Q&A with Second Year Mental Health Student Nurse.

I checked and Uclan gives all Student nurses a uniform, may not wear it much but asked and they wear them on wards sometimes, will be getting some smart clothes and my ward suitable shoes once i get bursary

I currently work for an NHS mental health trust and they are introducing uniforms for all inpatient nursing staff... Sadly!


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Oh right. Thanks for the information. I am in my final year and studying at university of west London and mental health students don't wear uniform in practice. we just have to dress casual but wear trousers. We wear a magnetic student nurse badge.

I think it's a terrible idea - and all the patients I've talked to are really against the idea. The way one patient put it is that uniforms imply authority which creates a "them and us" culture, I like being able to blend in with the patients (you know besides the ID badge, alarm and leather key strap!).

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Hopefully, you guys have enough petition for the uniform idea to be abolish. In London, I know for a fact that it will not happen because it is meant to be a relaxed environment. They were thinking about it before but a lot of the nurses are against it and that is why they are not doing it. What trust is introducing it? We do the same practical such as OCSEs, sim practice etc... but we have to wear our own top and trousers.

I prefer no uniform. I wear trousers (mostly black or grey) and like any jumper or tops that are long sleeve that I can roll up or three quarter length.
I don't think it's ethical to wear uniform but like you said there has been many debates about this. i know learning disability student nurses have to wear uniform at some of their placements. We can debate on this all day but i'm glad that i don't have to wear uniform. is it just the top half or the full thing?

How often do you get hit on by old men who die shortly after?

Yes, the tunic is not a bad idea at all. I agree with you on the uniform should be in neuro-rehab, older persons, dementia units. Are community nurses meant to wear uniform as well?

True, uniform will not be appropriate in a forensic and acute mental health wards.

one thing i ve been wondering is do you learn much psychological theories or do you not need to?
( i ve been finding some psychology stuff in a couple of nursing textbooks i ve picked up)

Sorry for the late reply, I work over the weekends, so I've been quite busy
By psychological theories do you mean like cognitive, behavioural, social learning theory etc?
If so, no we do nothing about that, we just do Anatomy & Physiology, practical skills, ethics and Medicines Management & Influences on health.
Nothing about where it came from and why, I did that in Psychology at college, I think it's a little too in depth, unless you were doing a psychology degree maybe.

yes i did. i just noticed a chapter on psychology in my nursing companion book and had wondered why on earth it was there, i d presume we wouldn't really need to know anything like that so thought it was a little strange.
actually my boyfriends joint degree is partially in psychology:P

Just to let you know that mental health nurses currently don't wear specific uniform. you just have to dress smart/casual on placement.

Learning disability nurses don't wear uniform either. As far as I am aware of, the only nursing profession that wears uniform is child and adult student/ registered nurses.

Uniforms are being introduced to more and more mental health inpatient wards where I live. I'm on the fence about it, but i think it makes trained easily distinguishable from untrained to visitors and new patients. Our student uniform is U G L Y though!!