You cant be fashionable for nursing.

Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2008

But all of the nurses still dont follow those rules though

Everywhere you go in life, you will find people who disregard rules.

You can chose to following regulations or not - that is up to you - once you are out of school. While in school, you need to follow rules.

And the rules are there for reasons.

I don't where nail polish not only to obey rules, but because I have never had a manicure last a shift. Beds, gloves, alcohol rub, etc are murder on the nails!

Yeah I have those cute nursing schoes that are open hill and my instructor had problem er on them!

Open heeled shoes have been proven to be dangerous - nurses have tripped while pushing strechers or running to an emergency. Leave the cute shoes for your off time.

she couldnt stand the idea that I'm skinny and I guess younger

Thats just offensive. A person's weight and age have nothing to do with inforcing rules.

NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2008

oh honey, i had to smile at this statement.
i sooooooo doubt that an older, 38yo woman would be threatened by a younger counterpart.
whether a woman is in her 30s, 40s, 50s +++, we have been where you are, and speaking for many of us, wouldn't trade it for all the tea in china.
we've had our time, to strut like a peacock, be single, know our phermones, and show 'em our stuff.
yrs later, it is just so damned trivial and superficial.
truly, it is.
so while i do understand wanting to look good, being a young woman, don't for one moment think that we 'older' ones are envious or jealous.
there comes a time and age, when we grow into ourselves, knowing and 'strutting' our newfound sense of selves, flaws and all...
knowing that our 20 yr-younger self couldn't hold a light to what/who we are today.
we know that nursing is all about servicing our pts, and dressing according to the demands and drawbacks of that job.
nothing wrong with being well groomed.
it's a must for self-respect.
but if one starts dressing in hopes of attracting the attn of others, you are so in the wrong profession.
wishing you only the very best.
leslie:)

Thanks, Leslie! My tongue is bleeding from not taking the bait . . . . . . .

You are soooo right though. I love being on the other side of thirty. It's far easier to be comfortable in my own skin. I hated my teens and twenties.

I think I'll stop before I'm accused of eating my young! :devil:

PiPhi2004 · Dec 16, 2008

I am very young, 23, and I hate looking dowdy at work and while I abide by all dress code rules and regulations, there are ways to still look good at work.

To the OP, the rules are the rules, so you must abide by them, but you can always add little personal touches. I know one girl who had shoulder length hair and always wore it up with a pretty ribbon or those sparkly hair pieces. Some girls wear the chopsticks to keep it up. For loose pieces, you can get cute bobby pins or something like that so you still have that feeling of personal style at work. I personally think if the hair doesn't touch your shoulders theres no problem, but some do. My hair was and still is super long but I would always make it look cute with pins and stuff like that and I loooove those thin headbands. Try a few styles at home. If your instructors have a problem with that then you will just have to deal though, but usually instructors differ in how they enforce their own dress codes. Just make sure you iron your scrubs! I hate when people roll into work with wrinkled scrubs, to me it signifies laziness. You can also try different makeup styles, like new liners or shadows, to make you feel a little bit better about the strict dress code. Just make sure not to go overboard!

You can look neat and polished without looking frumpy, just find ways to add your own personal style without breaking any rules. I also think patients appreciate seeing a pretty face who looks put together rather than someone who rolled out of bed put on a pair of scrubs and pulled their hair back.

flightnurse2b, LPN · Dec 16, 2008

i usually wear flare legged scrub pants because i have short legs and i really like those mock wrap or empire waisted scrub tops because i have a large chest and when i wear just regular tops, on more than one occasion i've gotten "oh honey when are you due??".... i have to buy a bigger size top for the girls and when the pockets are loaded up with pens and tape etc etc it looks like i have a belly pooch. there are alot of cute, tasteful scrubs that give a more tailored look! walmart has great ones!

you can do alot of cute things with your hair without wearing it down. i don't ever wear mine down because pts can grab and pull (and they're strong, trust me) or you can get quite unpleasant treats in your hair. i had a little old man who was playing in his diapie once wipe his fingers in my hair. never again wore it down. i love headbands and clips. they're wonderful.

jewlery is also a weapon. studs are your friend. wearing big danglies and a patient yanking is not a good combo. necklaces are an easy grab too. rings can carry icky stuff underneath if you don't take them off when you wash.

comfortable shoes are a must. who cares how your feet look. you're standin on them for 12 hours! there are some cute nursing shoes you can buy. crocs are great but once the tread wears out and you're running to a code... you can trip an really hurt yourself. i had a croc stop once and sprained my ankle.

i met my fiance at work. frumpy scrubs, little makeup that was smudged from sweat, hair in a bun. if it's meant to be, they'll think you're gorgeus anyway. :)

OC85 · Dec 16, 2008

Well, just remember, it could always be worse. For example, my school doesn't just require that long hair be pulled back, it also has to be above the collar. So basically, long hair has to be tied up in a bun or some other relatively neat up-do. For women, this is no big deal, but as a guy with hair past his shoulders, I'm not really looking forward to having to walk around with my hair pinned up every day....

BTW, are most hospitals ok with ponytails, or do they require your hair be "up" as well?

DA314 · Dec 16, 2008

Well, just remember, it could always be worse. For example, my school doesn't just require that long hair be pulled back, it also has to be above the collar. So basically, long hair has to be tied up in a bun or some other relatively neat up-do. For women, this is no big deal, but as a guy with hair past his shoulders, I'm not really looking forward to having to walk around with my hair pinned up every day....
BTW, are most hospitals ok with ponytails, or do they require your hair be "up" as well?

LOL sorry, just trying to imagine a long-haired guy with a bun. Most men with long hair are the rebellious type. Wearing a feminine bun doesn't seem to fit. No offense, just the image I have in my head is hilarious!

flightnurse2b, LPN · Dec 16, 2008

Well, just remember, it could always be worse. For example, my school doesn't just require that long hair be pulled back, it also has to be above the collar. So basically, long hair has to be tied up in a bun or some other relatively neat up-do. For women, this is no big deal, but as a guy with hair past his shoulders, I'm not really looking forward to having to walk around with my hair pinned up every day....
BTW, are most hospitals ok with ponytails, or do they require your hair be "up" as well?

i had a male student in my class with shoulder length hair who took bobbie pins to clinicals and would wrap his hair in a knot and pin it up so it was very close to his head and didn't look like a pony tail.

as far as hospitals go, i think as long as your hair is clean and tasteful it's ok with a pony tail..... but i would check with your individual facility.

NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2008

Yes, it does present quite the mental image. :chuckle Maybe they'll just let you put elastics every few inches down the length of the ponytail and tuck it in the back of your shirt. One guy that comes to our facility pulls it back on his head high enough and does a single braid that just touches his collar. It's maybe at the regular ponytail spot instead of at the base of his skull. It doesn't look too unseemly. His hair is a little kinky/curly though. It still may look a little bizarre with straight hair.

mauxtav8r · Dec 16, 2008

What's the point? White scrubs are white scrubs, the fitted ones look less sloppy! If they are going to require a certain look, they shouold just have everyoen order the same scrubs . . .

that's exactly what my nursing school did.

About the hair, the more restrained it is, the less likely you will get, um, stuff in it. Think this through.

Hausfrau · Dec 16, 2008

When I worked as a CNA once I remember my co-worker wore her hair down one day. Over the course of the day I think her hair got poop, food, and other unknown substances in it.

We worked in a locked down unit and the residents would rip our hair out if they could.

For your sake, I think it's smarter to have it in a pretty bun.

OC85 · Dec 16, 2008

LOL sorry, just trying to imagine a long-haired guy with a bun. Most men with long hair are the rebellious type. Wearing a feminine bun doesn't seem to fit. No offense, just the image I have in my head is hilarious!

Heh, you dont have to appologise, I agree with you.

In a way, its almost worse, because I'm not really the "rebel" type. I have a really slender build and what most people would call "pretty" feature [for a guy anyway], so combine this with the fact that they dont allow facial hair either, and I'm in trouble!:chuckle

[i think the best was when i was walking in to work one day, wearing a large pair of sunglasses and a heavy coat, and a co-workers brother apparently aske who I was saying "that girl's really cute"....I didn't know who I should be laughin at more, him or myself!]

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2008

So OC85, do a really close cropped shave and look butch. Once you cut your hair off you'll never deal with the maintenance of long hair again!