Muslim nursing students

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PMFB-RN, RN

5,351 Posts

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

(Slightly off-topic touchy subject, don't let me get up on my soap box. It says "Freedom of Religion", meaning we all have the right to practice whatever religion we want. It does not say "Freedom from Religion", so atheists shouldn't be able to tell us we can't practice our religions just because they choose to be offended that we don't believe--as they do--that God, Allah, Yahweh, Jehovah [insert the God of your Faith] doesn't exist.)

*** I am an atheist. I have lots of atheist friends. None of us are the least offended by anyone's religion related garment choices.

My observation is that the offended are people of other religions.

Orizza

101 Posts

Any institution which receives Federal money (99% of health care facilities receive Federal Medicare money) can NOT ask you to violate the precepts of your religious beliefs unless for potentially life-threatening reasons. You have to be allowed to wear your hijab, the same way female nurses who belong to any of the Anabaptist Christian denominations are allowed to wear their Prayer Kapps, or male Jewish nurses are allowed to wear their Yarmulkes. In addition to being a nursing student, I am also a Chaplain Assistant in the US Army, so I am an advocate for religious tolerance and accommodation. In the Army, LDS Soldiers have to be allowed to wear their Holy undergarments under their Physical Fitness uniforms, even though they may show beneath the Army shorts. Jewish Soldiers are allowed to wear their Yarmulkes. I know of 3 Sikh Soldiers who are in the Army, and they are allowed to wear their turbans and have long hair (totally contrary to uniform regulations, but it has gone to court, and they won). I believe (but can't say for sure), that I have seen pictures of female Muslim Soldiers wearing camouflage hijabs. (The pictures I'm thinking of could have been pictures of Soldiers in a Middle Eastern military being trained by US forces, or they might be US Soldiers, I don't remember for sure.) As a general rule, male Soldiers are not allowed to have beards, as they interfere with getting a good seal around the gas mask, but exceptions for religious reasons are routinely given to male Muslim and Sikh Soldiers, as long as the Soldier's military job is not considered to be in a direct combat role. Where I'm going with this is that, by law, you have to be allowed to wear your hijab, unless it might be a safety issue. Since there are multiple ways to tie it, find a way where it can't be pulled. I think someone here said there is another type of head covering that she wears in the clinical setting that is acceptable. (I think it is something like a tubular balaklava.) Check with your religious leaders as to what that might be. Your right to wear your hijab (or other head covering) is guaranteed under the First Amendment's clause on Freedom of Religion. (Slightly off-topic touchy subject, don't let me get up on my soap box. It says "Freedom of Religion", meaning we all have the right to practice whatever religion we want. It does not say "Freedom from Religion", so atheists shouldn't be able to tell us we can't practice our religions just because they choose to be offended that we don't believe--as they do--that God, Allah, Yahweh, Jehovah [insert the God of your Faith'] doesn't exist.) As far as long sleeves are concerned, they shouldn't be a problem at all. I have been a CNA for 12 years, all of them in acute care (i.e. a major hospital), and I have ALWAYS worn long sleeves as defense against the extreme air conditioning because I'm perpetually cold. If I'm going to be bathing a patient, or taking care of a Code Brown, etc., I take off the over-jacket or push up the long sleeves of the t-shirt or long-john top worn under short sleeve scrubs. In the OR or in isolation rooms, the provided gowns are long sleeve anyway.

Hold up. I'm an atheist. I feel that people have the right to believe whatever they wish so long as they aren't pushing it onto others. I happen to not believe in what others do. I do not base my opinion of Christians on Westboro (or Islam on the Taliban) please don't judge us based on the obnoxious atheists that flip out over a simple "Merry Christmas."

With that said, there's a girl at my school a year ahead of me who always has her hijab and long sleeves on. While the long sleeves kind of gross me out, I don't think she's ever had a problem with it.

pookyp, LPN

1,074 Posts

What's gross about long sleeves? I push mine up when doing dirty work and push them down when done.

I wear long sleeves daily cause I'm always cold.

Orizza

101 Posts

What's gross about long sleeves? I push mine up when doing dirty work and push them down when done. I wear long sleeves daily cause I'm always cold.

I just don't trust everyone to do that, and if the sleeves are the slightest bit flowing I can see it being difficult to keep them up.

Do-over, ASN, RN

1,085 Posts

Specializes in CICU.

I don't know any hospital that is THAT cold even in the dead of winter. I've seen nurses come in bundled up when it's maybe 55 degrees outside and inside is 65....what. If outside is below freezing by all means come to work in a jacket but temp control is usually pretty stable in a hospital.

You clearly haven't worked in my hospital - parts of which are very new and other parts very old. Temps can swing big time from room to room. Or, how about single digits outside and then being 1:1 in a hypothermia room... Seriously, if someone can't manage to keep stool, blood, etc off sleeves or a head covering on a consistent basis they may have bigger problems. If I do get into that big of a mess, then I call for a set of OR scrubs to finish the shift.

musaafirah

19 Posts

No facility can tell you that you can't wear your hijab as has been well covered above. Around here, there are enough Muslims that the nursing schools are familiar with the alternative dress requirements. I would say the majority wear a long sleeved shirt, looser scrub top and scrub pants regularly with hijab. There are a few, including myself, who exclusively wear skirts, dresses, or abaya and my understanding is that they have some alternative solutions for that as well (such as the abovementioned way of wearing the dress matching the scrub color with the scrub top over it or wearing a scrub dress (about to the knees or calves) over scrub pants. Since I don't believe it is OK to wrap my hijab back in a bun, the solution I've come up with specifically in the event of dealing with psych patients to eliminate the risk of strangling is simply to wear a 2-piece 'al amira' scarf tucked into scrubs. I don't think it would really be possible to strangle someone with one because there aren't loose ends and it is just stretchy fabric that slides onto the head so you may want to look into that.

I don't think you'll really have many problems honestly in school. The only real problem I've encountered in medical settings is that occasionally a patient may have a problem with Muslims and not want you there. Personally, it stings a bit I admit but I have no problem leaving since patient comfort is paramount even if the reason behind it is not well-intentioned (and to be fair, when I've been a patient in the hospital I've had to ask male med students to leave for my comfort in being undressed and perhaps they felt similar as well). However, I can't say I've encountered too many of these and from what I've heard from other Muslim nursing students, they've encountered patients who did not ask for another nurse but clearly had a problem with having a Muslim nurse but over time warmed up to them considerably as a result of the quality of the care they were providing the person. It helped to humanize the nurse to them and they were able to see beyond the scarf.

PMFB-RN, RN

5,351 Posts

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
The only real problem I've encountered in medical settings is that occasionally a patient may have a problem with Muslims and not want you there. Personally, it stings a bit I admit.

*** As a male nurse I know that sting. More than once female Muslim patients have asked not to have me as their nurse. Like you I understand patient comfort comes first and have always done my best accommodate their wishes. Sometimes I have had reservations, like when the patient is very critical and the request is coming from family and the only available female RN is much less experienced in dealing with very critical patients.

mtcowgirl

69 Posts

No facility can tell you that you can't wear your hijab as has been well covered above. Around here, there are enough Muslims that the nursing schools are familiar with the alternative dress requirements. I would say the majority wear a long sleeved shirt, looser scrub top and scrub pants regularly with hijab. There are a few, including myself, who exclusively wear skirts, dresses, or abaya and my understanding is that they have some alternative solutions for that as well (such as the abovementioned way of wearing the dress matching the scrub color with the scrub top over it or wearing a scrub dress (about to the knees or calves) over scrub pants. Since I don't believe it is OK to wrap my hijab back in a bun, the solution I've come up with specifically in the event of dealing with psych patients to eliminate the risk of strangling is simply to wear a 2-piece 'al amira' scarf tucked into scrubs. I don't think it would really be possible to strangle someone with one because there aren't loose ends and it is just stretchy fabric that slides onto the head so you may want to look into that.

I don't think you'll really have many problems honestly in school. The only real problem I've encountered in medical settings is that occasionally a patient may have a problem with Muslims and not want you there. Personally, it stings a bit I admit but I have no problem leaving since patient comfort is paramount even if the reason behind it is not well-intentioned (and to be fair, when I've been a patient in the hospital I've had to ask male med students to leave for my comfort in being undressed and perhaps they felt similar as well). However, I can't say I've encountered too many of these and from what I've heard from other Muslim nursing students, they've encountered patients who did not ask for another nurse but clearly had a problem with having a Muslim nurse but over time warmed up to them considerably as a result of the quality of the care they were providing the person. It helped to humanize the nurse to them and they were able to see beyond the scarf.

Thanks.

Everline

901 Posts

Specializes in public health, women's health, reproductive health.

How many problems you will or will not have is highly dependent on the area in which you will be a nursing student and eventually a nurse.

Have any Muslim nursing students had problems wearing a hijab to class or clinical. I am worried about being asked to take mine off for class.

I had a few muslims in my class and they've never had a problem wearing their hijabs, overgarments and necobs. My school just required then to wear white, black,brown, dark color hijabs on clinicals.

Have any Muslim nursing students had problems wearing a hijab to class or clinical. I am worried about being asked to take mine off for class.

Even at graduation, the muslim women did not have to wear the old school nurse dress that we wore for graduation they were allowed to wear whit pants and have long gowns made.

mtcowgirl

69 Posts

How many problems you will or will not have is highly dependent on the area in which you will be a nursing student and eventually a nurse.

Many people here are not accepting of Muslims.

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