12 replies to this topic

[BskyB2]

Hey,

If you were a nurse in the 80's- Particularly in the late 1980's (1985 and up) let me know if you wore a cap. I am doing a report and need some feedback. I know that the year i was born, 1984 in IL the nurses wore caps. Did you? I heard that it depended on the hospital and state that you worked in.

I actually hope to become a nurse.

I will try to post the photo of me with the nurse in 85' (Cap included) later.

Thanks,

Lynn

[3boyzmom]

I can't remember exactly when we stopped wearing caps! I think it must have been around 1985 or '86, somewhere in there. I haven't worn one in years and years, I know that. I have to say I miss it, too. I'm probably in a minority, but I liked my cap. And if you survey a group of patients (older people who had experience being patients when nurses still wore caps) you'll find that most of them miss it too. The prevailing statements I hear are "they looked so professional. You could tell just by walking down the hall who was a nurse and who was not; as it is now, with everyone in scrubs and no caps, you can't tell the nurses from any other hospital employees." I'll even go out on a limb and say I kind of liked "real" nurses' uniforms as opposed to scrubs (or pajamas, as I refer to them,lol). Not frumpy ones, but the nice pantsuits made of some kind of knit that fit very well and was professional looking. The only thing I don't miss is the nursing shoes (I do like wearing athletic shoes better).

[BskyB2]

Thanks! Here are some links that show nurses wearing caps in the US in the 1980's. Very Nice.


http://dyk2.homestead.com/Page247.html

http://dyk3.homestead.com/Page278.html

http://dyk3.homestead.com/Page274.html

http://dyk3.homestead.com/Page259.html

http://dyk3.homestead.com/Page258.html

Please keep posting.

Thanks Lynn

[Lulu]

i worked in NHS London in 1988 to 1990 and we wore caps and in Edinburgh in 1991 to 1993 and they also wore caps.... but by that time they were just strating to phase them out here in the UK

[HeatherG]

We wore caps at the beginning of my nursing career. I can honestly say I hated them. Keeping them on myhead straight was a real challenge.

[diane]

I graduated in 1970 and only got to wear my "veil" for less than 12 months before they were phased out in Tasmanian public hospitals but I think students continued to wear caps until hospital based training was moved to the university. Can't tell you the exact year for this. Certainly the Australian experience seems to be a big move to corporate style uniforms and noone can tell who is who!

[lapwing]

I worked in London from the early 70's and I think it was the late 80's when I stopped wearing a cap. It was quite an art folding the linen hats. It was difficult to have any pride in the card hats that replaced them. They did have one use, they covered the multitude of hairgrips I needed to keep my hair up out of the way.

[Molly_Malone]

Never wore a cap- but then I became a Nurse in 2000. But agree, at times nurses now look a bit sloppy....including myself.

[3boyzmom]

LOL! I work in a clinic setting. We're only open half day on Fridays, and on Fridays we can wear anything we want (within hospital dress code). So I usually wear street clothes, slacks and a blouse. I always say it's the only day of the week I don't wear my pajamas to work! I guess I'm old-school because I really did like wearing caps and white uniforms. But then again I prefer to see nuns in full habit too, instead of those skirts and blouses! LOL again- just something kind of formal and professional looking in both cases!

[aussie-margaret]

I trained at a major Sydney hospital 1984 - 1987 - and we wore caps will the end of 1986.

a star on the front of the cap for the year of training.

[NawlinsGirl]

We only wore caps for graduation.. but i think they looked great back then...

[ElvisLovingChibi]

I liked the look of them but I heard that they eventualy caused baldness.

[mattsmom]