Nurse's cap
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A nurse's cap or nursing cap is part of the female
In some schools, a capping ceremony presents new nursing students their caps before beginning their clinical (hospital) training.
History
The nurse's cap originated from a group of women in the early Christian era, called "deaconesses." These women were distinguished from other women during this time by white coverings worn on their heads. This particular head covering was worn to show that this group of women worked in the service of caring for the sick. Originally, this head covering was more of a veil, but it later evolved into a white cap during the Victorian era. It was during this era that women were required to keep their heads covered. The cap worn was hood-shaped with a ruffle around the face and tied under the chin, similar to cleaning ladies of that day. Long hair was fashionable during the Victorian era, so the cap kept the nurse's hair up and out of her face, as well as keeping it from becoming soiled.[1]
The nurse's cap was derived from the nun's habit and developed over time into two types:
- A long cap, that covers much of the nurse's hair, and
- A short cap, that sits atop the nurse's hair (common in North America and the United Kingdom).
The nursing cap was originally used by Florence Nightingale in the 1800s.[2]
Different styles of caps were used to depict the seniority of the nurse, the frillier and longer the more senior the nurse.
Advantages
The nursing cap is a nearly universally recognized symbol of nursing. It allows patients to quickly identify a nurse in the hospital from other members of the health team.[3] Additionally, some designs of caps serve the same function as hair nets.
Disadvantages
Some claim the cap is a potential carrier of
Standardized school caps
Around 1874, the
Nurses' caps since the 1980s
In a global perspective, the nurses' cap continues to be widely used. However, the use of the nurses' cap had begun to slowly decline in Western Europe and Northern America by the late 1960s. The use of nurses' caps in the medical facilities of the United States all but disappeared by the late 1980's with the near universal adoption of scrubs.[citation needed]
In areas where healthcare facilities no longer required their nurses to wear nurse's caps, nursing schools eliminated the cap as a mandatory part of the students' uniform. In addition, with the growth of technology in the health-care setting, some felt that the nurse's caps were an obstacle for nurses wearing them, while others disagreed.[1] With the rapid growth of the number of men in nursing, some also felt a need for a unisex uniform, while others saw no difficulty with gender specific uniforms as is the case in many uniformed professions. However, nurses' caps can still be found in many developing and developed nations. Japan and South Korea are examples of developed countries with near universal use of the nurses' cap. It is also common for students of nursing to have their graduation portraits taken while wearing nurses' caps.[citation needed]
In countries where the nursing cap is no longer required as a part of a nurse's uniform, it still holds the same significance that it did during the time of Florence Nightingale. The nursing cap symbolizes the goal of the nurse, which is to provide "service to those in need." Furthermore, the cap is a sign of the industry's ageless values of dedication, honesty, wisdom, and faith.[1]
See also
References
External links
- Civilization.ca - Symbol of a Profession: One Hundred Years Of Nurses' Caps
- What Happened to the Cap? (a three part slide show on Medscape): Part 1: Dignity and Dedication, Part 2: Losing Our Tradition, Part 3: A Profession Moves On (registration required)
- Nurses cap - a revision of nurse uniforms