Florence Nightingale, the 19th century British nurse, was instrumental in the development of many hygiene and cleaning practices still in use in nursing today. The Lady with the Lamp, as she was known, also helped shape the uniform used by nurses around the world, including the famous cap. The little cap, typically white with a red cross, was traditionally worn on top of the head to hold the nurse’s hair in place. Today, most nurses no longer wear one, given the potential for bacterial contamination... a bit ironic when you consider Florence Nightingale was a champion of both hygiene and nurses caps!