Which attire do you feel gives school nurses the most respect?

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  1. Which is best for school nurses to wear?

    • 17
      Scrubs
    • 9
      Teacher clothes
    • 17
      Casual dress with lab coat

43 members have participated

Scrubs where you actually look like a nurse or street clothes where you fit in better with the school staff? I just can't decide! I've worn both. Obviously scrubs are more comfortable but I feel like I'm in my pajamas sometimes. Also, there are times I want the kids to easily recognize me as the school nurse but ,on the other hand ,I don't want to put thoughts in their heads of coming in to see me when they don't need to. I swear sometimes just seeing me makes some come up with an excuse just to get out of class and if I'm in scrubs I stand out even more. Then there are the teachers. I feel some may think when I'm wearing scrubs that there is the nurse and she looks like a nurse should so I'm going to trust her judgement (haha! ;))or do they think this is a school and by wearing street clothes I'm one of them so they are more accepting. What are your thoughts on this? Maybe I'm just way over-thinking this but I'm just never a 100% comfortable in either it seems so I wanted to get other opinions. Thank you! :)

Specializes in School nursing.

sunshine4me: I wear the Grey's Anatomy brand.

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Specializes in Acute Care, CM, School Nursing.
What is the brand name of the boot cut scrubs...they sound so much cuter than the boxy type?

I like the Cherokee Workwear ones. I think they actually call them "flare legs".

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Specializes in Postpartum. Special Care Nursery.

Thank you jenelizabeth and Tina, RN! It has been 9 long years since I have worked in the nursing field and I'm sure much has improved especially when it comes to scrubs ;)

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I think it depends on the grades. When I did FT elementary school nursing I wore scrubs 99 percent of the time. Now I work PRN and go to all elementary, middle and high schools. I usually wear scrubs at elementary schools and teacher clothes at middle/high school.

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I go to all the campuses . .. starting with preschool and ending at the high schools.

We are supposed to wear "teacher clothes" or look professional but here in rural CA . . . "teacher clothes" means very casual.

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Specializes in ICU.

I like the idea of street clothes with a lab coat of some kind, maybe not a white one that looks tooo clinical but some kind of lab coat. You can take it on/off as you wants to change your appearance

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Specializes in Adult ICU/PICU/NICU.

I'm in the minority here, but I wear the same thing that I wore in the hospital for 54 years. A traditional white uniform, my pin and my cap...proudly. Back in the early 1980s when the cap started to go out of fashion, I did wear scrubs for a while, but I never felt comfortable or right wearing them. I still have some scrubs, but I wear them to bed or to work in my garden. I went back to my uniform and my cap because it's what is best for me. When I was approached about coming out of retirement to work as a substitute assistant school nurse, I said "sure, but I need to let you know that when I do nursing, I still wear my cap. Is that a problem?" Most of the kids have seen nurses on TV or the media portrayed as wearing caps, but have never seen one in actual use. Kids are honest. One asked me "so you wear that because you're the head nurse, right?" I said "no, I wear it because I'm old!". I am fully retiring at the end of this year to help my mother sell her house and move in with me. I may have actually worked my last shift yesterday as next week is finals and I doubt if I'll get called. If I do...my cap is clean and ready.

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When I was a school nurse (in my case Medical Liaison, because I'm a CNA) I wore a combination just depended on what i was feeling like. When I wore "street clothes" I always would wear my lab jacket.

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You should absolutely alternate between casual clothes with a lab coat, and scrubs. Leave the street clothes to the amateurs :)

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Thank you jenelizabeth and Tina, RN! It has been 9 long years since I have worked in the nursing field and I'm sure much has improved especially when it comes to scrubs ;)

And unless something's changed, you can get them at Wal-Mart. I used to buy really nice tops at a scrubs outlet for ten bucks apiece and then $10 scrub pants from Wal-Mart. I think Landau makes them too.

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I'm in the minority here, but I wear the same thing that I wore in the hospital for 54 years. A traditional white uniform, my pin and my cap...proudly. Back in the early 1980s when the cap started to go out of fashion, I did wear scrubs for a while, but I never felt comfortable or right wearing them. I still have some scrubs, but I wear them to bed or to work in my garden. I went back to my uniform and my cap because it's what is best for me. When I was approached about coming out of retirement to work as a substitute assistant school nurse, I said "sure, but I need to let you know that when I do nursing, I still wear my cap. Is that a problem?" Most of the kids have seen nurses on TV or the media portrayed as wearing caps, but have never seen one in actual use. Kids are honest. One asked me "so you wear that because you're the head nurse, right?" I said "no, I wear it because I'm old!". I am fully retiring at the end of this year to help my mother sell her house and move in with me. I may have actually worked my last shift yesterday as next week is finals and I doubt if I'll get called. If I do...my cap is clean and ready.

I remember in elementary school (I'm almost 40) our school nurse, who was an LPN, never wore a 'uniform' (she also drove a school bus, so that possibly had something to do with it). And even when I was little, I thought that was a bit wrong - I'd think, where's her cap? My mommy has a cap...

While I doubt you'll ever see one of us young'uns in all whites and a cap as you describe, there's something cool in the kids seeing you as a figure of authority because you wore that. Hmmm.

Something to ponder? :)

And congrats on your retirement.

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When I was a school nurse (in my case Medical Liaison, because I'm a CNA) I wore a combination just depended on what i was feeling like. When I wore "street clothes" I always would wear my lab jacket.

Totally off topic - but I'm a Duke alum - and worked at the Cancer Center - where'd you find the pink insignia? :)

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