When a child dresses up...

[A&Ox6, MSN, RN]

The Jewish holiday of Purim is celebrated with food, gifts and costumes. What happens when a nurse is asked to create the nurse costumes? How does the costume differ from the store bought versions? What do the children learn?

The Jewish holiday of Purim will be celebrated this year from March 23 at sunset until March 24th at night. This is a holiday that celebrates the triumph of the Jewish community that lived in Persia around 2,500 years ago over a genicidal plot. The plan was foiled by Queen Esther, second wife of Achashverosh and mother of the heir, Darius.

To celebrate the miracles, traditional communities celebrate with parties, charity and food gifts. There is also a custom that children (and adults in some communities) dress up to show that the miracle turned everything upside down.

As as the holiday approaches, children are finding their costumes. While you may see a few witches and the like, most likely costumes bought after Halloween, there are many princesses, brides, olive, soldiers and much, much more.

By by now your asking yourself why you are reading this in a nursing forum.

I am a psychiatric nurse with past experience as a school and camp nurse. I have also held a number of childcare jobs. As such, I have a lot of young "friends" who are working on their costumes at this time.

Let's see, one family I know has four girls and a baby boy. The girls decided to dress like a nurse, and turned to me for help because "the costume in the store is so fake". They were upset that the girls had a pink dress with a thermometer, and the boy costume was called the doctor and included a stethoscope and a shot. They wanted to know why a girl couldn't have a doctor costume.

So I helped them make a real costume. We altered some scrubs to fit, they're wearing sneakers and lab coats, and they each got a real stethoscope.

Then in my other friend wanted to be a surgeon. She needed scrubs, hair net, masks, gloves, sterile gowns... You think they was the surgeon costume?

What about the little girl who dressed as a school nurse? She wore regular clothing, an ID, and a sign that says "who needs a super hero. I'm a school nurse".

The best, of course was the little girl whose mother called me because her daughter is dressing as a nurse but isn't sure what to write on her ID because "nurse is a protected term and I don't want to go to jail."

So as we celebrate this holiday, and enjoy dress up throughout the year, how can we use dress up to help kids learn about nursing and what we do?

[nutella, MSN, RN]

To be honest - I never looked at Purim that way and it never came to my mind to turn the Purim dress up with costumes into an education about nursing ....

But I can see how the kids like the help of a "real" nurse with their costume.

I admit that I am somewhat lame - and while I totally enjoy the holiday and adult Purim party - I hardly dress up.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

Where I'm from, everyone is Catholic or LDS.

I didn't even know Purim involved costumes.

Thanks for sharing!

[A&Ox6, MSN, RN]

To be honest - I never looked at Purim that way and it never came to my mind to turn the Purim dress up with costumes into an education about nursing ....

But I can see how the kids like the help of a "real" nurse with their costume.

I admit that I am somewhat lame - and while I totally enjoy the holiday and adult Purim party - I hardly dress up.

Nutella,

Purim is always a great time to teach the "you can be anything you want to be lesson".

[A&Ox6, MSN, RN]

Where I'm from, everyone is Catholic or LDS.

I didn't even know Purim involved costumes.

Thanks for sharing!

Costumes, gifts of food, feasts, charity and delicious triangle shaped filled cookies (hamantasch)

[nutella, MSN, RN]

Nutella,

Purim is always a great time to teach the "you can be anything you want to be lesson".

True enough - though I doubt that the kids in my community who come to attend the Purim Carnival festivities would be eager to learn about nurses....

I think "princess" is still higher on that "wish list" for girls.