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 bedâ€; the nursing students with the one student with tons of earrings in their ear, it sure was not like that when I went to schoolâ€; 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 patientsâ€; 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!â€
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.
The male docs who walk in wearing tight biking shorts with a padded derriere look ridiculous. Not that I want to get involved with being the fashion police.
Speaking as a guy who's been in healthcare in one title or another since age 17 - that email was not inappropriate in it's content. What surprises me actually is that the instructor chose that route. When I was trained as a CNA, uniform violations meant being sent away at the door. Same being true for my EMT training. Trend continued in LPN training. And I fully expect the same when I reach clinicals for my RN/BSN training.
It's always been very simple. Uniform violations during clinical rotations are a slight against the institution gracious enough to have you and to the school you attend. They also do not yield a sense of confidence in your ability to any observer. Therefore you are removed.
I've noticed a marked increase of people entering the profession from other careers. This is not a profession where one can carry all of their norms from their previous endeavors in. Call it hazing or whatever you wish to. Nonetheless there are expectations that must be met and standards that must be upheld. It's most often people entering nursing from another career that have issues with the smallest of things, like being in appropriate uniform for clinical rotation.
I hated my clinical whites. Somewhere on this forum I've joked about some of the most embarrassing times I've experienced in my life having to wear them. But I did so without question. Not simply to be obedient to my clinical instructors. But out of respect for the profession I'd dedicated myself to. In my observations, people who take issue with simple things like this won't last long out in the field. My tats, my nails, my hairdo, my individuality taking precedence over following clearly stated rules lands practitioners in hot water very quickly. It speaks to other issues that person has that will become glaringly obvious when on their own in the field.
In Arizona, ASU isn't welcome anywhere for clinical last I checked. There are solid reasons for this. I believe they are trying to reestablish relationships with the hospital systems here. And that's a long, uphill battle for them. The reputation of their students precedes them. And that's just one example, there are others in my area.
I also don't see what is wrong with this email. As a nursing student, you are held to a standard set by your college.
My program has strict rules: we wear white scrubs with the school emblem on it, no nail polish, hair up above shoulders, men clean shaven, no tattoos visible, one earring per ear and one ring on each hands (no large diamonds or other stones).
When you work in a hospital, the rules are different, but for colleges they need to hold their students to a higher standard because it reflects back on the program and if they don't care about professional dress and behavior, they may not be able to use that clinical site again.
To the previous posters who claim they've never seen an MD in a wrinkled lab coat: Have you ever worked in a teaching hospital?? We are lucky if the fellows (and sometimes even residents) have showered in the last 24 hours, or shaved their beards in the last month. Parents don't give a hoot, they just want to know someone is available to successfully intubate their 500 gram kid when the excrement hits the fan.
I was in dress code, thats not the issue. Also, I do think students should be sent home if they are out of uniform. I'm not looking to be lectured about the issue she is communicating, but how she communicated it. We weren't on the floor today, just in the class room. The only thing I witnessed were people wearing jackets because it was -12 outside. I believe the email was unprofessional because it rambled- and she made up subjective quotes. I just feel that it was a little much.I mean, personally I would have been more direct and matter of fact.
It sounds like she received a slap on the hand for the choices students made that day. Roll with it, its really the last things you should let discourage you in nursing school.
To the previous posters who claim they've never seen an MD in a wrinkled lab coat: Have you ever worked in a teaching hospital?? We are lucky if the fellows (and sometimes even residents) have showered in the last 24 hours, or shaved their beards in the last month. Parents don't give a hoot, they just want to know someone is available to successfully intubate their 500 gram kid when the excrement hits the fan.
Totally off topic, so sorry in advance! I took my sister-in-law to the ER a while ago, the MD wore rumpled scrubs and sandals. Had about a 3 day beard and some serious bed-head. The care he provided was great, at least I think it was as he was so incredibly sexy I was quite distracted!
My school had the same rules enforced! We would get sent home or would have to cover tattoos and take out all ear piercings/nose. It's very strict but I can see where they are coming from.
Residents have insane shifts where they are practically working 24 hours. Hardly comparable to regular MD's and nurses on floors outside of the ER, who have the chance to go home, shower and wear pressed clothes for their next day at work.
Residents have insane shifts where they are practically working 24 hours. Hardly comparable to regular MD's and nurses on floors outside of the ER, who have the chance to go home, shower and wear pressed clothes for their next day at work.
ER nurses are on a different level (akin to residents apparently) that they don't get to go home and shower?
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
ER nurses work long hours too, sometimes covering when there is short staff or when there is a local disaster. All it takes is one bad car accident.
That isn't limited to just the ER. What about call outs or short staffing on the floor where nurses are mandated to stay for either an extra four or eight hours?
icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN
1,970 Posts
The male docs who walk in wearing tight biking shorts with a padded derriere look ridiculous. Not that I want to get involved with being the fashion police.