What color was your student uniform?

ERDIVA2B · Nov 3, 2001

Well for LPN school we were "candy stripers" We had white scrub tops and pants with this horrible pink & white striped bib apron ugly thingy on top, no jewelry, no nails, no nothing, not a hair out of place! stockings not socks! even under baggy srub pants, & this was in 1999! :eek:

Now for the RN program, we wear royal blue scrubs with the school logo embroidered on the shirt, and a 3/4 lenght lab coat with school logo on it, much more cool, and professional looking! We went from "candy stripers to Smurfs!":p

Today I'm wearing yellow pants with my celestial purple and gold scrub top with my blue Super birkinstocks!

I start my nurse externship in the ER next month!!!!Yay!!!!I get to wear traditional Ciel blue. The hospital has specific colors for each department!

6 more months till I graduate! Doo-dah, doo-dah!! :cool:

YukonSean · Nov 3, 2001

One of the fringe beneifts in psychaitry is that we wear street clothes. The philiosphy is merely one of attempting to decrease the power differential a little bit, along with modelling normalcy

(yes, I trained in the Orem theory!). Now, as a student nurse, the rules were simple: white nursing dresses, or white male nurses' uniforms! I preferred the "dentist collar" style, in plain linen. Yes, those were the days of the ubiquitous transparent stretchy polyester pant suits! Scrubs were for OR nurses, or some of the paramedicals, such as RT (who wore navy, I think). Also, male students had to have their hair cut above the collarline; women could wear only clear nail polish, no dangling jewellery, etc. If you think these rules were Draconian, then hopefully one of the British trained nurses will post a reply! For what it is worth, I think that the English nurses looked very smart and professional. Where I work now, I often find it hard to differentiate between nurses and patients: sweatpants and tee shirts have to go!

Cubby · Nov 3, 2001

My husband has red hair and when he was in school he had a beautiful burnt orange uniform. Made him look soooo handsome!

Kasey · Nov 3, 2001

My school uniform at Broward Community College in Pompano Beach, FL was white with a Royal Blue "Apron" over it. Everyone wanted to burn it at graduation.

mustangsheba · Nov 4, 2001

Gawd, memory lane! Pinafores! Green and white pin striped tops with white bottoms. Aargh! Now I wear scrubs (purple, teal, burgundy, etc.) with a white lab coat. Lots of pockets. Instant credibility. It shouldn't matter, but it does.

amy · Nov 4, 2001

My nsg school uniform was white pants, forest jewel tone green top, WHITE shoes and no cap. Yesterday? Eggplant top/pant. My favorites? Bright robin's egg/surf blue, tie-dye purple/pink/carribean/white top called watercolor looks like I stood in the rain and the colors ran, cream top/pnt with floral print in flannel by uniform advantage (its just like pj's!), neon mango top/pant, denim top/pant, lots of unique prints!!!

oh!!! I almot forgot the aptch on the sleeve of our school uniform; never kept the tops, silly me the coor was nice, but keep the patch in a frame with my diploma. Nostalgia is a beautifil thing!

OzNurse69 · Nov 5, 2001

Pale blue dress with button-thru front, white collar and cuffs, white cap with navy stripes (one for every year of training) and a REVOLTING belt, same colour as the dress, with two buttons on the front to do it up. We used to just do up the loosest button even though we were supposed to do up both - pretty radical for a group of good Catholic girls!

BBnurse34 · Nov 7, 2001

My school unform was a white top, white slacks and a white lab coat. We got called everything from"the good humor man" to Stayfull Marshmallow man. To revolt we started wearing undies with prints on them that shined through the slacks.We also could wear no jewelry or nail polish and our clothes had to be neatly pressed.

Yesterday I wore a scrub top with frogs on it, nuclear green scrub pants, Kswiss tennies, metalic purple nail polish that needed to be touched up. My shirt had a betadine stain and my pants were rolled up because they need to be hemmed. So, I guess that school failed miserably in its attempt to make me look like a professional.

Researchnurse · Nov 7, 2001

Then: Light blue dress that had to be below the knee, with a white bib type apron same length. Flying Nun nurses cap.

Today: black dress pants, shirt, and blue blazer (research nurse) with a white lab coat:

Agnus · Nov 8, 2001

Let's see 1969, I started an LPN program (didn't fininsh, Pregnant) Blue and white pinstripe pinafore, white blouse. Then 1973 started RN program (didn't finish, don't ask) this time it was a lavender dress with white pintucks on the front the bodice. Finally I got my act together and went back in 1998 for a LPN/RN program. This time we wore white. Style was left to the individual, with a student patch on our shoulder.

Lets see, last day I worked I wore navy scrubs with a black warm up jacket of sunflowers.

jingy · Dec 13, 2001

My school uniform consisted of a navy blue dress with a mandarin collar and a one-piece apron fastened with studs.

I almost hate to put this up here because it seems to be a most unpopular opinion, but I think some student uniforms were very pretty. The nursing school of the hospital where I was a candy striper (ca 1969) consisted of a dark blue gingham dress with five buttons on the sleeves, and a two-piece apron. The cap had a peaked cuff with gathers only at the front of the crown, and I always wondered how it was made. And I remember always feeling the utmost respect for those students. To me the uniform came to represent their dedication and caring and authority.

I would even consider buying some of those what I guess are outdated symbols of nursing (caps, pins) from those who no longer want them.

Hope you will be tolerant of a lonely opinion!

panda_181 · Dec 14, 2001

Well, I started nursing school in September of 1998 and we had to wear baby blue. If we wore the color they really wanted us to wear, it was quite see through, and we would have to make sure our shirts covered out butts so you couldn't see our underwear. Most of my classmates found a shade darker just to be more comfortable. The LPN students had to wear mint green, which is just as thin and paper-like. Yuck! :rolleyes:

When we got into our 3rd year, they changed the policy so we could wear whatever we wanted. We had college nametags anyway, and as long as they were in view it was okay. Some of the nurses still wish we wore specific colors, but we're happy for the change!

Amanda :)