How to fix hair for clinicals?

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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? :crying2: Just wondering what you guys do.

Thanks,

Angie

:) :coollook: :rolleyes: 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!!! :balloons:

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Specializes in Registered Nurse.

i cut mine. i was one of the people that one of instructors loved to take notice of, and with a long shag, there wasn't much i could do to put it up neatly since i had straggly ends she would not ignore. i cut it shorter to avoid problems.

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Specializes in Case Management, Acute Care, Missions.

Oh too funny - where are you going to school - it sounds like mine. I graduated May 2000 and we were required (sent home otherwise) to have all hair off the collar - no pony tail, no wisps, no twist with a clip, etc - not one loose hair - unless it was short cut and above the collar - still if it was a bit longer on the sides like a bob or such - it had to be up in a barrette or head band. I spent so much on bobby pins and dippity doo in school - I should have been able to write it off on my taxes! :chuckle

We were also required to wear support hose (full - no knee hi's), uniforms must be bleached, pressed and creased. We only had two tops and two pants to choose from and all were stark white. Shoes had to be all white, no tennis shoes - nursing shoes only, no clogs and they had to be polished before each clinical.

Make up had to be tastful, no nail polish unless clear, nails had to be short and clean. No artificial nails. Earrings could only be stud and nothing cute.... someone got sent home for wearing teeny tiny Micky Mouse heads made out of one diamond with 2 smaller diamonds for ears. No other jewlery except wedding band and watch.

Yes they did inspection!

It is funny cause I HATED it then.... but now I really appreciate it. We LOOKED professional and it counted and all the local hospitals fought over our grads - we had 97% pass rate on the boards too (for many years). Every one could tell we were a Chaffey student from a mile away! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.

I forsee a cut in my future! :chuckle Although nothing has been said about hair, we have only gotten the uniform requirements.

I can't stand having my hair up for long also. Being prone to migraines, nothing will bring it on faster than having a hair band or clip in it. Go figure! It's been thinning a lot anyway, probably stress, so shorter may just be better all around. It's only shoulder-length now, simple cut (actually, I have my 13yo daughter do it! She's gotten pretty good too!), so a few more inches won't be a problem. :)

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Specializes in OB, lactation.
Oh too funny - where are you going to school - it sounds like mine. I graduated May 2000 and we were required (sent home otherwise) to have all hair off the collar - no pony tail, no wisps, no twist with a clip, etc - not one loose hair - unless it was short cut and above the collar - still if it was a bit longer on the sides like a bob or such - it had to be up in a barrette or head band. I spent so much on bobby pins and dippity doo in school - I should have been able to write it off on my taxes! :chuckle

We were also required to wear support hose (full - no knee hi's), uniforms must be bleached, pressed and creased. We only had two tops and two pants to choose from and all were stark white. Shoes had to be all white, no tennis shoes - nursing shoes only, no clogs and they had to be polished before each clinical.

Make up had to be tastful, no nail polish unless clear, nails had to be short and clean. No artificial nails. Earrings could only be stud and nothing cute.... someone got sent home for wearing teeny tiny Micky Mouse heads made out of one diamond with 2 smaller diamonds for ears. No other jewlery except wedding band and watch.

Yes they did inspection!

It is funny cause I HATED it then.... but now I really appreciate it. We LOOKED professional and it counted and all the local hospitals fought over our grads - we had 97% pass rate on the boards too (for many years). Every one could tell we were a Chaffey student from a mile away! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Most of ours is exactly the same, except they don't require hose. Ours also specified white or, I'm assuming, otherwise non-visible regular underwear. I guess they could only enforce it if they can see red polka dots, a thong or whatever.

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Well I shaved mine so there wasn't anything left.

But then agian guys can get away with it, more than girls.:rotfl:

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Specializes in Case Management, Acute Care, Missions.

I think the hose thing had to be the worst, mitchsmom. I NEVER wore nylons unless under gunpoint while in CA - just tooo hot! They would actually check - we had to pull up our pant leg up so they could see if they were knee-hi's or not. I don't think we couldn't have gotten away with thigh highs either (like that would be comfortable?) - the pants weren't the thickest ones on the market!

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Specializes in Registered Nurse.
Oh too funny - where are you going to school - it sounds like mine. I graduated May 2000 and we were required (sent home otherwise) to have all hair off the collar - no pony tail, no wisps, no twist with a clip, etc - not one loose hair - unless it was short cut and above the collar - still if it was a bit longer on the sides like a bob or such - it had to be up in a barrette or head band. I spent so much on bobby pins and dippity doo in school - I should have been able to write it off on my taxes! :chuckle

We were also required to wear support hose (full - no knee hi's), uniforms must be bleached, pressed and creased. We only had two tops and two pants to choose from and all were stark white. Shoes had to be all white, no tennis shoes - nursing shoes only, no clogs and they had to be polished before each clinical.

Make up had to be tastful, no nail polish unless clear, nails had to be short and clean. No artificial nails. Earrings could only be stud and nothing cute.... someone got sent home for wearing teeny tiny Micky Mouse heads made out of one diamond with 2 smaller diamonds for ears. No other jewlery except wedding band and watch.

Yes they did inspection!

It is funny cause I HATED it then.... but now I really appreciate it. We LOOKED professional and it counted and all the local hospitals fought over our grads - we had 97% pass rate on the boards too (for many years). Every one could tell we were a Chaffey student from a mile away! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I'd almost say we had the same instructor! LOL. But yours' was actually even more controling! ARGH! :uhoh3:

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Specializes in Registered Nurse.
I forsee a cut in my future! :chuckle Although nothing has been said about hair, we have only gotten the uniform requirements.

I can't stand having my hair up for long also. Being prone to migraines, nothing will bring it on faster than having a hair band or clip in it. Go figure! It's been thinning a lot anyway, probably stress, so shorter may just be better all around. It's only shoulder-length now, simple cut (actually, I have my 13yo daughter do it! She's gotten pretty good too!), so a few more inches won't be a problem. :)

Yes, sounds good. Make it easy on yourself. And it's cheap for you too! LOL. :chuckle

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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.

CNM2B, I just recently cut my hair to mid-neck but before I did it was halfway down my back. I pulled it up in a long ponytail with a hair-colored elastic band that contained no metal and then drew it halfway through the elastic a third time...looked like a floppy bun. It kept it off my shoulders, kept it from swishing around like a ponytail and was always neat in appearance. Ask your instructor if that would be allowed...I would imagine they'd easily go for the tucked ponytail.

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i work as a cna now, and i always do the half tucked ponytail thing when im working, because my hair just makes me way too hot when im at work, even in a ponytail it hangs on my neck. so i think you can keep long hair and still have it neat.

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Specializes in Med/Surg..
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? :crying2: Just wondering what you guys do. Thanks, Angie

Angie,

We had the same requirements in the military - hair in a bun or cut above the collar, only clear nail polish if any and only natural looking make-up (not the caked on look).

My hair was very long and I found a special kind of bobby pin for buns that made it really easy to put up and it stayed all day. I was recently in the ER with one of my Sons and noticed that many of the Nurses on duty had long hair that was only pulled back in the front. I'm guessing that Nursing Schools might be a bit more strict with their "grooming standards" than when you are an actual Nurse in your workplace.

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