So in my BSN program we are getting a lot of education focused on cultural diversity and honoring others as people, and the choices they make about lifestyle. We are to help others achieve optimum health while respecting their culture and not imposing our personal values on them.
Interesting enough, nurses (including student nurses) are told that our tattoos are "unacceptable" and "unprofessional." I have to wear long sleeves to cover of my peony flower tattoo on my upper forearm, because it "might offend" a patient.
I work for a hospital that has a no tattoo policy, but our lower management/charge nurses don't care. I work with nurses that have told me they don't care about my tattoos, and many of them and our patient population would feel more comfortable working with me because I have tattoos. And frankly, wearing long sleeves is an infection-control issue with the department I work in. I'd rather show my tattoos than spread microbes from patient to patient.
So, as nurses we are to celebrate the cultural diversity of others, but our own diversity is unacceptable. It is important for us to be professional (smell nice, clean look, etc.), and tattoos don't change this. However we may be letting patient care slip as we nit-pick at some issues. I wouldn't relate this to those with of piercings cause that can affect patient care (infection control, injury issue, etc.), especially in the OR. I won't wear jewelry in the OR to protect my patients.
So I'm wondering what other student nurses have experienced regarding this issue of cultural diversity and their own tattoos, or experience with other students with tattoos.
