Nurses dressing up for Halloween

[pheonixRN]

Our company has sent a memo allowing us to dress up for Halloween and is even making a contest of it. Several nurses are really disgusted with the idea saying it is completely unprofessional. I've never dressed up for work, but I don't really care if others do. What is your view on the issue?

[proud nurse, BSN, RN]

I don't dress up if Halloween falls on the day I work. This is my first Halloween at this job, so I don't know what they typically do. I have 3 Halloween scrub tops that I wear in late October, and that's all they're getting from me.

I don't care what other people do.

[Vishwamitr]

I think it would depend upon your area of nursing and whom you dress up as. For example, in Pediatrics, you could dress up as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. But you could certainly not dress up as a slutty Miley in the E.R (Your patients are already having an MI and you don't want their cardiac enzymes going through the roof). Another area to refrain yourself from "dressing up" is Psychiatry.

[sbostonRN]

I've always felt unprofessional dressing up for holidays. Simply because stuff does go wrong in my setting and I don't want to be in a medical emergency or code, or comforting the family of a hospice patient, while wearing themed scrubs. It's the same reason I don't feel comfortable wearing cartoon characters anymore.

In LTC I bought and wore tons of holiday and cartoon scrubs and the residents loved them. In a hospital, not so much.

[DoGoodThenGo]

Considering how many non nurses of both sexes parade around as such on Halloween, one should think some whites and cap would cover most bases nicely. It most certainly can be seen as "professional" and far as most of the modern generation is concerned, a costume.

OTOH if anyone comes to you wanting to borrow your school cap for their costume adult or child, think twice. I've known caps and capes and a few student uniforms that were never seen by their original owners after being loaned out for Halloween. Well one was for a Saint Trinian's dress up, but that pretty much is the same thing.

[SwansonRN]

No, I can hardly take myself seriously as is I just pictured myself going through a code cart dressed as a bunny and laughed.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I'm in the camp that thinks whites and a cap are appropriate, OR a holiday-themed scrub top. Hard to imagine being treated professionally with animal ears on a headband and whiskers painted on one's face, isn't it?

In the past, I've worn whites and a cap, and I have to tell you that EVERYONE loved that. The demented patients didn't realize it was a costume, of course, but they sure knew who their nurse was that night

[sbostonRN]

Love the idea of dressing in nurses' whites though. If I had some I would definitely do that!

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

The ONE holiday of the year where it ROCKS to be working in a children's hospital!

I WISH I had a white dress uniform and my old cap. I would lap the field at the costume contest.

I'm with you... dressing up was essentially a REQUIREMENT when I worked in the hospital. Every year themes were suggested, staff voted on their favorite and that's what we did. It was never anything scary, usually stuff like Cowgirls, M&Ms, superheroes. The kids dressed up too and the ones not on precautions/dietary restrictions went trick or treating throughout the hospital.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Good old Kay's Caps are still in business. They'll even resurrect your old cap pattern if your school is out of business and make you a new one. Last I looked that was doable for less than twenty-five bucks, and they have plenty of generic ones for peanuts.

Nurses Caps-Kays Caps Inc-Nursing Graduation Caps-Custom Nurses Caps, Nurses Cap-Nurses Week and Nurses Day,Nurses Uniforms

[julz68]

Our hospital encourages costumes for Halloween. I just wear themed scrubs though. I think it's too hard to do your job effectively wearing a full costume.

Years ago, when I worked at an LTC, one of the male CNAs dressed up in a full Grim Reaper costume, sythe and all! That was totally not a good idea. He scared the crap out of a few residents when he went in to wake them up for breakfast. Some thought it was funny. I did not. That year I did wear bunny ears with my scrubs, which the residents loved.

This year I have Halloween off, so I will be dressing up and going Trick or Treating with my kids :)

[DoGoodThenGo]

Good old Kay's Caps are still in business. They'll even resurrect your old cap pattern if your school is out of business and make you a new one. Last I looked that was doable for less than twenty-five bucks, and they have plenty of generic ones for peanuts.

Nurses Caps-Kays Caps Inc-Nursing Graduation Caps-Custom Nurses Caps, Nurses Cap-Nurses Week and Nurses Day,Nurses Uniforms

One sometimes wonder's who or what is purchasing enough caps to keep Kay's in business. They themselves grew after purchasing one or two other places that went out of business IIIRC.

Kay's prices for catalog caps certainly seems cheaper than what things are going for on eBay these days. Despite all the noise about "no one wears the things anymore" someone is paying very good money for nurse's caps. Nurse's Week and Halloween cannot account for all. *LOL*

Could be wrong but IIRC certain caps Kay's either does not have the patterns and or cannot by agreement or otherwise produce without permission from the school in question. A friend of mine was looking for the famous Bellevue Fluff and when directed her to Kay's she said they didn't have.

[DoGoodThenGo]

Love the idea of dressing in nurses' whites though. If I had some I would definitely do that!

If there are thrift stores in your neck of the woods you can try those. Local Salvation Army and Goodwill shops near us often have whites often still with tags on going for cheap. Am guessing the NOS came from uniform shops that closed down as NYC is losing lots of them.

Otherwise hit eBay, while caps go for good money whites usually are dirt cheap, even NOS. However unless you want to lose water weight and or plan on wearing some sort of slip avoid those from 100% polyester or nylon.