[Cherish]

Originally Posted by muffie

2 cm ladybug R ankle, 2 cm butterfly L ankle

never been to prison
don't ride a harley

I've got a half sleeve fom my upper shoulder to my elbow. Its water that comes up to clouds, with tropical flowers, butterflies (surrounding the clouds), my capricorn sign and the OM symbol. I get a lot of people (usually older) that say its really pretty and beautiful. It's not at all a trashy tattoo (if you like naked ladies and all good for you just would never get something like that on my body).

[Hopefull2009]

Originally Posted by Cherish

In the military there are many high ranking people with tattoos. Had a Command SGT Major with two tribal and unit patch tattoos on his calf. Even saw a full-bird colonel (in PT clothing) with a tattoo on his forearm. With that rank you can easily make over a hundred thousand a year. Most people in the military (including me) have a tattoo its very common, and you know how us military people are we MUST have some sort of mental illness (sarcasm). Historically in America most tattoos were on prisoners and military folk but that is not the same situation today.

In the business world you wear suits and long sleeve shirts with ties very hard to see tattoos. I had an ex-bf (Army Vet) who had two tattoo sleeves and was the main honcho security officer for a health care system (3 hospitals). Wore suits or shirts with ties everyday. People didn't know he had tattoos till they saw him in regular clothes.

Just a note...

My Psychology professor isn't "old" or was quoting historical references to tats, he was just stating a current statistical fact.

He never said that people with tatoos have mental illnesses, he said that there is a high correlation with people that are heavily tatooed and mental ilnesses. That isn't the same thing.

I would disagree that "most" people in the military have tatoos, especially with the recent crackdown on tatoos by the military and "most" would refer to over 50%. That alone, shows that the military is having a major shift in attitude toward tatoos.

As far as never meeting a high-ranking business executive that was heavily tatooed, I was speaking from personal experience, and was not making a general reference that there were no exceptions.

For religious reasons, I don't believe in tatoos.

[Elvish]

I personally don't want one and don't foresee changing my mind.

HOWEVER, there is a NICU nurse at the hospital where I am that has a very large visible tat on his L wrist. And I can assure you that if I had a sick baby, he would be first on my list of requested nurses. He is the consummate professional, a great nurse, and one of the nicest people you will ever meet!

Tattoos (or lack thereof) do not the person make.

[southernatheart]

I have pink highlights in my hair...got them for graduation, and my manager at work didn't bat an eye

[southernatheart]

Originally Posted by classy gal

As an experienced professional I want to give a warning against getting or showing any tattoos.

It is 100% legal to discriminate against people with tattoos. Currently there are lawsuits in the works in the area of religious tattoos but so far the courts have not overruled previous decisions.

For first responders, your employer can require you to list ALL scars or tattoos. It is a felony to lie. Often times for fire fighters they use a polygraph during the interview. In the extreme case of some city fire fighters they have a "swim test" where the point is not to test your swimming ability but to see if you have a disqualifying tattoo.

Having a tattoo is more than a form of self expression, their meanings go back much longer. The word "stigma" has the Latin base of tattoo or to permanently stain. Only slaves or known criminals had tattoos and where given tattoos against their will. In todays society a majority of people do associate tattoos with criminal behavior and social deviance. It is a legitimate fear of a patient of contracting hep C from a worker.

Having a visible tattoo can and will probably preclude you from achieving your potential as far as you career goes. So to all you in the lower echelons of nursing with visible arm/neck tattoos who dream of achieving more.

My advice is to not get any. If you all ready have them, hide them and lie about them.

So lying is a felony...but as a 'professional' you're advising us to lie. Hm.

[HisHands]

wow classy, you seem really disqualifying here. "So to all you in the lower echelons of nursing with visible arm/neck tattoos who dream of achieving more." What the heck is that? I could TOTALLY see my employer saying, "Yes Crystal. You are the most qualified candidate for that promotion, but we are giving it to Joe because he doesn't have that tatoo/extra set of earrings, etc." Riiiiight.

BTW, I have a tat that I LOOOOVE. I had always wanted to get a fish directly in the arch of my left foot, but when my hubby and I went in to get it, I changed my mind. I decided to get a hot pink, glows under blacklight Playboy bunny on my left lower back right above my bum.

But hey, that's just me.

Blessings!
~Crystal

[cardsRN]

big butterfly on my left hip, lizard on my r breast, symbols on my back (I know, i know it was a different time in my life) appointment on friday to get a flaming skull on my l arm. working on ideas for a half sleeve with my son's name.
no jail time or harley riding here either.

[RNtigerEMT]

Had to get in on this.
I have 3 tats. One, my first, on my L shoulder blade, of a tiger.
2- a heart with a rose encircling it on my L breast that I drew up (my DH has the twin image on his chest) and 3 an angel holding an infant on my R thigh. The only one even slightly visible in scrubs is my heart, and then just the top of it if I bend over and my scrub top is a loose one. I have been asked by several people, pts and coworkers, about it, and have never had a bad reaction. They all three have a very special meaning to me, and I am proud of them all. No piercings other than my ears, but do not have a problem with those that do.
I am a biker, but no jail time. Actually, being a biker, and having tats has often times been the way I've been able to connect with certain pts. Bikers, and tatooed/pierced pts in particular. I don't judge them, the pts, and they appreciate that. All of my tats can be covered, if I want them to be. I have more planned tats, the next one being 4 tiger cubs with my kids BDs on my L thigh. Just waiting for the $$$ at the moment. Plus my DH gets the next one.
Tatoos and piercings do not, IMHO, make any person less of a professional. Its the way they act in the workplace, and the way they treat their pts that is what is important. I personally know a cardiologist, who happens to also ride a chopper, who is one of the best I know. As far as I know he has no tats, but that wouldn't make a diff to me if I needed him.

[Elvish]

If I need you to save my life, I don't care what you ride, what's pierced, or what tats you have.

FWIW, my dad used to ride a bike. A more straight-laced man you will not find anywhere. Bikers come in all shapes, sizes, colors, ages, I've found.

[wonka]

I completely agree, doesn't matter at all what tatoos or piercings people have, it does not say anything about how they do their job.