Nurses dressing up for Halloween

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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?

Specializes in Rehab, LTC, Peds, Hospice.

Ok - I love it but I guess I'm always one of the unprofessional ones. :-) I wear some crazy scrubs with smiley faces that stick out their tongues, bold flower prints, special scrubs for Halloween, Christmas, winter, fourth of July ! On and on. And I have endless crazy watches to match for example my pink crystal squirrel watch is a definite conversation starter. Furthermore I've been known to waltz into a room and do a dance in order to ensure my dementia patient takes their meds, all in the name of - gasp, fun! Yes, I'm terribly guilty of wanting my patients to smile, you should've seen my 80's outfit - I nailed it! My advice, live a little, wear a Halloween costume.

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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*

Ah, graduation ceremonies do account for a fair bundle of purchases, I'd bet. Every so often my alma mater's graduating class decides to do the cap thing, and off they go to the local uniform store to order them.

Me, I purchased mine from the local uniform shop----for Halloween! :)

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Specializes in L&D.

I think it's unprofessional. Probably would be fine in a nursing home where they do Halloween events for the residents, and probably OK at a pediatric clinic(as long as it wasn't something scary), but in a hospital? No way.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Ok - I love it but I guess I'm always one of the unprofessional ones. :-) I wear some crazy scrubs with smiley faces that stick out their tongues bold flower prints, special scrubs for Halloween, Christmas, winter, fourth of July ! On and on. And I have endless crazy watches to match for example my pink crystal squirrel watch is a definite conversation starter. Furthermore I've been known to waltz into a room and do a dance in order to ensure my dementia patient takes their meds, all in the name of - gasp, fun! Yes, I'm terribly guilty of wanting my patients to smile, you should've seen my 80's outfit - I nailed it! My advice, live a little, wear a Halloween costume.[/quote']

THIS! :up:

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Out the years I have been working in healthcare on a Halloween, I either had "Where the Wild Things Are" scrub top, or wore particular ears, and a tail (within reason); I have always allowed to consume to complement the uniform.

I remember going trick or treating with my niece and I had the surgical greens and she had a pair; we were OR nurses; then the next year I wore my nursing cap and whites.

Working in a pediatric facility where there is an annual harvest or costume celebration, one of the more craftier costume alteration with scrubs was a Reese's cup-I wore orange scrub pants, and a Reese's shirt and a brown cardigan to make a chocolate feel to the outfit. I have Reese's cup earrings and a bracelet to complete the ensemble, with candy to boot.

Last year I had a cat outfit where It was leopard; the tail was attached to the leotard; I adjusted where the tail poked out, when I walked, the tail would move. I wore my Dansko leopard print clogs and it worked.

At my LTC facility, they encourage staff to dress up; guess I'll wear my tail and ears to my doctors appointments for that day, since I'm off...I usually like being a cat or a I may be a fox, not sure yet. :)

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Working in LTC, we are all dressing up on my shift. The residents get such a kick out of it! One stipulation. I told staff they just can't dress up as the Grim Reaper, LOL. The Aides are considering dressing up as Duck Dynasty members. Many residents watch Duck Dynasty!

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One year I went as a beat up hockey player did the black eye bloody nose and everything had the bad mullet wig to my residents loved it asked me who won last year I did 80s punk rocker. Another cna I work with was a zombie bride our residents loved it and were in a ltc facility. They take our pictures and the next day residents vote on who's the best. I won with hockey player it's all in fun

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

It's done in my dialysis clinic, and it's so much fun. The patients love it. Last year, we had 3 vampires, a football player, and me, a witch with full green face and all. I opened the door to let the pts in when we opened laughing/cackling like a witch and they loved it. Some did not know who I was, d/t the face makeup. But they all loved our dressing up. I would not dress as a grim reaper or anything offensive like an "indian" in regalia. Never. But you go around once. Those saying it's unprofessional" , well I say, lighten up a bit.

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The nurses who feel it's unprofessional can opt out. As far as everyone else.. what's wrong with having a little fun at work?

People do it every day, nurses.. not so much.

I wanted to dress up as the Grim Reaper one year.... but my manager failed to see the humor ;)

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Specializes in Pediatric ED;previous- adult Ortho/Neuro.

Peds ER, staff often wear something, but are pretty conscious of it being something easy to remove if in the way of a critical situation. The vast majority of our kids are fine, and live the costumes. Definitely some settings where it would not be appropriate.

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

I always figured I'd be the one w/o the 'sicker than crap baby/pt on death's doorstep', trying to be compassionate, empathetic nurse to the parents/family, while wearing doodlebugs in my hair and weird clothes. Just so not working. Esp in the acute care part of the NICU. In the 'convalescing/level 2 part of the unit, a little better. If the parents wanted to dress their baby up, great.

Not to mention that the noise level rises exponentially. Which isn't good developmental care.

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When I worked LTC it was encouraged, and some of the nurses really went all out, it was a way for the staff to bond a little because some costumes were so good that you had to guess who it was. In the hospital I would usually have a Halloween theme scrub top and show the holiday spirit that way. During Christmas I wear reindeer ears and the pts. really get a chuckle out of it. I think it depends on the support of management, it can be a good experience and I believe the patients get a good time due to the change in scene. I do think you have to be careful with dementia and paranoid patients, they may have delusions or hallucinations and we don't need that.

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