What street clothes do YOU wear in nursing school?

[bluestorm]

What type of clothes/outfits do you wear to theory and lab?

Last semester I was so tired I always wore jeans or sweats with T Shirts and hoodies and a ponytail but some of my classmates looked very nice and kind of business casual. Not fancy or overdone just nice. I think it probably affected the way out professors viewed them and I'm going to try to put some effort in it this semester-who knows it might affect my confidence and teachers/peers perceptions of me.

[bopeep82]

I believe it would be important to dress a little better for the nursing classes. Afterall, these will be the people giving you letters of recommendation for your first job! I think it would give you an edge to always look professional and follow the standards of the dress code any time you are in the facility. I'm a former Marine, so I believe in always presenting yourself appropriately for the situation.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Um...I don't know if it affected the way my professors looked at me. I had several instructors give me recommendations, and I wore t-shirts, jeans, sweats if needed. I'm sure I did casual, but never business casual, just neat.

I found in nursing lab, it paid to be more comfortable, especially in health assessment lab. We were practicing assessments, so we had to have access to the body. It depended on the lab.

[green34]

Jeans and a t-shirt or a hoodie. They aren't the ones I am asking for recommendations. I am asking my clinical instructors and I wear the school's scrub uniforms there.

[melizerd, ASN, RN]

Depends on the day. Some days I look like the stereotypical college student, other days I wear a cute dress and flats (heels with a backpack are a pain LOL). I've seen any and everything. Mostly though we're very casual in classes. I often get asked "why are you dressed up?" If I'm in a sundress or a skirt. I just like them

The instructors I have are both classroom instructors and clinical instructors so I've had several of them for both, they know what I'm like as a professional. My recommendations have nothing to do with my "class room" attire. If we're doing mock interviews then dressing appropriately is important.

[Cohiba]

Flip flops, shorts, whatever t-shirt was on top of the stack, and a Larue hat...

[rubato, ASN, RN]

I've been known to do anything from workout clothes (heading to the gym after class) all the way to a nice dress and heels. I try to always dress to impress, but sometimes, my schedule doesn't allow for costume changes. I think being neat and presentable is the most important thing. If you look like a slob, you look unorganized. This doesn't mean dressing up, just not being dirty or wrinkled.

[chrisrn24]

Don't dress like a slob but please don't wear dresses and heels. Jeans and a tee shirt or sweatshirt or a blouse are perfectly fine. Shorts are okay if they aren't short.

[mclennan, BSN, RN]

I can't believe anyone would even worry about this. You are not being judged in nursing school by how you dress. You're judged by the quality of your work, your research, your grades, your participation and punctuality. As long as you're on time, contribute to discussions, meet deadlines and keep your cell phone on silent and your mouth shut, wear what you want. It's 2013, not 1942.

I went to a very conservative, expensive, buttoned up Catholic private university in the early 2000s. Some days I wore my usual punk rock t-shirts, miniskirts and combat boots, some days vintage dresses with heels, some days a tank top & PJ bottoms, some days workout gear, some days a business suit with bunny slippers. No one cared. Of course I wore regulation scrubs to clinicals and played straight & narrow on site. I graduated magna cum laude, held a high GPA, got great letters of recommendation from many instructors and lived to tell about it 10 years later.

[Peppermint_RN]

My first day of class, I wore an Avenged Sevenfold (rock band) tee shirt with a skull on the front, very worn in/ripped jeans and some beat up converse. For the next 2 years I was mostly in hoodies, band tees, and jeans. My tattoos showed (only covered for clinical). Sometimes I wore something nice if I felt like prettying up, had clinical prep, or if we were giving presentations.

My professors never gave the impression they thought less of me for how I dressed. Honestly, I wouldn't care if they did. I graduated with honors & have a couple of instructors who would give me high recommendations.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

Spring/Summer was jeans or capris and short sleeved shirt w/sneakers or flats. (never open toed b/c my labs did not allow open toed shoes)

Fall/Winter, jeans and sweater/hoodie and boots/flats/sneakers depending on the weather

None of our professors looked down on jeans w/sweaters or short sleeved shirts. I did notice a few wrinkled up noses when some students came in wearing really low cut tops, came in sloppy looking etc.

No one that I noticed was business casual unless they were coming to class directly from work or had to go directly to work. The majority wore what I did. As long as you aren't looking like you were partying all night and came to school the next morning in the same clothes, or dressed to the 9's or dressed to go clubbing i think jeans w/appropriate tops and shoes is fine.

About the teachers being the ones to give recommendations..the biggest slob I encountered was my own clinical instructor! So I highly doubt my clean, wrinkle free jeans and sweater or hoodie was looked down upon by her hahaha.

I say as long as your clean and not dressed like a slob, street walker, or that you just rolled out of bed, your attire is fine.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Nursing school was college for me. I wore jeans or sweats most of the time. I wasn't dressing to impress anyone and, if it was exam day, I wore whatever I wore to bed.