Question about gauged ears.

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  1. This is a discussion on Question about gauged ears. in General Nursing Student, part of Nursing Student ... I'm not sure if this has been asked before but what are nursing school policies on having your ears...

    I'm not sure if this has been asked before but what are nursing school policies on having your ears gauged?

    And do most hospitals have any policies against nurses having them?

    I'm currently a phlebotomist and have never had any problems with my ears being gauged before even during school and clinicals.
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  2. 31 Comments so far...

  3. it's been brought up before - if you search you may find the last discussion. As far as nursing school goes - a lot of schools have very conservative rules about jewelry - so the plugs in those schools would probably not be allowed. Many schools only allow wedding bands, wrist watches and medical id jewelry. Part of it is professionalism, part of it afety. The gauged earlobed can bet pretty big and the potential for a combative patient injuring or tearing an earlobe is fairly high in day to day patient care with certain populations.
    Bear in mind that phlebotomy schools anf nursing schools often have very different views on what is proper. You may also find that getting a job may be a bit more difficult. No, they can't not hire you because your ears are gauged, but it can prompt them to find another reason not to hire you.
  4. I have gauged ears and wear flesh colored silicone plugs to work, and I wore them to my Lvn program. No one ever mentioned them at school, so I don't know if they even noticed. I didn't ask about wearing my regular plugs because I would rather blend in at school and work.

    The silicone plugs are only 6 dollars a pair on Amazon. I have multiple pairs to keep in my purse, my car, and at home. It makes it easy to change them real quick before work, and they are super comfortable.
    barbyann likes this.
  5. Quote from lovetosleep
    I have gauged ears and wear flesh colored silicone plugs to work, and I wore them to my Lvn program. No one ever mentioned them at school, so I don't know if they even noticed. I didn't ask about wearing my regular plugs because I would rather blend in at school and work.

    The silicone plugs are only 6 dollars a pair on Amazon. I have multiple pairs to keep in my purse, my car, and at home. It makes it easy to change them real quick before work, and they are super comfortable.
    What size are your ears?
  6. They are 3/4 of an inch.
  7. I always wondered if nurses have gauged ears can they use them like extra pockets?

    I never understood the whole gauge thing. Perhaps I'm just old fashioned but it seems a little silly to me. Exactly what does it express about you personally? (I don't mean this as a snarky comment I am serious)

    The only people I know with them are teenagers so I always wonder about adults that have them.

    Our program is very conservative. No jewelry other than a watch and a wedding band, no visible tattoos, no strange hair colors, hair must be away from the face and off the collar, no scents, one set of earrings (studs), no crazy make up, etc.
  8. Quote from Crazed
    I always wondered if nurses have gauged ears can they use them like extra pockets?
    LOL. I'm picturing a nurse with a saline flush syringe sticking through each earlobe... very fashionable, slightly edgy and 100% useful
    alannah_smth, Blue Cat, barbyann, and 1 other like this.
  9. Quote from Crazed
    I always wondered if nurses have gauged ears can they use them like extra pockets?

    I never understood the whole gauge thing. Perhaps I'm just old fashioned but it seems a little silly to me. Exactly what does it express about you personally? (I don't mean this as a snarky comment I am serious)

    The only people I know with them are teenagers so I always wonder about adults that have them.

    Our program is very conservative. No jewelry other than a watch and a wedding band, no visible tattoos, no strange hair colors, hair must be away from the face and off the collar, no scents, one set of earrings (studs), no crazy make up, etc.
    There are some countries in Africa where women wear some kind of lip stretchers; they make them look like they have giant beaks or something. Will that be the next fad here?

    I'm with you; don't get it, don't want to get it. It looks gross to me.
  10. I'm so square I don't even know what "gauged" ears are.
    tcvnurse and amoLucia like this.
  11. im not 100% sure, but i think the lobe stretching is similar to the lip stretching of the african tribes. How a suburban kid, goin to a nursing school has a link to that idk. correct me if im wrong.

    its cool if thats your thing, but it looks unprofessional, at least to the older patients , they just think u have a gross floppy earlobe. (ive seen em. & they're not cute)
    alannah_smth and ChelseaLynn1623 like this.