wearing veils/head cover

NursingAgainstdaOdds · Aug 30, 2007

There should be no issue with wearing a head cover. You would not want to work for an institution that felt otherwise, because they are not likely to respect you as a Muslim. I'm unsure on the veil issue (I'm picturing a veil covering the face), it seems to me that would pose a problem with identification, which is important in US hospitals for security reasons. However, a simple headcover which I see a lot of Muslims use (which covers the hair and neck) should not be a problem.

casi, ASN, RN · Aug 30, 2007

I see many nurses/CNAs/phlebotomists at work with their heads covered. I've never heard anything that would suggest it was ever a problem.

woody62, RN · Aug 30, 2007

As far as I know, there are no state laws which say you cannot wear a head covering but some employers might not allow it. I do know that face coverings, here in Florida are not allowed on any official license, such as a driver's license. A young woman filed a law suit in Orlando saying it violated her religious beliefs to allow a photo of her unveiled face on her driver's license. It went all the way to our state's highest court. All courts held that a full face photo was required on a driver's license. And since getting a driver's license is a privilege and not a right, she lost.

I believe it would depend on the community you lived and worked in. In some areas of this country, people are more open minded. In other parts, you would be viewed with suspicion.

Woody:balloons:

FlyingScot, RN · Aug 30, 2007

There are plenty of nurses who wear a head cover where I work but I HIGHLY doubt you will be able to wear a face veil much less the full head covering. As someone stated before, security reasons would be the number one factor and secondly I think not being able to see the nurse's face would make patients very uncomfortable, myself included. It has absolutely nothing to do with the religion but more the intimate human interaction involved in a nurse/patient relationship.