Appropriate Dress Policy
Students will maintain a neat and well-groomed appearance that is congruent with a professional culture and contributes to the patient and family experience of an orderly, clean, safe and professional atmosphere for care.
- Student ID Badges - Student ID Badges must be worn above the waist with full first and last name, program and College name visible always. No stickers or pins should cover important information. Student ID Badges expire at the end of the student’s program. Under no circumstances is any student to give his/her badge to anyone else for any purpose, or to use or display another student badge. No other employee badges may be worn during school related activities.
- Clothing - Clothing should not be excessively baggy, tight, or revealing, including bare midriffs and cleavage exposure. Undergarments must never be visible. Clothing that could be considered offensive is prohibited. No street clothes are permitted in the clinical environment or simulation settings.
- Footwear - Clean, professional footwear is expected. Heels and toes must be fully covered. Socks must be worn with approved shoes/styles for the relevant learning experience. Sandals, slides, and slippers are not permitted in the clinical environment or simulation institute.
- Hygiene - Students are expected to bathe regularly, to conduct proper oral hygiene, and to use deodorant to prevent offensive body odors. Scented soaps, lotions, perfumes and colognes may offend or elicit allergic responses among patients and clinical staff and should be avoided while students are engaged in clinical settings.
- Jewelry - Wearing jewelry is not recommended. Jewelry must be limited to a wedding band or a ring with a flat setting. Only one pair of small button-type earrings worn in the earlobes is permitted. Necklaces and chains may be worn inside shirts. Bracelets should not be worn in the clinical setting to avoid contamination and comply with safety parameters for infection prevention.
- Piercings, Cosmetics, and Accessories – False eyelashes are not permitted in the clinical setting to avoid contamination and comply with safety parameters for infection prevention. Faculty will determine whether jewelry or piercings must be removed for student and/or patient safety in consideration of the following:
- Personal safety of self or others
- Productivity or performance expectations
- Offensiveness to others
- Patient complaints
- Professional appearance
- Nails - Nails must be natural, maintained at a length no longer than the fingertip, and kept free of debris and polish. Fingernails should be clean and neat and not interfere with clinical duties or productivity standards of the agency. As per The Joint Commission standards for patient care, artificial fingernails, extenders, acrylic wraps, acrylic powder, gel polish and nail art are not permitted in the clinical environment or simulation institute. Any nail polish worn must be free from chips and able to be removed using a standard nail polish remover in less than 30 seconds.
- Hair – Hairstyles should be clean and well groomed. Hairstyles should be simple, with hair secured away from the face. Long hair should be pulled back or braided to not interfere with patient care activities. Facial hair must be clean and trimmed. Please note that the presence of facial hair may interfere with obtaining a secure fit of a respirator mask and may therefore not be appropriate for all clinical areas.
- Scents - Natural or artificial scents may be distracting to others or put their health at risk. Fragrant products should be used in moderation out of concern for others including classmates and patients.
- Tattoos – Tattoos may be displayed unless determined to conflict with the job or work environment in some manner such as the following non-exhaustive list:
- Personal safety of self or others
- Productivity or performance expectations
- Offensiveness to co-workers, patients, vendors or others in the workplace based on racial, sexual, religious, ethnic, or other characteristics or attributes of a sensitive or legally protected nature
- Customer complaints
- Professional appearance
- Headwear - Goldfarb School of Nursing recognizes the importance of individually held religious beliefs and will reasonably accommodate headwear worn for religious or cultural purposes. Any headwear worn in observance of religious beliefs must be clean and securely fastened for safety and infection control purposes. Caps, hats, bandanas and other headwear are not permitted in clinical settings.
- Personal Items - Purses, backpacks/shoulder bags, waist packs or valuables in clinical settings need to be secured. Agencies may not be able to provide storage space for students’ belongings. GSON recommends not bringing valuables to the clinical setting.
Clinical and Simulation Attire
Students are required to wear their name badges, identifying them as Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing students during all clinical experiences. Students purchase school scrubs and lab jackets following current protocols in advance of clinical experiences. Uniforms must be clean and pressed.
Pre-Licensure/BSN Requirements:
The BSN scrubs/uniform should never be worn in settings other than clinical agencies or the nursing simulation institute. Undergraduate uniforms consist of the following items:
- Galaxy blue scrubs (top may have Barnes-Jewish College signature logo and pants or skirt)
- White, black or gray t-shirts or turtlenecks under scrub tops.
- White lab jacket or Goldfarb-approved Clinical sweatshirt
- White or black, solid color, needle-resistant, non-slip shoes. Heels and toes must be covered. Socks must be worn.
- Student ID badge
Didactic and Laboratory Attire
Students must wear publicly acceptable attire in the classroom setting. Clothing should be clean and in good repair. An example of acceptable professional street clothes would be dark slacks or skirt and a button-up top in solid colors with long or short sleeves.
Students are required to wear galaxy blue scrubs (top and bottom) and approved closed-toe shoes in the laboratory institute. Each student is responsible for maintaining their uniform and lab coat in a clean and professional manner. Goldfarb jackets or sweaters that cover up the scrub top can be allowed within laboratory institute.