nursing caps

CC NRSE · Apr 22, 2001

I think wearing your hat and all whites is very perfessional looking. If you can pull it off and not get dirty congradulations. For me it would never work. I am usually the one on the bed (during a code because i'm too short to stand and do chest commpressions) or climbing under or around to get what I need. Our codes are usually pretty messy too (I mostly work Open Heart). I also never wear skirts, for obvious reasons!!!!

Sue D · Apr 22, 2001

I'm very surprised that caps are still worn in the US. NHS hospitals in the UK stopped using them in the middle 1980's. Part of the rationale for this was infection control but it was also thought to be outdated, a link to the past where nurses were perceived to be in a servile role and wore caps similar to those worn by domestic servants.

On a totally different note I wonder why the traditional nursrs uniform in the UK is usually blue and in the US white. Anyone know?

nurse1201 · Apr 22, 2001

Although I would never wear a cap after graduation (Dec. 2001). I think that capping at graduation is a nice tradition that my school does not do anymore. Oh Well, times they are achangin!!!

Mijourney · Apr 22, 2001

Hi. I thought wearing clean white caps and uniforms in certain patient care areas really impressed the patients. It was difficult to keep one on my head during a code, though. Like other posters wrote, the wearing of a the white uniform seem to garner alot of recognition from the public and other staff.

Tim, I also agree that you should be able to wear thick white hose or at least knee highs to hide your hairy legs. Also, why can't you simply wear a longer skirt?

janine3&5 · Apr 23, 2001

I love how the caps look, but think they would be hard to keep secured. I can't imagine being able to keep it neatly perched all day long! 2 or 3 nurses I know wear them, and if they for some reason skip the cap for a day, everyone is asking about it. We are required to wear ours to the pinning ceremony and also to have our class and state board pictures taken in at my school. After that, I doubt I'll wear it again. I think all whites look good too, but sooooo hard to keep clean!

sis · Apr 23, 2001

About 6 years ago,I worked in a small hospital. With change in administration,the DON and the powers that be decided that all nurses except the male nurses had to wear caps. 95% of the nurses did not want to wear them, a petition was signed in support of not wearing caps. The result, The DON "cried" and we had to wear them. I worked in L&D, wore scrubs, this was not pratical and looked ridiculous. When I quit, they were still wearing caps, I don't know what they do now.

joannep · Apr 23, 2001

G'day, I wore a cap with stripes denoting which year I was in during my training. ie no stripe, first six months, one stripe remainder of first year; 2 stripes 2nd year; 3 stripes, 3rd year. I remember we were so proud when we got our 3rd year stripes. At graduation we didn't wear caps, but did get pins. Now, 20 years later I have pins for every postgrad course I have done and they are pinned to a velvet covered board in a picture frame on the wall of my study. I love to look at them, as well as my degree, and postgrad certificates and diplomas. I don't think I would like to wear a cap now. In Australia most hospital nurses wear a hospital shirt, usually with a blue and white pattern, and navy blue pants or navy blue skirt. The blue may be the last link we have with our tradition of English based nursing. Who knows ...

nurs4kids · Apr 23, 2001

I'd change professions before i'd don that hat again!!!

lpnandloveit1 · Apr 23, 2001

I loved wearing my cap "back in the day" not only could you identifiy the nurses but what school they attended. My school had a capping ceremony and in ind when an LPN passed boards she got a scarlet velvet stripe. the problem with a cap on a medical unit is that they can harbor air borne pathogens. I seem to remember a study some years ago in RN magazine about that.

Sylvia · Apr 26, 2001

I've never worn a cap to work and don't know anyone who does. I can't imagine going through a crazy day with a silly cap on my head, but maybe that's because I've worked with so many confused patients who would have undoubtedly pulled it off of my head.

I have to admit, though, I was very proud to wear the cap the day I graduated from nursing school. Of course, I didn't have to WORK that day!

As for the uniform, I found the the nice, crisp white dress with pantyhose to be very impractical. Very few dresses have enough pockets and you have enough to worry about without some wise you-know-what trying to look up your skirt!! And as far as pantyhose, well, after 12-14 hours on my feet I found pantyhose didn't make for a pleasant foot odor. Much better to wear white socks!

However, I do prefer plain white scrubs to anything else. I know the printed design tops are very popular right now and some nurses as well as patients enjoy them, but I've always felt goofy wearing a scrub top with cartoon characters, balloons, happy toothbrushes and what have you. The way I see it, doctors, X-ray technicians, physical therapists and everyone else wears solid color, professional-looking attire, so why should the nurse dress like a clown? Just my opinion - if someone else enjoys wearing the bright tops, more power to her/him!

jamistlc · Apr 26, 2001

Greetings,

What cap? During our capping ceremony I was not given a cap or the ribons. Very disappointed I would not wear it but I would put it on the shelf with my diploma! I do however wear my pin with pride and if I had recieved a cap you can bet your bottom dollar I would wear it the next time I wore White panty hose!

I did not observe the reqiured Live birth either during OB/GYN clinicals! So I have come to terms with what happened back then 12 years ago and Work to change it for the next generation of males who are called to do this work!

LMAOROTG I am male!

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Visit my web site at http://www.geocities.com/4birthing

Have a Blessed and Peaceful Day,

Jami

[email protected]

HazelLPN, LPN · Mar 15, 2003

I wear my cap everyday with starched white dress and hoes with white shoes and my pin. There is not a day that goes by that a patient or family member does not comment on my cap and how professional it looks. In my day, you worked hard for you cap and pin and were proud of them. Some of the young nurses that I work with say things like "nursing caps are degrading to women" or "they are too old fashioned" or "they are not practical".

Old fashioned, sure, but so is home made lemonade on a hot day. Dosen't mean its bad. Degrading to women? Not to me, its a symbol of something that I always dreamed about as a little girl and worked hard for. Not practical? I've worked in ICU for over 35 years of my over 45 year career and its never gotten in the way.

I'm not advocating that everyone wear caps, I'm just saying that people should no be critical of us who do for we have good reasons. At least in my day people knew who the nurses were. My hospital tried a color coding system once where RNs wore blue and LPNs wore light blue with NAs in cranberry and houskeeping in purple and unit clerks in teal. Family members and patients didn't know who was who, but NOBODY mistook me for anything but a nurse.