Creative Commons
We sometimes hear a nurse referred to as “old school.” I take that to mean “in practice before the 1980s,” since that’s when I started!
Here are a few observations which may help define the old school nurse!
The old school nurse:
- Still wears her hair ABOVE the collar at work.
- Knows how to use a bath blanket and still prefers soap and water to body cleanser wipes.
- Owns a case of white leather shoe polish for a VERY distinctive pair of lace-up nursing shoes.
- Keeps a pack of mints in her pocket for post-op patients who have sore throats from the intubation.
- Wears ONLY two pieces of jewelry to work–a wristwatch and (if married) a plain wedding band.
- Keeps her school cap in a clear plastic tote on the shelf of her closet and her Nightingale Lamp in a glass display case.
- Makes hospital corners on her home bed sheets.
- Always carries an extra pen–with BLUE ink to distinguish an original form from a copy–just in case the doctor “forgets” to return the one he or she borrowed.
- Looks the other way if something which breaks the rules is in the best interest of the patient.
- Believes that nursing is a calling.
To all of the old school nurses who are still out there: Thank you and wear the cap proudly! What would you add to this list?
still likes to wear her nurse graduation pin!!
A box of gloves–if you even had access to the–lasted at least a year.
I Like your list and can relate to many of these,but I didn’t realize # 10 was old school, I believe it’s still a calling,
Actually that was a question that the professor put to the class in one of my online Advanced Nursing courses.
Obviously, I STILL believe that it is a ‘calling’.
‘Coincidence’ to me is simply God acting anonymously.
Student
Nursing Student (you can change this when you graduate!)
I’m just starting school now and I was wondering how many of the other students were actually going to follow the hair above the collar rule. I, personally have very short hair, but it will be interesting to see how they go about enforcing that rule
RN
Registered Nurse
You never ever throw anything on the floor especially linen>
Wen putting a pillowcase on the pillow the open end faces away from the door. to keep TB at bay. You always cover the wheelchair with a sheet and a pt’s legs are always covered with a blanket so no skin ever ever shows.
RN
Registered Nurse
I graduated in 2010 and do some of these things lol! I was a nursing assistant first so number 2 is very true! I hate the wipes. and 7-8 and 10.
APN
Advanced Practice Nurse CRNAs, CNMs, CNSs and NPs
Only has white underwear. No colors or designs to show through that white uniform.