nursing caps

ClariceS · Apr 20, 2001

We had an LVN at our hospital who insisted on wearing her cap and had to get an 'okay' to continue wearing it from nursing administration when our most recent dress code went into effect! She recently retired and many of us who had worked with her over the years got to sign her cap at her retirement party. What a great way to commemorate a wonderful nurse!

lalaxton · Apr 20, 2001

I graduated from nursing school in 1985 in Montreal, Canada. Our school (community college) did not have caps, as did no other school in the area at the time. I have never owned one and would not wear one. If a cap is part of your past and you choose to wear it, all the more power to you.

I did get a job where they had a push for awhile to go back to wearing caps, this lasted about 6 months and died when everyone refused as I did (since I didn't own one anyway!)

As far as it being a way to identify your role, I vote for name badges that state in LARGE letters, RN, LPN etc. I have seen this be very effective in some institutions to help stop the confusion. After all, even when nurses did wear caps, how could you differentiate between everyone else such as dietary, housekeeping, lab etc??

tinkertoys · Apr 20, 2001

I work an an extended care facility where all nursing personnel wears white. LPN's may wear white or Kelly Green lab jackets, RN's may wear navy blue or white. All nurses wear caps. As irritating and inconvenient as it may be, I earned my cap, and wear it with pride. Also, especially with our elderly patients and family members, the cap is an easy way to distinguish which 'nurse' provides their basic patient care, and which is their "medicine nurse" responsible for their medicines and health issues.

janicurn · Apr 20, 2001

I haven't worn a cap in at least 15 years! I refuse to wear a funny little hat until the docs do too! The exception is that every year in the ICU we wear little paper caps made from the computer paper for Halloween. Last year one of the older surgeons came up to me and said "It's so nice to see you girls wearing your caps again".

HemeNP, MSN, RN, NP · Apr 20, 2001

i'm a male nurse and i miss seeing caps on nurses! it's such a great tradition. it cannot be that practical sometimes. but at least maybe occassionally you gals can put on the cap when u go on the floor. what i site. patients respond to it quite positively! i know i will if i were in the sickbed. they might miss it too!

mustangsheba · Apr 20, 2001

Half the nurses in my class were capped and half were pinned (all the guys were pinned!) It's a personal choice. I wouldn't wear a cap nor would I wear hose of any kind - they make my feet burn - cotton socks only. In the past year, working at many different facilities, I think I've seen two nurses in caps. I haven't had a problem with identification without a cap. Most patients remember my name and know I'm there to take care of them.

RNinMay · Apr 20, 2001

Unlike you vets, I am a student nurse graduating in two weeks! When I started nursing school, I was appalled at the idea of a white uniform and cap. But now, I love my cap, it is such a symbol, and will wear it proudly at pinning (we have caps AND pins, lucky us!). I don't think I will wear my cap to work, although I think if a nurse wants to that is the nurse's personal choice. I do like the whites, though. It is so true that patients still identify with the white uniform, and it looks so nice. I plan on wearing whites throughout my career. A couple of the hospitals in my area have gone back to whites anyway!

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Luv,

Rachel

jamyemc · Apr 20, 2001

Hey Y'all!

When I saw this topic I knew that it would be an interesting one indeed! FYI I am a senior nsg student here in NC(pinning is in 3 SHORT weeks! ) and at my school we are REQUIRED to wear whites and our caps. We are differentiated from the 1st years by having 2 diagonal stripes on the corners of our caps and at graduation that changes to one broad black stripe all the way across our caps. I have to say that even though at times a cap has been a PAIN, ( I have knocked it off, had it pulled off, it has been on crooked, etc.) I have enjoyed wearing it. I look at it as I have earned the right to wear it as well as earned my stripes. I have to say that a part of me will miss it after graduation because I can't see wearing my cap as being practical in the field that I am going into but I will have pictures and the cap itself to remind me that I once did wear a cap and I have to say that I do look pretty good in it if I do say so myself! People do like them even if we as nurses don't. I still say that we need to find some kind of modern "cap" thing to set us apart as the nurses, but that is another discussion all together. Thanks for the time and the space!

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J_W, DNP, APRN, CNS · Apr 21, 2001

My mom is a nurse and she used to wear her cap, and whites, etc. Still wears the whtie support hose I think, I thought it made her look professional, it played a small role in my decision to go to nursing school, though I would never wear a cap especially since am male. I do however wear my nursing school pin, sigma theta tau pin, and CCRN pin on my lab coat and some people stare at them, and make snide remarks, about showing off. Well I earned them and am proud of them and can be equated with the cap as something you earned the right to wear/display. I dont wear them to show off, no they dont make me better nurse, but none the less I earned them. Well my $.02 worth.....

CashewLPN, LPN · Apr 22, 2001

Actually, at my hospital, we're not allowed to wear caps because of infection control... they're very cautious... and they actually do enforce all the rules... (like no acrylic nails... no hair left loose et al...[and I am not complaining])

I've never liked caps... for my pinning we did not wear them...

But I do wear whites, and my pins... and for that, I am very proud.

--Barbara LPN

maikranz · Apr 22, 2001

Anybody remember the specimen containers that fit across the commodes under the seat--you know, for catching urine? My traditional cap very closely resembles one of those things.... . I used to take the thing off and hang it on IV poles 'cause it got it the way. I still wear it though, on occasion, when the mood strikes, like on "Nurses Day" or something.

Chuckie · Apr 22, 2001