nursing caps

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in LTC , SDC and MDS certified (3.0).

I'm in a RN program and it is required for us to wear our caps.

We hate it What do you think?

Did you have to wear one? and What year was it?

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Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

In the US?

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Specializes in Neuro ICU, Neuro/Trauma stepdown.

NO WAY!! i cant hardly believe that one!!

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Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

yeah Im thinking this is not real LOL

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Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

I'm surprised you guys can wear your caps to hospital clinical. They're considered an infection control issue.

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Specializes in OB, ortho/neuro, home care, office.

If this is real - we had ONE girl who would insist on wearing her cap in clinicals. She had been in nursing school for 5 years and her mom and grandma were both nurses so she was carrying on the tradition. She thought it was important to wear her cap. I think she just liked the attention it got her. I think she was a little ADHD.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

We pointed and laughed at...

uhm...nah I should be nice :)

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Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.

Mature, really mature. Those of you who are fairly young in the profession should learn a little bit about basic respect. There still are programs that have caps. That doesn't mean that the instructors and students are stupid. Just because it may not be the norm for your program doesn't mean it's wrong/bad for another program. I'd be willing to bet there are people currently waitlisted who would slap a coffee filter on their heads if it got them a spot in a program.

The last thing I would do is ridicule someone for deciding to wear a cap. BFHD (Big Fat Hairy Deal). There are a lot more important issues to get bent out of shape over.

Taking someone's decision to wear a cap and extrapolating that to a diagnosis of ADHD...now that's ridiculous.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

I was in RN school from 1972 to 1975 and, yes, we had to wear caps. As we finished a semester we got to add a stripe to our caps. That is how we identified where we were in the program when we ran into other student nurses in the hospital. Because our stripes were also a distinctive color, we also could identify nurses who worked in the hospital (employee nurses of the hospital were also required to wear caps while on duty at that time) that were graduates from our school of nursing. It is kind of a sisterhood thing. When we were allowed to stop wearing caps during the 80s we had our school pins to help us identify ourselves. Today I see people losing all pride in their schools of nursing. I think that is sad and a poor commentary of the respect people have for their education. Try learning all this nursing stuff on your own with no guidance--can't do it.

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Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.

As well as a sad commentary on the lack of respect some have for their fellow nurses.

Well put, Daytonite.

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Love mine! Miss wearing them... but won't again! Except maybe for nurses' week, if the time and place is "right". I actually have 4- 2 "school" caps (neat design but look bad on me) and 2 generic "conventional" caps. So one for each day and I washed weekly, no infection control issue. (of course, I've seen some cruddy caps that never left the hospital!) I don't have any feminist issues with them... a lot of historical evidence shows they didn't represent servitude, etc. (I won't bore anyone with my "dissertation" on that;) ) but in defense of our great men in nursing I do admit it's time to let go of them as a requirement or a symbol of nursing. A symbol of an individual nurse? Sure. OK for a nurse to choose to wear hers? Fine by me. She earned it! But no-one should be expected to anymore. I do think everyone should be offered one as a keepsake- take it, leave it, or burn it if you must.

And yes, your school is not alone in the US- but definitely in the minority.

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Specializes in CCRN, TNCC SRNA.

We only had to wear ours at the pinning ceremony. I was taught that wearing them produced an infection control issue. (Dont know the rationale) Besides, my cap kept falling off my head and got in the way just during pinning. I personally am glad that we do not have to wear them for work anymore. I still have mine for memorabilia. Call me a modernist, but I am also glad that we dont have to wear white anymore either

$0.02

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