to have to buy new uniforms!

Does any one work some place that provides an uniform allowance?

[kittylover]

I don't miss the whites or caps. I love the freedom that we have to wear whatever color or print that we want. Our hospital went back to whites for a while, and most nurses were very unhappy. The patients often comment on how bright and cheerful our print tops are, they enjoy seeing the variety of colors, esp. on the unit that I work which is oncology. They need a little cheeriness.

Judy

[LPN_mn]

cheerfuldoer, I think the idea of nurses wearing white and caps will eventually come around again. Just like the styles of clothing makes it rounds I think the attire for nurses will also make a round to where we will be required to wear whites and caps. I worked at a convent when I graduated and wore my cap every Friday. The nuns loved it and like someone else said I seemed to stand taller. I was very disappointed that when I was finally able to go to nursing school there was no capping ceremony. Just the pinning ceremony at the end of the program. I also am in agreement that when a nurse wears white that the patients themselves are more attuned to you. Everyone associates nurses with white. People do not associated the cap with being handmaidens either. They associate it with a nurse. I know that many people who have worn the cap before are not looking forward to ever wearing them again but sometimes I think that somewhere along the way we as nurses have lost sight of the fact that people associate us with certain attire and printed, colored scrubs is not it. I know that I will get blasted for this post but I really feel that maybe if we looked more professional than we would be treated more professional.

[gingerzoe]

I think the white uniform would be okay. How about your nursing pin!!!! I love mine. I am proud to be an RN. Anymore, you can't tell who is who in any department.

[WhiteCaps]

Pins? Great idea! I dug mine out, dusted them off and just might try wearing them again!!! But I will NEVER wear a cap again!!!

[Sekar]

Well I said this in another very similar thread and it bears saying again, so here we go

"I must disagree with those of you who think a uniform will make the difference (because I really do understand where you are coming from) but uniting into a uniform dress code is NOT going create the changes you seek. All personal preferences aside, the clothes DO NOT make the nurse. The only way to achieve that which you seem to want is to EARN the respect of those you mention. Respect is earned, not granted on demand nor determined by the clothes we wear. Respect is earned by performing in your chosen field in an superior manner, standing up to those who try to drive you down, and knowing your stuff inside & out. Uniforms are essentially meaningless and will earn you nothing, except some shelter from the elements.

I spent 20 years in the US Army. In the Army, everyone wore the same uniform. It did nothing to earn respect, express any degree of competence, or prevent being run over rough shod. It did let you blend into your environment for concealment and offer some protection from the elements, period. Who you are determines how you will be treated, not the clothes you wear, not where and when it really counts."

[eagleriver]

Is there anything traditional about what a fellow wears on the floor? I actually took the school insiginias off my uniforms and wore them on the floor for a while. I was constantly mistaken for a doctor!

[pocahontas]

I'm only a 20 year old nurse. When I started at my job at a local nursing home I felt that non-licensed people ( mostly the activity directors) didn't take me seriously. During our clinicals we wore maroon. Then for graduation we wore the whole get-up. I really felt like wearing my UNIFORM again but I guess you could say I was scared. Until just like you, an older lady came in every night wearing her starched whites. That whole entire week I wore my UNIFORM and don't cha know everybody there started taking me seriously! I'm not exactly sure why though. I mean was it just the uniform?