I had cataract surgery a few days ago. While I was waiting, multiple nurses came in for various reasons. One thing that I noticed that I hadn’t given much thought about, was that nurses don’t wear “nursing caps” anymore. Our granddaughters got a Doctors/Nurses set for Christmas and their “uniforms” had nursing caps — they were white with a red cross on them. That’s what I remember nurses wearing years ago. So why don’t nurses wear those caps today?
You’ve guessed by now that a subject like this requires some of my extensive research….
From what I found out, the cap originated in the early Christian era as a head covering for deaconesses or nuns who cared for the sick. During the 1800s, the head coverings evolved to the white cap that I remember. One article I found indicated that the first nursing caps were worn by the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris. It was part of the uniform for one of the first official nursing schools.
At one time, caps also symbolized a nurse’s educational background. Different nursing schools had specific caps for their nursing students — first year students might have worn a cap with a simple design, while final-year students wore caps of a different shape or with a different design. Nurses also used caps in the hospital as a way to be identified and differentiate themselves from other hospital employees.
It appears that one (maybe the primary) reason nurses caps (and uniforms) have changed is that more men have become nurses and the “unisex” scrubs became more suitable and popular. Some of the other reasons were that the fabric of the hat was difficult to wash and the caps came to be thought of as a breeding ground for dirt and bacteria. It also became apparent that the cap served no practical purpose, and, they were uncomfortable.
Even though caps aren’t worn much, if at all, in their workplaces, some nursing schools still “cap” their graduates to symbolize their completion of the nursing program — but pinning ceremonies have become more traditional for graduates.
One of Claire’s sisters was a nurse and one of my favorite pictures of her is when she graduated from nursing school — wearing her cap…
But no matter what they’re wearing, nurses are there to make patients feel safe and comfortable when they receive medical care — and make a patient’s life better at a time when they need it the most.
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