Nursing Uniforms and Rituals

I explored the history of the nursing uniform. Since the white uniform and cap has become synonymous with "nurse," I believe it is important to explore its history to learn where we came from and where we are going. The nurses began to wear uniforms largely due to its roots in religion and the military. The nurse uniform has evolved and changed along with the evolution of the field of nursing. Nurses themselves have different opinions of the traditional uniform versus the new scrub versus no uniform. Many are traditionalists and believe we should go back to wearing all white and even the cap, while others believe that uniforms affect our professionalism, represents our past oppression, and "encourage psychological barriers" (Pearson, Baker, Walsh & Fitzgerald, 2001) and perhaps we should wear no uniform at all. Others believe nursing rituals, such as uniforms and pins, are "irrelevant and even detrimental to the professionalization of nursing practice" (Catanzaro, 2002), while others believe that symbols and rituals strengthen the field of nursing.

In the article written by Catanzaro, the author points out the nursing profession have two large challenges that need to be resolved. She states that nursing will never be perceived as a profession if first we don't work to change the public's negative opinion of nurses and second if we continue to allow physicians and hospitals to have control over nurses by using the uniform as a form of control and also preventing nurses from "attaining professional autonomy" (2002).

I believe that we need to continue to progress as a profession and move forward. Symbols have power and can help to raise us up or bring us down. We need to decide what symbols and rituals have great meaning to nursing as a profession and what symbols and rituals need to be discarded. But no matter what side of the fence you are on, the uniform - whether it stays or goes or changes - should be our decision and in our control.

References:
Catanzaro, A.M. (2002). Beyond the misapprehension of nursing rituals. Nursing Forum, 37(2), 17-27.

Pearson, A., Baker, H., Walsh, K., and Fitzgerald. M. (2001). Contemporary nurses’ uniforms – history and traditions. Journal of Nursing Management, 9(3), 147-156.

Links:
http://web.ebscohost.com.rlib.pace.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=20&hid=117&sid=4aff4623-ffdb-4a7f-af3b-c27cd7aeb044%40sessionmgr101

http://web.ebscohost.com.rlib.pace.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=34&hid=117&sid=4aff4623-ffdb-4a7f-af3b-c27cd7aeb044%40sessionmgr101