So recently the Chief Nursing Executive as my hospital decided that all nursing staff are required to wear hospital provided lab coats while on duty, along with the ID badge, no exception. To the tune of thousands of dollars, I might add...
The rationale being that nurses as professionals should be easily identifiable to patients and other staff. Although a few didn't warm up to this idea initially after some grumbling and groaning it appears to be a rousing success.
So one particularly snotty nursing student who no nurse wished to be saddled with d/t her pompous attitude, strolled onto the unit wearing... a lab coat (the kind found at a medical supply store).
The NM took one look at her and said, "You are not staff, you are not a professional, go remove the lab coat and then you may return to the unit."
The snotty little thing went crying to her clinical instructor whining that she had been "discriminated" against causing a frenzy of bad vibes that has now caused a rift between an already fragile dynamic between staff and students, all because of one bad egg.
So was the student in her right to attempt to blend in or did she cross the point of no return?
We are told to NEVER wear a lab coat to clinical site! The one thing that is similar that we can wear is one of the scrub warm-up jackets in the matching shade of our clinical uniforms (royal blue scrubs) and it has to have the school crest patch on it...
As a student, I don't think she has necessarily gone beyond the point of no return, depending on her year of school and how long she has been at that clinical site. If myself, or my fellow students, were to do anything similar to this, we would be given an unsatisfactory for the day, sent home, and probably be set up for a meeting with the program director.
The purpose of us standing out is a simple one, we haven't earned dressing in what we want yet. We are students, plan and simple. Would it be nice to be able to blend in? Yes, but if we were confused for a staff nurse it could cause safety issues as well as simply making ourselves and our school look silly, for lack of a better word.
Seriously OP? Do you remember when you were a student and wanted to fit in? Could you be any more negative? I feel sorry for any students that end up trying to learn from you.
Would you post an "RN" onto your nametag before you were one? Just because you wanted to 'fit in'? In effect, that's what the nursing student tried to do.
Seriously, most nursing students do their best to not stand out. This student went out of her way to stand out.
Should the student have taken it off with a sorry, I didn't realize? Yes
Should the student have whined to the instructor? No.
HOWEVER, I am currently a PROFESSIONAL student and if I was told that I wasn't a professional, I would've been upset and had a nice little discussion with my CI and/or nurse manager as well. If I am expected to act professional, then I would like to be treated as a professional. Not to mention, I am a non-traditional student who has been a professional for many years.
Could this have been addressed better by staff? You bet.
If the student knew that students are not allowed to wear lab coats at that hospital, he/she should have known better and not go crying to her instructor and whip out the discrimination card. That's ridiculous.
If the student made an honest mistake, then he/she should have taken it off, sucked up his/her pride, apologize, and just go on with her day...and return the lab coat to the medical supply store.
Anyway, I don't think this one act puts this student in the black list. It shouldn't. That's just wrong. Everyone should be given a chance and not everyone enters a unit knowing all the unwritten rules (or even written rules) or nuances in that unit. What other situations has this student been involved in that made him/her cross "the point of no return?"
The tone used to address the situation makes all the difference. The student was out of line but the way the NM handled the situation was rude and demeaning.
I know they are for ours. We don't have to wear them, but they are part of what we're allowed to wear during clinicals (we are required to have 3/4 length white lab coats).
Were the students specifically told not to wear lab coats
Goodness sakes....every clinical site that I was at, and my current workplace included are so freakin' hot, I can't imagine having to wear a lab coat. As it is, we all sweat in our short-sleeve scrubs. Not to mention that I, along with the other more, ahem, mature nurses are going through wonderful, wonderful hot flashes.
There is not enough information to tell. Our students are allowed to wear lab coats. The NM should have made the dress expectations clear to the clinical instructor; it sounds like this was a recent change. The NM should have taken the clinical instructor aside to discuss the issue; the clinical instructor could discuss this with the student.
It sounds as if the student was NOT aware of the new dress code; if this was the case and the students had not been warned not to wear jackets, then the NM was horribly rude. In any case, this should have been handled privately with the student. Honestly, it sounds like your NM failed to communicate expectations, then became angry when a student didn't follow the new unwritten rules. As an instructor, I wouldn't want my students on a floor where they were treated badly for making a simple mistake. This whole thing seems a bit much. Physicians wear lab coats also, does that mean the nurses on your floor are trying to impersonate physicians? Last I checked, a lab coat was not the sole property of an RN, at least in my state.
Specializes in Corrections, Education, Med/Surg, AGNP-HIV.
Are lab coats a part of the students dress code?
I know they are for ours. We don't have to wear them, but they are part of what we're allowed to wear during clinicals (we are required to have 3/4 length white lab coats).
Were the students specifically told not to wear lab coats
Exactly what i was thinking. We were allowed to wear a white lab coat if we chose to, it was not required. If this was part of the students dress code i think you have alot of whiny nurses.....I mean seriously it is an article of clothing, it does not make you a nurse...Do the doctors wear lab coats? and are they offended?
Specializes in Electrophysiology, Medical-Surgical ICU.
Well I as a current. Nursing student am REQUIRED by my school to wear the lab coat....personally I would love to do without it. !ut that doesn't make me snotty does it. Don't get it twisted I'm not trying to be confrontational but you seem alittle harsh towards the student. I know you have a stressful Job and everything but I bet you can remember nursing school and wanting to fit in...just my little two cents!! :-)
MissJulie
214 Posts
We are told to NEVER wear a lab coat to clinical site! The one thing that is similar that we can wear is one of the scrub warm-up jackets in the matching shade of our clinical uniforms (royal blue scrubs) and it has to have the school crest patch on it...
As a student, I don't think she has necessarily gone beyond the point of no return, depending on her year of school and how long she has been at that clinical site. If myself, or my fellow students, were to do anything similar to this, we would be given an unsatisfactory for the day, sent home, and probably be set up for a meeting with the program director.
The purpose of us standing out is a simple one, we haven't earned dressing in what we want yet. We are students, plan and simple. Would it be nice to be able to blend in? Yes, but if we were confused for a staff nurse it could cause safety issues as well as simply making ourselves and our school look silly, for lack of a better word.