Health Care and Long hair

[Longlocks3]

I have a clinical experience in December! I get to 'practice' being a Respiratory Therapist. It's a ways away but I would like hairstyle ideas so I can master them before December!

The requirements include that I wear my hair back, clean, out of my face. Also, since there is a possibility of having to give CPR, I'm thinking hair sticks are a bad idea. I will be in CLOSE patient contact.

I also dislike wearing any hair that would hang past my shoulders(i.e. a regular braid) because it's a twelve hour shift that I will be doing and my hair will fuzz badly if left down. I need something I can wear that whole time, I may have no time to fix it/change it if it is uncomfortable.

So, ideas? thoughts? Any other health care workers?

[Lemur_Catta]

I would try Ez Bun or a sock bun (either the traditional or the "new" way, the one you like most). They are the only updos that stays on me even if I move around a lot, expecially the Ez Bun, that is more comfortable. (which you can find here https://www.ezbun.com) I even went to run with it, and it stayed :D
I wish I had your problem! :D I am a medical student but it will be a few years until I start real practise in the hospital.

[misstwist]

Braided bun. The plastic Good Hair Days pins work very well for me in securing that and I don't even know it's there.

The braid will utterly contain your hair and if the bun happens to get away you will still be in a nice, tight braid.

[xkmx]

I'm actually in clinicals right now to become a CNA before nursing school this fall. I've mostly just kept my hair up in either a high pony tail or a messy bun so I don't have to touch it at all during the day. A sock bun, a low braid or some version of a ponytail are your best bet for keeping it out of the way.

[Anje]

Honestly, I don't think short sticks are necessarily out. Something shorter than about 6" shouldn't protrude from your head much -- I don't see much potential problem even for mouth-to-mouth. Higher on your head (near the crown) is probably going to be safer than near the nape, though.

Otherwise, there are always hair pins and Wavelength pins to secure hair in a bun. Both work well for me (though one color Wavelength pin always slides out for some reason -- too slippery).

For styles... I like "cheater figure-8s", celtic knots, and stuff like that. Mess with some different buns so you know what stays in place comfortably all day.

[Longlocks3]

Thanks for all the great ideas! I'm ubber excited to get into a hospital but scared too!

[Rivanariko]

I personally really like french braids for keeping hair back and out of the way. If you don't want it hanging down, you could do the tucked under french braid thing.

What my mom said she did when she was doing her residence was she would do pig-tail braids, then pin them up on the sides of her head (she was probably around APL or so at the time) and put some kind of covering over it so that they were up and out of the way completely.

[Flynn]

Forks, wavelength pins, or plain old bun pins will be your friends.

[EtherealOde]

You can also get really colorful scrub caps/scarf thingies to protect your hair once it's up.

[Longlocks3]

You can also get really colorful scrub caps/scarf thingies to protect your hair once it's up.

I was tentatively looking at those. We are required to wear a gray polo with the schools logo, maroon scrubs and can only put a gray or white shirt under the polo. So it would have to be in that color palate, no patterns. I have three clinical rotations, basic/adult, neo/peds, and critical with a day or two of home care.


I swear I just had a nightmare were I was wearing one of my favorite Ketylos and someone coded. When checking for chest rising(where you put your ear over the patients mouth and look down their body towards the chest) I poked them in the ear!

Maybe just a manifestation of my overall worries about clinicals.

Thanks again everyone.