Disturb you to see a tongue pierced?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  1. Is it okay to wear a tongue-ring at work?

    • 252
      No, under no circumstance at work
    • 49
      Yes, but only if you have no direct patient contact
    • 187
      Yes, it's okay

488 members have participated

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

Ummmmmm...Kyriaka don't assume because someone has a tattoo and a piercing that they are a biker chic. I don't consider myself to be one and i have all of the above. That being said I wish I could wear my tongue piercing to work but I follow the rules. I take the ball on the top out and put in a flesh colored disk. Furthermore, the first barbell they put in is long to provide room for swelling. After the piercing has healed it is supposed to be replaced with one that is almost fitted to the tongue. Mine barely moves and very few people know that i have it unless I tell them but i don;t try to hide it either. I have had for over a year and my parents have never even noticed it. I don't play with it. basically because I can't if it fitted you can't play with it because it barley moves around. I have never bite down on it. I can speak properly. it was a little rough at first with the swelling but i got used it. I would love to get my nose pierced with a little diamond stud. but in the hospital you can't wear them unless it is related to your culutre. they make little plastic retainers for the holes but they stand out more. A girl in my class has hers pierced a no one has said anything.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I would find it distracting. I am not against them myself. To each her own....but probably NOT appropriate as RN's. JMO I know.

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Specializes in ER.

It takes a lot to disturb this old ER nurse, but I think it looks stupid. That of course is my personal opinion. Our hospital policy says the only piercing jewelry can be one set of ear rings, male or female. You can have holes anywhere you wish, you just can't put jewelry in them at work.

People wonder why nurses are not always perceived as professionals, then someone wants to show up at work with tattoos on their necks and arms, holes with metal appendages hanging off their eyelids, cheeks and noses. GEEEEEZ, and they want us to wear white so they can tell who the nurses are. We are in big trouble!! :uhoh3:

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

I just don't think it's work appropriate, period.

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Ummmmmm...Kyriaka don't assume because someone has a tattoo and a piercing that they are a biker chic. I don't consider myself to be one and i have all of the above. That being said I wish I could wear my tongue piercing to work but I follow the rules. I take the ball on the top out and put in a flesh colored disk. Furthermore, the first barbell they put in is long to provide room for swelling. After the piercing has healed it is supposed to be replaced with one that is almost fitted to the tongue. Mine barely moves and very few people know that i have it unless I tell them but i don;t try to hide it either. I have had for over a year and my parents have never even noticed it. I don't play with it. basically because I can't if it fitted you can't play with it because it barley moves around. I have never bite down on it. I can speak properly. it was a little rough at first with the swelling but i got used it. I would love to get my nose pierced with a little diamond stud. but in the hospital you can't wear them unless it is related to your culutre. they make little plastic retainers for the holes but they stand out more. A girl in my class has hers pierced a no one has said anything.

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I didnt say they were biker chics. I said it reminded me of them.

Your outward appearance does matter in a job situation.

If you go to work with your hair a mess...it says something about you.

If you go to work with caked on makeup...it says something about you.

We can pretend all we want that we shouldnt judge people. But that is not reality.

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There is a nurse I work with in homecare who has one. I think it is gross. She is probably around 40 years old, probably over 200 lbs, and the big silver ball flipping around in the middle of her togue.......I VOTE NO >>>GROSS

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I agree Kyriak...and it would help if ppl read the words here and not in between lines!

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I didnt say they were biker chics. I said it reminded me of them.

Your outward appearance does matter in a job situation.

If you go to work with your hair a mess...it says something about you.

If you go to work with caked on makeup...it says something about you.

We can pretend all we want that we shouldnt judge people. But that is not reality.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
I agree Kyriak...and it would help if ppl read the words here and not in between lines!

It would help if people were a little more clear in their statements and opinions, since something COULD be misinterpreted.

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I voted I think its ok, but really I have no opinion on the subject. Whether or not someone has a piercing has little impact on their nursing skills. Yes, I think its inappropriate if they call attention to it, or click it along the back of their teeth, or otherwise play with it... but just being there, I don't think its an issue.

I had my tongue pierced when I was younger, but removed it about a year ago. I also never had a problem with speech, and never made a spectacle of myself. Most people were shocked to know I had one.

I have tattoos, does that mean I'm not a competent nurse? Or that I'm a biker chick? And I fail to understand why a tongue piercing on a 40 year old overweight woman is any more disgusting than on a skinny teenager.

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I worked with a nurse who had a tongue piercing, and she was always playing with it, so I was always distracted by it when talking to her.

I feel it's unprofessional, and could be left at home.

If the nurse has a wild side, I feel s/he should leave that wild side at home when s/he comes to work.

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Ick. Yes, it disturbs me to see a tongue piercing.

I guess I don't see the point except for the sexual assistance point and who wants to walk around advertising that?

Unfortunately (or fortunately) looks do matter. Not that you have to be perfect but the way you present yourself says something to others about yourself.

steph

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

I work in a pediatric unit, one of our nurses continues to wear her

tongue ring, even though it is against the hospital dress code. She has been

warned by our manager who also threatened to put her in corrective action

if she didn't take the darn thing out! That was almost 2 years ago.Not only do I think it is gross, it seems very inappropriate for a pediatric unit. The rest of us are required to follow the rules. Does anyone here smell a double standard?

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