Nurses with Headscarfs (hijabs)

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Good evening everyone,

I am a Muslim student with a hijab (headscarf). I live in NYC and I'm currently applying to Accelerated BSN programs in the city. I've been a hijabi since 2009, but the anxiety of meeting people for the first time never leaves. I play it off well though and always seem confident in myself. I've been told that I'm always smiling and I'm very social, so that's probably why people ease up so quickly :). But smiling or not...that anxiety is still there in the background. Im always thinking what the person I'm meeting is thinking of me, and I always feel like I have to prove myself in order to show that I am not what the media claims me to be.

Anyway.. as a future nursing student (God willing) I hope and pray that my hijab doesn't prevent me from being the best nurse that I can be. I want to be able to help patients and care for them, I don't want them to feel uncomfortable, or even worse.. view me as a threat. Nursing has been a life long dream of mine. Helping others truly fills my heart; it completes me. I cannot wait for the day that becomes my profession. :)

Does anyone have any tips for me? Any situations you've been in that involve a Muslim nurse..or if you are a Muslim nurse.. any situations (regarding your muslim identity) you've dealt with and how you dealt with them?

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There have been posts about this in the past, if you do a search you can probably find them and may find some good advice there. The only suggestion I could make, off hand, that may help, at least in the beginning, is to look for a place of employment that has a clientele and/or employee group that has a lot of Muslim membership. Working in this kind of environment while you learn the ropes might ease the stress and then you could tackle other environments when you have your confidence built up. Other than that, just concentrate on providing the best care that you can while being as pleasant as possible. That is what all of us have to do to make it as easy as possible when we are working. Best wishes.

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There have been posts about this in the past, if you do a search you can probably find them and may find some good advice there. The only suggestion I could make, off hand, that may help, at least in the beginning, is to look for a place of employment that has a clientele and/or employee group that has a lot of Muslim membership. Working in this kind of environment while you learn the ropes might ease the stress and then you could tackle other environments when you have your confidence built up. Other than that, just concentrate on providing the best care that you can while being as pleasant as possible. That is what all of us have to do to make it as easy as possible when we are working. Best wishes.

Thank you so much! I will go ahead and read the other posts as well.

I like the idea of starting out in an environment where I am familiar with the population that's being served. Maybe that's the way to go, until I gain confidence in the work I do. I think the main thing that I need to work on is myself and not let the judgement of others affect me. I dont want that apprehension to limit me and limit the places where I can establish a career.

Again, thanks so much for your reply. Are you currently an RN?

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You sound like you will be a fantastic nurse. The hijab shouldn't hold you back at all. In healthcare, as in the rest of life, you may experience some prejudices. However, you will also have plenty of patients who will be thrilled to have a nurse in a hijab.

Best wishes.

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You sound like you will be a fantastic nurse. The hijab shouldn't hold you back at all. In healthcare, as in the rest of life, you may experience some prejudices. However, you will also have plenty of patients who will be thrilled to have a nurse in a hijab.

Best wishes.

Thank you so much for the encouraging words! I really appreciate them more than you know! :)

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I worked with a few girls who wore them and they never seemed to have any issues. I think it may have helped that they seemed to wear a little of fun colors and sparkley hijabs. Often they would match their eye makeup to their scarf. Somehow I think this made them seem more "Americanized"?? I don't know if that's the right term, but it didn't seem intimidating or strange in any way! And we did not work with a Muslim patient population at all.

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I worked with a few girls who wore them and they never seemed to have any issues. I think it may have helped that they seemed to wear a little of fun colors and sparkley hijabs. Often they would match their eye makeup to their scarf. Somehow I think this made them seem more "Americanized"?? I don't know if that's the right term, but it didn't seem intimidating or strange in any way! And we did not work with a Muslim patient population at all.

Yes!! I love sparkles and colors :D ! I always try to match too. I used to work as a receptionist at a pediatrician's office and the kids would always comment on it. A lot of girls called me a princess :) it was so sweet. Sometimes they would "try" to whisper and ask their mom or dad why I wore a towel on my head or if it was stapled to my head. :) :) :) I love kids and the parents were always sweet too. I worked there for two years and I never had any awkward situations. I don't know what it is about actually being someones nurse that makes me nervous. I just want to be the best I can be :) so maybe it's just normal and we all have these nervous jitters lol.. Hijabi or not. :)

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Omg .. I just noticed the Smiley face overload in my last comment! Haha.

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