Disturb you to see a tongue pierced?

[mario_ragucci]

Do you think it's okay to wear a tongue-ring to work as a nurse, or other direct patient services aspect?

[fergus51]

Have you all heard Chris Rock's "No sex in the champagne room" which includes a rather suggestive comment about tongue piercings? I think that's what makes me not so comfortable with tongue piercings at work....

[nursejenrad]

Okay fergus51, lets hear it.

[nowplayingEDRN]

Yes, I know nurses are human s too and yes, it is their body after all and I realize that they make clear acrylic tongue studs for those times when you need to keep your piercing to your self, however, I feel it is just an unprofessional look, inviting all manner of gross creepy germs to infect the piercing and creating a world of trouble for the piercee. Just MHO though.....

Would I get one, no! I like my tongue just the way it is and I have an aversion to pain and the sight of my own blood

[fergus51]

I don't want to be too risquee on the bb, but he says if a girl has a tongue ring she will probably suck...... And says the same about a guy.

[mopsi]

I am begining to think this is an age thing !!!! I am 48 and could not imagine having anything but my ears pierced (ONLY ONCE)..I have no markings on my skin other than some freckles...I do work with a lot of gals and some guys who have it all....I do think it is a personal choice. I just don't see the beauty in it...Our facilty makes those with eyebrow piecings wear a stupid bandaid..but they ignore the 3 inch false nails painted up more than a NYC subway car..There are so many bigger problems in Nursing right now I just can't get hung up on that stuff..I am too happy to see my replacement!!I do favor white uniforms too, but again I think this must be an age thing!! So if you'll count the cart, take the keys, get report or not leave me all the stuff you should of done on your shift I'll smile and be glad to see ya!! Oh and I do get a little freaked out when you whip up your shirt in report and show me the latest..Haven't read the Miss Manners page on the proper response..LOL

[Audreyfay]

My daughter used to have a stud in her tongue. It made her talk with a little bit of a lisp. At the ripe age of 24, she took it out. She said she was getting tired of people looking at her tongue while she talked, instead of her eyes. She also has some 7 earring piercings in each ear. She doesn't wear any earrings now. She also had a naval piercing, but it got infected and she had to take it out. Funny, how sometimes as we get older, we realize how much of an inconvenience these piercings are. My suggestions, why do it?

[LauraF, RN, ASN, CNA, LPN, RN]

I agree with alot of what I'm reading here. When someone's tongue is pierced you end up looking at their mouth. Or they will play with it while in conversation. That gets me! Not very professional.

[geekgolightly, BSN, RN]

I don't think it's appropriate, not because I find it offensive in any way whatspever. In fact, I like the look of piercings. My ex boyfriend did his own Prince Albert. I have no weird feelings about piercings. But as nurses we are here to take care of people. some of whom may be terribly frightened and sicker than they have ever been in thier lives and depending on the nurse to take care of them. If their perception of the nurse is that she might not be competent (it doesn;t matter what the truth is, the perception of the patient is what matters) or if the patient is frightened of the nurse because the nurse, by having a piercing represents something to the patient that scares the bejeezus out of them, then IMHO, it is wholly inappropriate. And we never know when we might run across that patient. It is better to leave the personal at home. It is why I do not have my hair dyed purple. Which I would LOVE to do. I don;t because I care for my patients and I want them to feel safe. i want to provide them with a security that they are most likely lacking at this point in their lives. I want to be the one they reach out to, not the one that they are frightened of.

And I think tongue piercings are adorable. I had my nose pierced waaaaaaayyyyyyyy back in the 80's before there were piercing studios. I did it with a piercing gun. Took it out because I got bored, but I'll never regret it.

[redwinggirlie]

What bothers me is not the job that a tongue-piercer has, it's just the piercing! IMHO it's a yucky form of expression with no purpose whatsoever....ok, so there is a rumor that it has ONE purpose, but who goes around doing THAT all day?

[JasonGreen]

I find that it is ok if you're discreet about it. Of course, this could just be showing my young age. If it is noticable or is easily seen, then no.

[Medic946RN]

Originally posted by 2ndCareerRN

And let's not forget the delay in intubating so you can remove the jewerly.

I just use the piercing to secure the ETT! :chuckle

[iliel]

I agree with Geek, I had my tongue peirced for many years, it was far enough back that it didn't click on my teeth and no one really noticed it. But when I started working in Dentistry, I felt like a hippacrit (?) I started to have some very small amount of gum recession from it and I took it out. I still have my nose peirced (have had it for about 11 years) and I take it out eveytime I go into work. Probably one of the stangest comments I got was from a lady in her late 70's I was working at the GAP and she said "oh, if you told me you were going to do that to your nose, I would have talked you out of it, but now that I see it on you...well...I just love it!) Proved to me you can't judge a book by it's cover!

So yes, take these extra rings out for work, it's just cleaner that way!