ABSTRACT
Objective:
to analyze the use of the student uniform as one of the determinants in the establishment of the professional identity of the nurse graduated from Escola de Enfermagem Anna Nery in the 1950-1960.
Method:
Socio-historical study, using documents of that time and interviews by means of the thematic oral history technique with seven former Escola de Enfermagem Anna Nery students as sources, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Claude Dubar’s concept of identity supported the discussion of the data.
Results:
the uniform leveled the students, equaled them and set a standard of behavior to be followed. It also distinguished them hierarchically and served as an assessment item during the course.
Conclusion:
the uniform was a determinant strategy of the professional identity during the daily course reality as, according to the former students, it was an element that distinguished this group’s positions and behaviors, permitting the understanding of the graduated nurse’s possible roles in the society of that time.
DESCRIPTORS:
History of nursing; Nurses; Clothing; Culture; Socialization; Career choice