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,

Sorry I think you are on your own on this one. There is nothing wrong with the content OR the tone of this email, and I'm just a Pre nursing student. It is very well written and professional. I think your professor went above and beyond in trying to explain why it's important and how it reflects on you as a student and the program. I think you are the only one who thinks it's badly or idiotically written.

Heh, yes I know. I still hold my opinion. I do see where you are coming from and appreciate your response.

I think it is a fair email, giving students a chance to shape up before being called out in the clinical setting, we have a STRICT dress code.No joke about it.Pressed uniform, hair up, tats covered, minimal makeup, no dangly earrings or strong perfumes.And very white shoes and stockings.Be grateful you don't have to wear an apron over a long dress as they did in the 1800s!

I think it is a fair email, giving students a chance to shape up before being called out in the clinical setting, we have a STRICT dress code.No joke about it.Pressed uniform, hair up, tats covered, minimal makeup, no dangly earrings or strong perfumes.And very white shoes and stockings.Be grateful you don't have to wear an apron over a long dress as they did in the 1800s!

haha yes you are right. Our dress code sounds very similar. we have an all white uniform also.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

MY GOODNESS How verbose. It could have been succinctly written: "All of you have the dress code and we will enforce it". Attach said policy. That's it... BOOM. That was ridiculous.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

ALSO I really bristle at being included in a such a way when I am doing right. At work, I dislike managers who do this. Blanket discipline and chastisement are a waste of time and a real morale-killer.

As a manager or nursing school professor/instructor, this would be my policy: If there are a few violators, address them personally. Otherwise, no need to chastise when "speaking to the choir". I still say that email was just ridiculous.

I see nothing wrong with this email. In fact, I think this should be sent to all staff working in healthcare period. I too, am sick and tired of the unprofessional dress code I see in staff nowadays. I've worked at facilities where the docs wore flip flops to round, multiple facial piercings and tatoos. Long, loud acrylic nails. And, the list goes on....

Specializes in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.

:roflmao: Welcome to nursing school, my dear! Now is not the time to be an individual- no artificially colored hair, no outlandish nail polish, no visible tattoos, stud earrings, neat clothing, polished shoes. You bet your bottom britches we had uniform inspection the first few days of our clinical rotations. No way was our clinical instructor going to tolerate THAT. I had old school, Southern, mostly military nursing instructors and we all figured out how to survive. I practiced a lot of restraint and biting my tongue for those years.

Think of it as the military (one of my instructors used this analogy). Your job is to blend in, follow orders, and PASS. You can find a job later where you get to wear funky scrubs or shoes, paint your nails blue, and be 'yo amazing, sassy self'.

I did not think the email was unprofessional; I've seen many like it.

Specializes in ICU/ Surgery/ Nursing Education.

Not trying to poke at you, just wanting to pass information along. You need to learn now how to let things go, don't let the small stuff get to you. I agree that the instructor was trying to be funny or whatever, but in the end if it didn't pertain to you then dump it and move on. If I would have gotten this, I would have read it , determined that it wasn't about me, and sent it straight to the trash.

haha yes you are right. Our dress code sounds very similar. we have an all white uniform also.

I would be more upset with the all white scrubs! They look sleek and professional until the dude in room 308 pukes blood on you. By the way if that happens, move out of the way.

ALSO I really bristle at being included in a such a way when I am doing right. At work, I dislike managers who do this. Blanket discipline and chastisement are a waste of time and a real morale-killer.

Agreed...

"All of you have the dress code and we will enforce it". Attach said policy. That's it... BOOM. That was ridiculous.

This is how it probably should have been written, but this is really a minor deal. I think that it shouldn't have been allowed in the first place. Being in the classroom doesn't matter. Being in uniform is being in uniform.

Nursing school is stressful no matter your background. Get through it and move on.

Specializes in ICU.

Welcome to the world of nursing. If you have a problem with this email, you will probably not like working as a nurse.

Nothing at all wrong with this email. I work with so many sloppy nurses whose uniforms are wrinkled, long nails and a just overall unprofessional appearance.

Nothing wrong with that email at all. My school also had strict dress code and if you showed up out of uniform/not in line with uniform policy you got sent home, had to pay a $200 fee, and had to make up that clinical day.

Not that hard to just wear the proper attire

I've had instructors send and say way worse. Hahahahaha! In nursing school - just do what they say and follow directions exactly (unless a patient is in danger or yourself.) :)

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