The orthopaedic nurses of 7 West celebrated Halloween in their starched whites—those scary uniforms of yesteryear with stiff, pinned-on hats and white hose. The sight was enough to intimidate any patient into submission.

The orthopaedic nurses of 7 West celebrated Halloween in their starched whites uniforms of yesteryear. From left are: Carlita Jenkins, Cassandra Richardson, Chris Nelson, Sandy Wilkins, Desiree Taylor and Amy King.

But it was all in fun at the wrap-up of their Orthopaedic Nurses Week, Oct. 26 through 29.

Today's nurses dress out in more comfortable and practical scrubs to reflect a hands-on professionalism that invokes patient trust and collaboration.

Orthopaedic Nurses Week at MUSC reinforced that approach to their specialty with a series of professional and personal development seminars that included: The Benefits of Massage Therapy, Beth Cooper, R.N., massage therapist; Good Nutrition Habits, Audra Latham, dietitian; The Benefits and Basics of Exercise, Jim Tomsic, exercise physiologist.

A highlight of the week was a Wednesday lunch session by Carol Dobos, Ph.D., R.N., on professional development.

Discussed was the importance of continually updating knowledge and skills to maintain competencies for practice, of engaging in self-assessment both personally and professionally, of the uniqueness of the profession of orthopaedic nursing and the specialized needs of the variety of patients cared for in this area, of participating in professional organizations, and of collaborating with community organizations such as the Arthritis Foundation to meet patients' needs beyond their hospitalization.

The orthopaedic nurses raised more than $600 to benefit the Arthritis Foundation. They conducted a 7-West baby picture contest, offered personal/professional profiles, solved a orthopaedic crossword puzzle, offered a prize for the best logo idea for a 7-West T-shirt, and of course there were those ghostly white Halloween costumes.