Nurse Hijabi advice

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Hello all!

This is my first post on here, I am in need of some guidance. I just started my nursing program and we were learning to do blood pressure. Since I wear a headscarf (hijab) I had to take my pin out and loosen it order to be able to put the stethoscope in my ears. I am wondering how other nurses that wear hijab deal with the stethoscope issue. Should I wear my scarf "turban" style (neck showing) during clinicals or should I wear it really loose(no pins). I have tried different styles with a loose scarf since I prefer to cover my neck but it is not comfortable on and i keep touching it.Im stressing out because i think this will be a problem when i start clinical in a hospital. For example if i touch a patient then touch my scarf then later on touch my scarf then touch a patient i would be spreading microorganisms. I hope I am being clear.

Thank you for taking time to read this!

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Your ears hold bugs, your shirt holds bugs, so I would not worry about your hijabi.

Most nurses that I have seen that wear them just wear them loose or actually put the scope on over and through the cloth.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

Most nurses that wear a hijabi that I have worked with wear them loose around the ears. It usually not an issue.

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You can also use an amira style hijab, they are pretty stretchy

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By loose around the ears could you try to explain how they do style it that way if you don't mind. Is there a picture on the internet you could possibly link. I know it may be difficult to explain the style of loose ear hijab but i can't seem to figure out how to style mine so that the ears are loose with my neck still covered

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Google "hijab and stethoscope use" and go to images. You will see lots of examples.

I have seen the stethoscope used over and under.

ImageUploadedByallnurses1400805596.273090.jpg.71b4f2ae5df5556c8215f93f2999c33d.jpgImageUploadedByallnurses1400805580.981966.jpg.1f5f38725a0dc0437774cbb214f025d1.jpgImageUploadedByallnurses1400805572.336268.jpg.e418fbacb90175d7dfe31309fefa48c3.jpgImageUploadedByallnurses1400805560.680323.jpg.98feb7b43639a4d476956d7dcbad9dfc.jpg

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I have to ask and I'm being totally serious here. Caps were done away with using the rationale that they were infection control issues. One older nurse told me that she had multiple caps that were laundered by the hospital laundry and returned.

How is a hijab less of an infection control issue? There is far more fabric involved.

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It's part of the outfit. It would be like saying pants are an infection control issue, or shoes, or pockets.

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I have to ask and I'm being totally serious here. Caps were done away with using the rationale that they were infection control issues. One older nurse told me that she had multiple caps that were laundered by the hospital laundry and returned.

How is a hijab less of an infection control issue? There is far more fabric involved.

Most nurses had one cap, and wore the same one daily. Perhaps it was washed every day, however, for most nurses I am not sure it was a daily wash, as then it would lose its shape.

These scarves I would assume are different ones every day, laundered in between much like someone's scrubs would be.

To the OP--if it is not comfortable to wear the scarf in way that you have tried (but I have to say that the images provided are really quite nice) is it feasible to wear the scarf turban style, and have a turtleneck type neck piece to cover your neck? Or a seperate scarf that you wrap around your neck area?

I am not sure what the rules are of what you can and can not do. But thanks for sharing this.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
I have to ask and I'm being totally serious here. Caps were done away with using the rationale that they were infection control issues. One older nurse told me that she had multiple caps that were laundered by the hospital laundry and returned.

How is a hijab less of an infection control issue? There is far more fabric involved.

Caps were more a back issue than infection control-When moving and handling patients the cap had a tendency to slip and the wearing would put their neck and back in strange angles to compensate. Or if they were one of the nurses who knew it would slip would hold their neck to the side again causing back and neck issues.

Re infection control by the late 80's and early 90's caps were paper so could be thrown thrown away at the end of the shift.

We also had to wear our hair tied up and off our neck nowadays people wear it dangling around their face, infection control issue or not?

I think wearing the Hijab is fine

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"Infection control issue" was an excuse used by the nurses who didn't like wearing caps to argue against them. They were never any more of an infection control issue than stethoscopes, watches, shoes, sweaters/jackets, any number of things we wear at work every day without thinking twice. The Hijab is a religious/cultural issue, and, at least in the US, because of equal opportunity and discrimination laws, employers would be hard pressed to come up with a policy that did not permit them.

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The pictures the other poster provided are exactly how I've seen the hijabi worn during my clinicals and by the staff nurses and doctors.

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