hairstyles on nurses....your opinion

Nurses General Nursing

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what is your opinion on appropriate hairstyles for nurses? i've seen some nurses with hair down to the middle of their backs. maybe they pulled it up when going into pt care, maybe not. wouldnt hair that long get in your way? or get caught on something?

im still a student, so we have to have hair off our collars, and we can't even wear ponytails, b/c htey can swing forward when you lean over. dont think it should be that strict, but i just wonder about the really long hair and how to keep it out of the way when you wear it down to work, unless you pull it up every time you go into a room,which isn't that practical.

whats the general consensus on this?

what is your opinion on appropriate hairstyles for nurses? i've seen some nurses with hair down to the middle of their backs. maybe they pulled it up when going into pt care, maybe not. wouldnt hair that long get in your way? or get caught on something?

im still a student, so we have to have hair off our collars, and we can't even wear ponytails, b/c htey can swing forward when you lean over. dont think it should be that strict, but i just wonder about the really long hair and how to keep it out of the way when you wear it down to work, unless you pull it up every time you go into a room,which isn't that practical.

whats the general consensus on this?

I too am a student, and our student handbook states "long hair must be pulled back and secured so it doesn't fall forward over the shoulder (eg a braid)." I have thick, waist length hair (curly), and find a braid, folded up and secured works well, or a low pony tail, that I only pull the hair through half way on the second time so it really looks like a bun at the nape of my neck. The little clips are GREAT for keeping the stragglers back.

Whatever one does with their hair, the overall appearance needs to be neat and professional. some of my fellow students (mostly those fresh from high school) don't have a great understanding of professional appearance or its importance.

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Those "claw things" went out of fashion years ago but are a holdover. I am more concerned with nurses who have the latest colo/spiky/cut/runway hairdo and you never know what kind of bizarre hairstyle they will come in with. Thee patient is too busy looking at the hair to listen to what the nurse has to say.

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Those "claw things" went out of fashion years ago but are a holdover. I am more concerned with nurses who have the latest colo/spiky/cut/runway hairdo and you never know what kind of bizarre hairstyle they will come in with. Thee patient is too busy looking at the hair to listen to what the nurse has to say.

lol :rotfl: I had a mental picture of the "blank look" while the nurse is discussing treatment plans.

But on second thought...don't you all get that look anyways?

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My hair is all above my collar and it does look a little frazzled byb the end of the day, but it works.

I used to try to wear eye makeup and I don't anymore - by the end of 12 hours in ICU I would invariably have mascara running all over. I rarely leave the house without foundation, powder, blush and lipstick though - as someone said, too scary without! It's all pretty natural though, and it's pretty well worn off by the end of the shift.

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Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

Don't drag it in the food, poop, dressing change or across the patient. Otherwise this should be personal choice. Many nurses I work with tie their hair in a scrunchie when doing care but allow it down at lunch and when charting, ie not doing patient care.

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rudeness was uncalled for. yeah its a trivial question. so what. don't like it, don't answer it, but there is no need to be rude.

If you don't like the replies you get, remember that YOU ASKED for peoples opinions. Do not be rude yourself - it is not up to you to tell people how they may respond to the posts.

As for the question:

If a person's hair does not contaminate a sterile area or otherwise compromise

the health or safety of the patients --- it is no one else's business. There is far too much micro-management in nursing already to worry about the way nurses wear their hair. Nursing is not a fashion show.

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Sometimes, depending on my mood, I have snakes coming out of my hair. But I don't intentionally style it that way. ;)

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The worst part about being a nurse is that you don't get to wear nice clothes to work or wear a nice hairstyle. I love to shop and this job doesn't allow you to show off nice clothes.

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The worst part about being a nurse is that you don't get to wear nice clothes to work or wear a nice hairstyle. I love to shop and this job doesn't allow you to show off nice clothes.

Depends on the area of nursing. Nurse does not have to equal adult med/surg. It doesn't even have to equal hospital employee. I know plenty of nurses who go to work in nice casual clothes. They do not work in patient care, though.

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Specializes in Open Heart/ Trauma/ Sx Stepdown/ Tele.

i have hair that reaches my posterior..i keep it up in a ponytail...if i need to do dressings or pt care i tuck it in my scrub top and it stays.

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I have semi-long hair that I always pull it back. On holidays when we dress down I've tried to wear it down and after 10 minutes, it was all the way up. Some people have long hair and wear it down almost every day and they have never are asked to put it up. I think it should be out of everyones face. It drives me nuts!!!!

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I have long hair and I love it! I don't like to wear my hair up at all. I hate the way it looks on me! I also would not like it if my hair fell in anything related to body fluids, not to mention breaking sterile field. I think I will try the half up half down look when I graduate. But for now while in clinicals we have to wear it up in a ponytail or a bun. Yuk!

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