White uniform

Nursing Students LPN/LVN Students

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For all of you who are wearing a white uniform for clinicals...what is the best color for undergarments? My school says white...but every time I have worn white under white it has shown through. Any suggestions?

We get to wear teal tops and bottoms thankfully :-)

Flesh toned, even a shade darker works well. Just don't wear a pair that say "Hottie" across the back. Yep, had a classmate show up that way one day...

I think I would rather see that than a thong. Oddly enough, I've seen quite a few who choose that option. My eyes have never felt more violated.

I went out and got white thermal pants and white t shirt to wear under mine. Teacher suggested white leggings but I couldn't find any of those. I just don't like the idea of anyone being able to see my undergarments. :shy:

I did the same and never worried about showthrough. Worked for 2 yrs

I'm lucky enough that our uniform scrubs are navy blue...I can wear any color (with or without pattern or words) and nothing shows through those bad boys.

If your scrubs are white...wear a color undergarment that is your flesh tone.

I'm pretty tan and I wear nude colored underpants! Just regular bikini briefs! I could care less if you see my underpants, speaking if you wear normal white tan or black colors it shouldn't be a problem.

Our program requires white or nude full backs. Our nursing handbook specifically states no thongs or other colors.

I HATE the white. The see through factor then the fact everything can stain it. And in nursing you get everything and anything one you. I think they should make nursing camo scrubs with brown yellow red black and green. I wear all white and full coverage. I went and bought boy shorts style with white t shirts. Just if is between pink panties or none, please wear the pink panties

We're stuck wearing white too. They require either nude or white undergarments as well. AND our instructor is a total uniform nazi; checking our sock color, and makes sure we have on our watch, name tag, pen, pen light, and stethoscope.

Specializes in Adult ICU/PICU/NICU.
We were told the reason for whites was to preserve a tradition...and they told us to be thankful it wasn't still white nurse's dresses, white hose, and paper caps. Although believe it or not, there's a girl in the BSN program who DOES WEAR JUST THAT. She mystifies us all.

No nursing cap is a "paper cap". They are made of starched fabric. Perhaps the student who mystifies you has a family member who is or was a nurse who wore her cap proudly. For some of us, it works well. Say what you want, there was no mistaking who the nurses were when we all wore our caps.

I still wear my cap whenever I work....with the same pride as the day I earned it.

Mrs H.

Specializes in retired LTC.
No nursing cap is a "paper cap". They are made of starched fabric. Perhaps the student who mystifies you has a family member who is or was a nurse who wore her cap proudly. For some of us, it works well. Say what you want, there was no mistaking who the nurses were when we all wore our caps.

I still wear my cap whenever I work....with the same pride as the day I earned it.

Mrs H.

Good for you! I've thought about going back to whites again. I'd have to work on going back to my cap though. But I really, really, really did like my cap when I wore it. I think if I worked on the same unit as you, I'd give it a try again.

And just FYI - I have worn a 'paper' Mr Coffee filter as a cap a couple of times. Worked with an old-fashioned European MD who would only seek out nurses wearing their caps. In the '80's, caps were becoming more or less, so if I needed him for orders when he came in, I'd use a Mr Coffee filter PRN. Nowadays, I smile when I make a pot of coffee that uses filters.

Specializes in Adult ICU/PICU/NICU.
Good for you! I've thought about going back to whites again. I'd have to work on going back to my cap though. But I really, really, really did like my cap when I wore it. I think if I worked on the same unit as you, I'd give it a try again.

And just FYI - I have worn a 'paper' Mr Coffee filter as a cap a couple of times. Worked with an old-fashioned European MD who would only seek out nurses wearing their caps. In the '80's, caps were becoming more or less, so if I needed him for orders when he came in, I'd use a Mr Coffee filter PRN. Nowadays, I smile when I make a pot of coffee that uses filters.

I'm going to guess that your cap was called the "Bellevue fluff ", the kind that kind of looked like an upside down coffee filter. Mine has wings on it and looks very similar to the cap that nurse Dixie McCall wore on Emergency, except that mine lacks the black strips as I am an LPN. I couldn't make my cap out of paper the way you could with yours.

If you have trouble finding the cap that is associated with your nursing school, Kay's Caps can recreate it for you (Nurses Caps-Kays Caps Inc-Nursing Graduation Caps-Custom Nurses Caps-Nurses Uniforms)

I've been retired from critical care nursing for over three years now and work as a substitute assistant school nurse a few days a week for a large urban district, and I mainly work at the high school level. The cap does make a difference as I get "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am" from the kids.. I say if you are comfortable wearing your cap, then wear it with pride because YOU earned it. Kids in nursing school these days are taught wrong information. The cap is NOT a symbol of being subservient to male doctors. It is NOT like a maid's cap. It was early infection control in the days of Florence Nightengale and it is a symbol of one's accomplishment and where one went to school. Mine has never been knocked off my head, never gotten in the way and there has never been a peer reviewed study to indicate the nursing caps carry "germs" more than any other article of clothing if they are washed properly.

Best to you,

Mrs H.

We were just talking about this in class. My teacher said that black undergarments are the best choice.

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