I received this email from a professor. I was a little shocked. Opinon?

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Greetings. I just received this email from a professor. I was blown away by the content. I found it unprofessional. I wanted to see what other nursings students had to say. Have you received similar emails before?

Hi NUR 150 Students!

First of all, I would like to thank the majority of students who took to heart the need to dress professionally at clinical this week. The faculty of NUR 150 appreciates your dedication to learning and professional behavior.

This email is aimed at the small number of students who were not in uniform at clinical this week. I wanted all students to read this email, because the unprofessional dress and lack of professional behavior reflects badly on all NUR 150 students. I do not want your clinical group referred to as: the nursing students with the one student whose uniform was so wrinkled it looked like they just rolled out of bed”; the nursing students with the one student with tons of earrings in their ear, it sure was not like that when I went to school”; did you see the fake nails, do they not teach infection control at that college, I am not sure about that clinical group doing anything on my patients”; or lastly WOW, what is with the tattoos that student had, I sure do not want them to be a RN on our floor, my patients would be shocked!”

Your first impression is often what you will be judged by for the whole clinical rotation and nursing school career. Being in a clinical group with students who do not follow the dress code and professional policy, does reflect back on you. Every day you wear your uniform you are on a job interview. You represent every nursing student at the college. Your dismissal of the uniform policy and/or professional behavior standards is a direct reflection on every student, faculty member, and alumni of the college.

I know that the uniform policy has been taught and enforced previously. I know students are sometimes counseled in their weekly feedback about how to properly follow the professional standards. I am also very disappointed about the dismissal of the policy, since this was discussed in the NUR 150 course and clinical orientation on Monday. I stated the faculty knows that you are able to effectively follow the professional standards and uniform dress code, since you have completed NUR 121. I clearly stated that student who are not in uniform will be sent home for being unprepared. I fully believed that this would be a non-issue, since you are all adult learners.

Next clinical day at the beginning of your clinical day, you will line up and your professor will inspect your appearance to ensure that you are fully following the dress code. Students who are not in their proper uniform in accordance with the policy will be sent home. This will count as a clinical absence. No exceptions or excuses will be entertained by the faculty. Dress code policy from the ADN program handbook has been added to the end of this email for your convenience.

Again, I would like to apologize the large number of students who were following the uniform policy this week. The college faculty thanks you and is proud of you.

Thank you,

Obviously someone made a comment or complained about the appearance of some of the students. Every example in the email's "quotes" were very valid points about appearance, safety and infection control. You couldn't apply to a job with any of those infractions. Better to learn now.

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

I agree with your nursing instructor 100%.

Specializes in TELE, CVU, ICU.

As a person with other degrees possibly coming in from another profession, I can see how the nursing school BS is kind of difficult to fathom. That is how the medical world is, unfortunately, with hazing and bullying and meaningless protocol. Physicians get it even worse in med school. Just do what they say and see it as a learning experience. There are still nurses that act like this because of a whole ton of socio-demo-political stuff that went on a hundred years ago. Look up "oppressed group syndrome" for the reasons why.

I was in dress code. I did think the email was a little much. I understand that dress code is important, but the tone and going on about hypothetical quotes from imaginary people was unprofessional and overboard. I've been in school for awhile, with other degrees- but I've never received an email from a professor that sounded so demeaning.
Specializes in TELE, CVU, ICU.
Nothing wrong with it at all. Your professor was describing in the email the reasons for the dress code policy. It was well written and the fact you guys are getting another warning is something you should all be thankful for. What you don't understand is, if this is the was people are showing up your school is endanger of losing it's ability to come to that facility for clinicals. Then you guys will be screwed. So, suck it up, dress correctly, and stop worrying about something so small if it you weren't apart of it. Believe me, nursing schools can very easily earn bad reputations and then you will have a hard time finding a job. Look at the big picture here. After all, isn't that what nursing is about?

No. This nonsense is not what nursing is about. This is about the furthest thing from what nursing is about.

I don't see anything wrong with this letter at all and I tend to agree with him/her. I haven't yet read other comments but I am guessing that you were one of those that was dressed unprofessional and that is why it bothers you. Am I correct? Not to be mean at all but you ARE adult learners and you are getting ready to enter the REAL world. I believe this professor is doing you a hug disservice if he/she doesn't address this problem. At my hospital, we are not allowed to be on campus without either 1. wearing a uniform or 2. being in professional business dress. There is never a time when jeans or unprofessional dress is allowed. Not for any reason. It doesn't matter if you are just dropping by for a minute. As for the jewelry and nails, well that is true too. While it may not have been as professional as you would have liked, what your proffesor is saying correct. Best of luck to you!

Specializes in TELE, CVU, ICU.
Agree.

With the challenges with prime clinical spots, if a impromptu email is warranted, so be it; the school had a duty to make sure that they protect the image of nursing and also produce a quality graduate nurse.

A previous poster stated that nursing is like the military; there is an image to uphold; the best nursing programs adhere to producing a quality image, as well as stressing the importance of being a professional nurse; not everyone gets that.

You may have thought the message was excessive, but I assure you, it may have done the trick to the ones that needed it.

Protect the image of nursing? What image is that? A graduate nurse can be "quality" regardless of tattoos or jewelry. This nursing instructor is living in the nineteenth century. If nursing is like the military we need to rethink our profession. It is not an image we need to uphold- images are meaningless. Nursing is not marketing. We are not a concierge profession. We are not butlers. Where is this nonsense coming from?

Specializes in TELE, CVU, ICU.
I don't mind if people disagree with me ( and yes I know everyone has lol) I didn't post the letter to get reassurance- I just wanted to see how other people felt out of curiosity. I agree with what people are saying- and I agree that I may be looking into the email more then I should. I'm not emotionally distraught about the email- I agree dress code is important and should be followed- but I still think it's badly written. I've never received an email like this from a professor before and I believe there is a reason for that. I follow dress code, but I still care about what kind of emails my professors send out.With this post, I am finding out that within the nursing discipline it's not uncommon to get emails like this? I come from a dietetic background which seems to be a different culture.

Nursing culture comes with baggage. This derives from sexism, class-ism, racism and any other "ism" that you can think of. So,nurses are so preoccupied with looking good they ignore any substance - it's oppressed group syndrome defined. Look it up, it will be enlightening.

This preoccupation with superficial characteristics bleeds into work sometimes, as does the sophomoric concern with appropriate clothing, down to underwear.

None of this helps a patient who has been stabbed 17 times, or a GSW, or a MVA. None of this matters when you are trying to stop bleeding. None of this matters when your patient has end stage ca with mets, just went anuric, and has a BP of 70/30. Oh yeah- this patient is a full code, despite her advance directive to the contrary.

None of this matters in nursing. What you wore that day will not matter at the end of it. This nonsense takes away from what we do and what we are. Can you think? Do you care? Then I do not care what you are wearing, how many tattoos or piercings you have, or whether you ironed your scrubs that day. Can you save a life? Can you help someone die? Then wear whatever you want.

I have seen worse, trust me. This one time I bumped into my previous instructor from few semesters ago and I said Hi. Ms. xxx. She looked at me and said...oh please don't call my first name, I am Ms.XXX, call my first name when you get your license. I was like...err I called your last name with a Ms. you just didn't hear it. LOL. You will be amazed with how unique and different each instructor is while in nursing school. Just let it go.....and get on with it.

I once walked into a new medical position at a physicians office and said "Good morning ladies!" to two Physicians standing by the front door. I then got my a$$ completely chewed out because they were NOT "ladies," they were doctors and should be addressed as such. Lesson learned...harshly. This by the way, was also the same physicians that ccould never get my first name right and therefore gave me a "new much easier name" against my wishes. :banghead:

Well I have also been in that electric bed as a patient and if someone looks like they can't even bother to take basic care of themselves, why should I believe for a second that they will take good care of me?

It's too bad, the instructor had to send this. It's very clear at my school what the clinical dress/appearance expectations are, it always baffles me how we always have some one who can't seem to follow those guidelines. If students want to be treated as adults, they need to keep up adult like behavior.

The hypothetical quotes are accurate. Nurses judge nursing students, whether they want to or not. We were all once in your place and we all had to follow those same dress codes. We still do, sometimes they're even stricter than the ones in school. One of the local hospital networks in my area dictates what color socks you have to wear. ALL hospitals dictate what color, how long your hair is (if it touches your collar, put it up), no long nails, no artificial nails, no visible tattoos, no more than one set of piercings in the ear and none on the face, on and on...

There was nothing wrong with your professor's e-mail. It was better than if she called people out for their lack of dress code compliance in either pre-or-post clinicals or during a classroom lecture. This way, those who are non-compliant can identify themselves and rectify the situation before the next clinical without embarrassment.

Specializes in CCU, CVICU, Cath Lab, MICU, Endoscopy..

The professor was very nice! I know a few professors that would have sent the students home with zero credit and an email to the dean!! :no:

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