I graduate tonight. We didn't wear caps during school but we do have to wear them to graduation. The order was late getting in so we couldn't pick them up until this morning. How do I wear this thing? Does it sit back on my head? Towards the fromt? I have no clue and I'm short on time. Help! Also, how the heck do I keep it on? I have images of it sliding off my head as I'm walking across the stage in my head.
When I was very young I remember staying over night with some distant relative and she was an RN (a really BAD one too!) and I still have vivid memories of her washing her cap and then somehow she would stick it to the fridge. I'm not kidding, I swear I remember that. I never knew what that was all about. Anyone have any thoughts?
The graduation was...long and hot (100 degrees!). Thankfully we were shaded by the bleachers. My cap didn't have anything on the inside to hold on to a bobby pin so my aunt fixed it for me. Lord knows how that thing didn't move from my head.
My family/friends were laughing because I wore bubblegum pink strappy 2.5 inch heels with the white graduation gown. The director of the program has known me since I was a kid so I got a giant hug when I walked across the stage to get pinned. When the class walked off single file I jumped out of line, ran over to my favorite instructor and gave her a hug.
Then a bunch of us went out for pizza and beer. The big BBQ is Sunday.
Congrats!! Now the real fun begins. Good luck on your new adventure. You will be exhausted, frustrated, challenged and rewarded, heartwarmed and heartbroken, but you will never be bored! Not many jobs can ever say that.
I graduate tonight. We didn't wear caps during school but we do have to wear them to graduation. The order was late getting in so we couldn't pick them up until this morning. How do I wear this thing? Does it sit back on my head? Towards the fromt? I have no clue and I'm short on time. Help! Also, how the heck do I keep it on? I have images of it sliding off my head as I'm walking across the stage in my head.
The cap looks almost exactly like this:
if there is that small tab mentioned you can try the method of pinning it to a cotton ball or tissue, that didn't work for me... not co-ordinated enough, also I didn't care about the cap but I refused to put a tissue on my head. I had long, thich hair so it didn't matter too much anyway. With that style cap, the best thing is usually to load it with bobbie pins in the back, under the cuff (front part) and under the part that folds under in the back- sometimes the sides button on top of the middle, other times the middle buttons over the sides- know what I mean? Use white pins, if you can find them- very hard to find or white fashion clips, etc. Wear it in the middle of your head- sort of with the front where a head band would be.
Most of all Congrats!! :balloons: Come work with me, now :) I tell all my cousins and their friends that
Take a small cotton ball and bobby pin it to the crown of your head. Then inside the cap there should be a small piece of material you can attach another bobby pin to(found at the very front of the cap). With great care, pin the cap to the cotton ball. Then secure the sides down with yet more bobby pins.
NOW you know why we were happy to get rid of the things. It will give you great posture though as you try not to move your head too quickly and walk perfectly upright.
BTW, do the men have to wear caps too? My husband is bald, I guess he couldn't go to graduation if he needed a cap. BWHAHAHAHAHAHA
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I WANT ONE! Not to wear but as a symbol to keep in my keepsakes!
Where did you order one??? I got one after my grad (we didn't have them at grad...nor did I go to grad..I got married that day! LOL!) but it doesn't have the blue band that I earned..and now it is turning yellow from sunlight in my keepsake case.
I did wear it a few times as a camp nurse with feathers and fun things on it for silly show as the wacky nurse at their Outdoor school graduation...that was funny. Even the male nurse that was alternating with me wore it...now talk about hard to put on..he was bald! LOL!!! (we used glue! LOL!!!!!).
Please let me know where to order that one! Thanks!!!!!
If the cap on the refrigerator was a 'fold-up' variety, I think you washed it, put a lot of starch on it, then spread it on the frig to dry.
Mine was one that that little buttons in the back; I would put liquid detergent on the crease (where all the dirt was), then handwash it. Then I would use the iron and a LOT of spray starch to dry it. When almost dry, I would fold it into position.
The one that is sun-faded, you could probably do similarly, maybe w/some oxyclean to get the yellow out. Don't keep it in the sun, if possible.
Kays should know exactly what you want if you tell them your school, or if you would want something more generic there's a retailer that sells them through ebay. My school cap was pretty funky, though, not sure what you're looking for.
I guess the refrigerator thing kinda makes sense, the cap days were also the days of energy in-efficient applienced that gave off heat (I'm lost since our hospital just replaced our old huge computer monitors- I used to put my piggy back bags on them for a few minutes to bring them to room temp:chuckle ) If I was in hurry for my cap to dry, though, I usually ran over it with a low iron. But I had one for each shift of the week- 2 school, and 2 generics that way at least one was always dry, folded, and CLEAN!
I never had a cap. Nor a pinning ceremony. I think the caps looked professional, but at the same time I'm glad we don't wear them. Actually, it's nice not to have to wear white except by choice.
My school is very traditional. We were capped with a plain white cap as freshmen; juniors get one stripe added; seniors=two and when seniors graduate your cap has a full stripe around it. The men get caduceus. Never, ever have I considered my cap having a sexist or demeaning meaning to it. I'm so proud to wear it during ceremonies. And, we look damn good at ceremonies as well. Very professional. We do not wear them on clinical rounds.
I'm presently a senior and strive to receive my class pin at graduation and I will wear that very proudly; it will be an honor.
I went to school in the mid-60's--caps were still a big thing. When I was looking into schools, one of my criteria was what the cap looked like--if it was ugly, forget it.
Times have changed--for the better. I can't even imagine wearing a cap under a radiant warmer--Having your head catch fire would not be fun!!!
I'm in favor of updating the caps. Something unisex. White ball caps might work. Or better something in a hard hat or helmet, perhaps with a flip down eyeshield and pull up respirator. While we are at how about something stylish in body armor?
The director of the program has known me since I was a kid so I got a giant hug when I walked across the stage to get pinned. When the class walked off single file I jumped out of line, ran over to my favorite instructor and gave her a hug. 
PicklesRN, RN
75 Posts
When I was very young I remember staying over night with some distant relative and she was an RN (a really BAD one too!) and I still have vivid memories of her washing her cap and then somehow she would stick it to the fridge. I'm not kidding, I swear I remember that. I never knew what that was all about. Anyone have any thoughts?