"halloween" by hanna_horwarth via Flickr

I never used to think much about costumes and healthcare professionals. Sexy nurse? Not for me, but I guess go ahead. It didn’t seem that important. Until I became a healthcare professional. It’s absolutely okay to dress as a nurse (or doctor or pharmacist or your favorite real-life healthcare hero) for Halloween if you are oh, about 12 years old or younger. It seems any age over that and the costumes become *ahem* inappropriate, to say the least. It degrades our professional image.

Similarly, I used to think policies that prevented healthcare employees dressing up on Halloween were “no fun.” I mean, we worked hard, and we just wanted to have a little fun on Halloween, especially since we were working. It might even bring a smile to a patient’s face, right? My views have changed dramatically over the years, hearing gut-wrenching stories of patients or families receiving life-changing, serious news from professionals dressed as clowns, pirates, you name it. Costumes may be appropriate in a few healthcare settings. Pediatric dental offices immediately come to mind, but for the most part, Halloween costumes typically don’t fit well within healthcare settings. That’s just my opinion. I have never worked in a healthcare organization allowing costumes on Halloween. JParadisiRN, on the other hand, has always worked in facilities in which they were allowed; yet, she has the same uneasiness. 

What do you think? Is there an annual discussion in your area about costumes this time of year? Does your facility allow them in patient care areas?