If nursing caps looked decent, would you wear one?

RyanRN · Jul 21, 2002

Absolutely, positively, unequivacally, with a doubt NO!

adrienurse, LPN · Jul 21, 2002

Never had a cap, not even at graduation. I wouldn't be going around wearing my mortarboard either. I refuse to do things just because they are traditional.

The history of that cap was the fact that the nurse was there to serve without question (idea was related to the millitary as well as the practice of making "the help" wear caps in order do signify their rank and position). This has little or nothing to do with what nursing is today.

live4today, RN · Jul 21, 2002

I would proudly wear a nursing cap with the right salary and benefit package attached to the job. :chair: :rotfl: :nurse:

JailRN · Jul 21, 2002

wore one when I graduated in 1973, you could tell what school a nurse webt to by her cap. We didn't have male nurses then, Now my husband is in nursing school. They were cleaned every so often, never often enough, you had to take them to the chinese laundry, when you did it yourself, it caused your cap to look worse than if you hadn't touched it. I'm glad they're gone-but I do still wear my cape'thry're cool

RainbowSkye · Jul 21, 2002

I always wanted a cap. I mean, Cherry Ames had one. I got my first cap when I was 15 and a volunteer at the local nursing home. (A blue and white striped cotton cap with a big ole red cross patch on the front.) I was so excited at our capping during our freshman year of nursing school (this was 1971), we all were. It was pretty easy to keep the cap on - first you had to fold a piece of toilet paper to just the right size and pin that to your hair with white bobby pins - then you pinned the cap onto that.

Well, I probably haven't worn a cap since maybe 1976. But I do kind of miss it. Everyone knew you were a "real" nurse, and there was a great amount of respect that went along with that.

I wonder what we could do to get that back (without pinning a cap on our heads again)? Something to think about.

Skye

Oh, I wish I had gotten a cape, my school stopped giving the out with the class right before mine. I've actually looked on e-bay to get one. Go figure.

**SKM-NURSIEPOOH, BSN, RN** · Jul 21, 2002

while i was in lpn school, we had to wear the caps during the ltc rotation because those cliental immediately related the "nurses" (we were nursing students) from the aides. they were more attentive & wanted to cooperate more whenever we needed to perform basic nursing care with them. we wore our caps during our graduation/candle lighting/pinning ceremony...i was sooo proud to put my cap on!!!! now i wear my cap & all whites on nurses' day at work (a number of my co-workers have started this tradition on my job). i find whenever i wear whites, i tend to walk, sit, & generally carry myself more professionally than whenever i wear the printed scrubs. i have to wear whites whenever i'm assigned to perform my army a.t. duty in a hospital setting.

when i was a child, i remember watching my grandmother get ready for work....she used to wear her white uniform with the matching cap & blue cape. i fell in love with that uniform & always thought how professional & important her she looked!!!

i realize that those days are gone forever but somehow, i do wish that there could be some way that we could come to work, look professional, & be respected for our profession without having to have to be put in some sort of box. physicians/nurse practitioner/social workers can make rounds with their professional attire & lab coats...why can't we also go to work with attire other than scrubs that look like pajamas??? just a thought.

to get back to the topic of the thread, i would & do wear my cap but it's only once a year....doing nurses' day (within nurses' week).

my current bsn program doesn't do the "capping" thing anymore...i believe that they feel that wearing caps are "outdated"....they do, however, still have the pinning ceremonies. i kind of wish that they still have the capping ceremonies as a symbolic gesture of finally achieving our goals.

pappyRN · Jul 21, 2002

My nursing arts instructor said that caps stood for subservience and that wearing them helped us to remember "our place". Hahaha Hehehe!

I went to a Catholic diploma school in the days when we had to kneel on the floor and the hem of our uniforms had to touch the floor. Oh, and another thing, if a doc walked into the nursies station and you had the chart he wanted you had better give it up and give it up fast. And then- you'd better offer him a cup of coffee! Those were the days.

Now, when a doc walks into the nurses station most people ignore them unless they need them for something. I crack up laughing when I think of the old days.

But yes, even with that symbolism I would wear my cap. I worked my a$$ to get it. I think it was a lot more fun in the old days. Besides, my cap is very traditional, almost like Cherry Ames- big brim with black velvet stripe and two little gold crosses one on each end holding the stripe on.

Personally, I really think that we need to be able to be identified as a nurse. Patients and their families should be able to know whom to ask their questions of and are entitled to correct, knowledgeable and professional answers. If I am to be responsible for those who help me deliver care to a patient I sure do want to know what's being said to them.

I guess I really am old fashioned and took those nuns way too seriously!!!

Warm personal regards,

PappyRN

mark_LD_RN · Jul 21, 2002

us males sure threw a wrench in the works of the old capping and pinning ceremony. we had just a pinning ceremony , as the 6 males in our class refused to were caps,:). but we did agree to carry the lamp of knowledge.

**SKM-NURSIEPOOH, BSN, RN** · Jul 21, 2002

...down through the years...i hope you'll get a kick out of some of them!!!

civilization.ca - one hundred years of nurses' caps - resources ...

http://www.civilization.ca/hist/infirm/inint02e.html

dyk2 - ... supplier. columbia college of nursing the history of the college from the ... of profession

http://dyk1.homestead.com/caps.html

welcome to army nurse corps history

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/anchhome.html

army nursing pictures in history

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/pictorial_hist.html

highlights in the history of the army nurse corps

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/highlights.html

images of army nurses in the war with spain

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/documents/spanam/ws-anc.htm

army nurses: world war ii and korean war images

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/a&i/ww2-kw/anc-glry.htm

the army nurse corps:

a commemoration of world war ii service

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/wwii/72-14/72-14.htm

history of the army nurse corps

(slide presentation with narration)

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/slpr/slpr.htm

the revolution and civil war

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/slpr/slpr1.htm

the spanish-american war

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/slpr/slpr2.htm

world war i

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/slpr/slpr3.htm

the years between world wars

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/slpr/slpr4.htm

world war ii

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/slpr/slpr5.htm

the years between world war ii and the korean conflict

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/slpr/slpr6.htm

the korean conflict

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/slpr/slpr7.htm

the years between the korean conflict and vietnam

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/slpr/slpr8.htm

the vietnam war

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/slpr/slpr9.htm

let's move now to the 70's and 80's

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/slpr/slpr10.htm

this brings us to the 90's

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/slpr/slpr11.htm

conclusion

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/anc/slpr/slpr12.htm

the history and organization of the red cross nursing service

http://www.redcross.org/services/nursing/history/

a journey through time

http://www.med.virginia.edu/hs-library/historical/scrap/cover.html

i guess i love:blushkiss my army :nurse: nurse corps....heeeheee....:lol2:lol!!!

Love-A-Nurse · Jul 25, 2002

, moe and thanks for sharing the links!

jschut, BSN, RN · Aug 5, 2002

Yea~ I would wear a nursing cap if given the oppertunity...I think the all-white uniform and white cap looked wonderful and very respectful!

Does anyone know where I can find a cape? Been looking and can't find one anywhere! Let me know....

I'd wear one of those, too!!! :)

Julie :)

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Aug 7, 2002

Nurses Cape:

... Three of the buttons are decorative the other three actually close the cape.

This cape is reminiscent of the nurses' capes worn during WWII. ...

http://www.rubylane.com/enter/vintage/other/84.8p28.html

Loved my cap----last worn in late 80's. Just old time nurse but working in critical care with wires, haning IV poles above bed, all the monitors wouldn't cut it.