Are Nursing Ethics Old School
Having retired from a profession I loved after 40 plus years, I miss it. But I wonder if I had a chance to work again, would my work ethics be too old school for today’s world? This is also echoed by others in other professions who are around the same age as me.
I keep in touch with nurses who are still working and are observing the new generation of nurses and other so called professionals working today. This leads to another question. Do we pick friends that have like views? Is this why we feel that some of the nurses today fall short of knowing what the appropriate code of ethics are?
Two areas that I question is the dress code. Most hospitals have a written code. I worked Mental Health where we often had to do physical take downs and they put blue jeans as a “no can wear” item. Jeans have come a long way and could be worn if the wearer had an idea of what was acceptable. This means no holes, sequins, fringes, and all sorts of none professional decoration put them. Another area of concern is too short shirts and pants that leave the underwear to be viewed. And don’t forget the too short skirts.
What brought on this tirade? One of my nursing friends was telling me that last night a professional nurse wore a tee shirt on a Mental Health unit with a face on it and it had a large red tongue sticking out. Where was this icon? It was right over the females bust area! Get a gripe lady! There are patients who have sexual hang ups and are sexually frustrated. Do you not know what is appropriate? Or do you need ego boosting from Mental Health patients?
Am I so out of touch that thinking tattoo and body piercings have no place in a professional setting? I would have a hard time taking someone seriously with rings hanging from their eyebrows or tongues!!!
I would love to have some feedback from nurses who have opinions on both sides of these issues. Am I too old school or is there a need for professionals to clean up their acts?
April 11th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Hey great website here thanks. Nice post.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:55 am
Well I agree with you. I’m old school in many areas of life. It just seems that the younger generation (in general) have little respect for themselves and others. Although, my daughter is young and she has the same opinion. She feels she overdresses at work because she wears appropriate business atire and she says the rest of the group wear JEANS, t-shirts etc. These are professional people. I tell her that she is setting a good example and I encourage her to not change her view regarding how she dresses…
April 15th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Deb tell your daughter she gets an A from me. When I came to San Diego Ca I was for the first time wearing street clothes on the job. Working the night shift I dressed professionally rather than catch as catch can. I was admonished many times from other nurses for making them look bad. I often replied that my aim was to look like some one my patients could look to as a professional even in the middle of the night. You must look like you fit the role you are assigned to.
May 1st, 2009 at 12:01 am
Lillie, as you know, I am not a nurse, but I will put my 42 cents in.
If I were a hospital patient (which I haven’t been since the 60’s, thank God), I could not take seriously a nurse who dressed as you described. The white uniforms, complete with white shoes and nylons, were probably extreme but I would prefer them to what I have seen while visiting hospital patients. Which leads to one of my gripes…
Some years ago, my wife and I were visiting my mother for several days after she had bypass surgery. Since we were staying in a motel, we ate most of our meals in the hospital cafeteria. I was shocked to see numerous hospital personnel eating in their scrubs. I had thought scrubs were worn to keep germs from traveling from the outside to patients on the inside, and vice versa. Apparently, these people were trying to make a status statement. When one of my wife’s sisters was working as a nurse in a local hospital, she would sometimes come to our house straight from the hospital, still in her scrubs.
If any nurses want to comment on this, I would be happy to read them.
May 1st, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Lou Scrubs are now worn in place of uniforms. They are supposed to identify the staff but look less stiff than the old white starched uniforms and white hose and shoes. I wore the uniform proudly for many years until I came to San Diego and started to work in mental health where forming a comfortable bond with the patient helps them to open up and talk to you. There I wore street clothes. I still like the look of the uniform and the professionalism it gave. As for nurses wearing their scrubs outside of the hospital many hospital don’t even have locker or places where nurses could shower and change after work. I worked at one such hospital for 24 years and another for 5 years. We didn’t even have a place at one to keep our purses safe. With nurses working around the many germs it would be nice to not have to wear the scrubs home or through the streets. I worked on Guam, on a TB unit no showers there so I would undress right as I came into the house and then right into the shower before touching my children. Hope this gives you some insight into what nurses have to go through.