'This instructor got such a bee in her bonnet about my boots': Nursing instructor tries to flunk student over their choice of shoes

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Dec 6, 2023 5:00 PM EST

Here's a red flag in any workplace: if they love to say, "that's how we've always done things." It immediately signals to you as an employee that your contributions won't be valued. Instead, the company is going to keep doing things the way they've always been done, like using outdated tech or working harder, not smarter. Places like this don't want innovation, they want you to shut your brain off all day and do things by the books. 

While in nursing school, u/krichcomix found out that some old-school nurses took this saying to heart. But weirdly enough, their instructor felt that way about their outfit. Nurses have a crucial job, and they should be allowed to wear whatever is comfortable and professional. After all, they aren't there for the fashion, they're there to help sick people feel better as quickly as possible. No matter to the OP's instructor---this woman was kind of obsessive about the OP's shoes. The OP even consulted the company's handbook to make sure they were in compliance. Sure enough, their outfit was fine. The only person who cared was the instructor…Check out the entire story below. 

Next up, this coffee shop owner told one frazzled manager to take two weeks off, but the owner wasn't prepared for the store to fall apart while the manager was out. 

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    Cheezburger Image 9847204608
    via Abbie Togstead on Unsplash
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    Wearing combat boots during nursing school L OC Back when I was in nursing school, we were supposed to wear black, non- porous, close-toed footwear with non- skid soles for our clinical rotations that weren't Crocs. Most of my fellow female students wore classic nursing clogs like Daskos and Sanitas. I tried wearing clogs like this in the past and had rolled my ankles too many times to recall, so I decided to not go that route for shoes.
    via u/krichcomix
  • 03
    I'm a military spouse, a vet myself, and have aforementioned ankles, so my footwear of choice was a pair of black leather tactical combat boots. As a show of support - and to make sure I always looked sharp at clinical - my hubby always shined up and edge dressed my boots every evening before clinical the next morning. The boots always looked professional, they were comfy as , I could bump my toes into beds without breaking a toe, and I could wear them all day without having back pain, foot pain
    via u/krichcomix
  • 04
    During the first week of my first semester, I had an old-school nurse as my clinical instructor. I say old-school because she believed female nurses should still be wearing crisp white uniforms with the stupid starched hats and that our profession lost prestige when we transitioned to scrubs. This instructor got such a bee in her bonnet about my boots and decided that my boots were out of regulation that she threatened to take it up to the director and have me tossed from clinical thus failing t
    via u/krichcomix
  • 05
    There was nothing in the handbook specifically stating I couldn't wear my boots since it just stated 'footwear' which was black, well-maintained, non- skid and non-porous. Check, check, check, check. Furthermore, the pair of boots that I wore were meant to be worn by EMT's, so they were waterproof, bloodborne pathogen resistant, puncture proof, oil proof, non-skid, and had reinforced toes. They were just as expensive as Dansko clogs, and could handle lots more abuse. I knew I was in the clear, a
    via u/krichcomix
  • 06
    The day after the instructor commented on the inappropriateness of my boots she did a uniform/shoe inspection to make sure we were appropriately attired. I, of course, was wearing my nicely polished combat boots. She failed me for the day based on my boots, so I politely objected, stating that my boots fell within the definitions of acceptable footwear in the handbook. She literally marched me to the directors office like I was kid caught stealing cookies and demanded I get tossed for the boots,
    via u/krichcomix
  • 07
    The program director, upon further close reading of the program regs, determined there was nothing that was wrong with the boots, they adhered to the standards set forth by the program, and that they were honestly safer than most of the shoes the other students were wearing because they were waterproof, puncture proof, non-skid and had reinforced toes. She rescinded my fail and allowed me back in clinical. After that, I heard not a peep about my boots from any of the faculty the rest of my progr
    via u/krichcomix
  • 08
    I had been my wearing combat boots since I started and had no intention of stopping, especially since many of the vets that I cared for during clinical always reacted positively to them. Our nursing pinning ceremony - the event where we receive our nursing school pins and are officially recognized as nurses - has an all-white dress code. White uniforms, starched white hats, white close-toed footwear. The word 'footwear' is key: the dress code did not state shoes specifically, and I knew this.
    via u/krichcomix
  • 09
    Same b y old bat nurse sees me in the hall and makes it a point to tell me I'll have to get some 'real' white nursing shoes to wear to pinning since I can't obviously wear my black combat boots because we needed to have white footwear. I politely smiled, nodded, said that I'd have white footwear, and went on my merry way...
    via u/
  • 10
    ...And then wore the all-white Doc Martin combat boots my linfantryman husband bought me as a graduation gift to pinning. The instructor stopped me after the ceremony and complimented me on actually getting nursing shoes... At which point I pulled up the leg of my white scrubs and showed her my boots. The look on her face was priceless.
    via u/krichcomix
  • 11
    TL;DR... Nursing instructor tries to fail me for wearing combat boots, nursing director okays it, I wear black combat boots the whole program. Same instructor tells me to wear white nursing shoes for the pinning ceremony, I wear white combat boots instead.
    via u/krichcomix
  • 12
    INFINITYONHIGH I could see if you were wearing Birkenstock's or some , but to complain about shoes that were actually better than what everyone else was wearing is Reply Share 1.8k krichcomix OP Aww no. No offense to Birk lovers, I wouldn't wear those even if I had the option. I am too much of a klutz! ●●●
    via u/INFINITYONHIGH
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    molassesfreak I opened up Malicious Compliance and accidentally learned how cool boots are Reply Share 339 krichcomix OP There are some pretty awesome choices out there, especially if you're on your feet for extended periods. Glad to help on a TIL :-) ●●●
    via u/molassesfreak
  • 14
    taloncard815 I really hate people in the "we have always done it this way" camp. These are the most dangerous words in healthcare. Good for you for showing her up.
    via u/taloncard815

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