No matter if you are a new nurse or an existing one, there are many fashionable and comfortable scrubs for nurses today. The days of the white, starchy, pressed nurse’s dress and the white nurse’s cap are gone. Even though nursing apparel has changed over time, the nurse’s caps are still a symbol of nursing for many.
The cap can still be found in stock photos, nursing illustrations, and Halloween costumes. The cap is a topic that can spark both fond memories and strong detest among those nurses who wore it. When did the cap go away in the nursing profession? Why is the famous white cap not worn by nurses today? Let’s look at the history of the nursing cap and hear what nurses have to share about it.
History and design of the nurse’s cap
The cap was originally used to cover hair and protect it from the elements. It was first used in early Christian times as a covering for nuns caring for the sick or deaconesses. The white cap became the standard head covering in the 1800s. It is believed that the first nurse’s cap was used by the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of Paris in the mid-1800s as part of the uniform of one of the first official nursing schools.
Caps used to be a symbol of a nurse’s education. Different nursing schools had different caps for their students. First-year nursing students wore caps with simple designs. Final-year nursing students, on the other hand, wore caps with a different shape or ribbon color. Caps were also worn by nurses in the workplace to distinguish themselves from other employees and help them identify themselves.
Why have nurses stopped wearing caps?
Many changes have occurred in nursing apparel, from mandatory dresses to longer skirts and pantsuits to shorter ones. The symbolic white uniform and the cap had virtually disappeared from the United States by the 1980s. Unisex scrubs were popularized as more men entered the nursing profession in the 1990s and now nurse caps are for sale.
However, the cap was also made obsolete by:
* Hygiene. Caps were difficult to wash and a breeding ground for bacteria and dirt.
* Comfort. Nurses began to move away from the white uniform and realized that the cap was not practical. Nursing began to place more importance on the uniform’s comfort and not the caps.
* Gender biases. Nursing pioneers are often celebrated as activists. Nurses have a long history of activism. Nurses have fought for equality in the healthcare system, particularly female nurses, who opposed being required to wear dresses. Caps were used as a symbol of modesty and were only worn by nurses who were female. However, caps were not required to be worn by male nurses. The cap was eventually removed by eliminating gender biases.
