Nose Piercing question...advice needed

[kiss04bam]

Anyone have a small stud nose piercing? Im seriously thinking about getting one, but very very tiny diamond. Do you think this would be acceptable in a job setting? I know that during clinicals in school that I may have to take it out. Not in schol yet, but hoping to be by next year. Any advice?

There are ALOT of indian folks around here and Im assuming that if they are physicians and such they would be able to keep them in being it is for religion beliefs.

thanks

[nursecher]

First of all, let me say I think that the teeny tiny diamond in the nose is very cute. I would love to get one myself. Problem is it is against hospital policy to have any facial piercings. And personally I don't think it looks professional. So I guess we can't have fake nails and nose rings.........i think it's worth it to be nurse. :)

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

I work/go to school with several girls that have nose studs. They put plastic covers on them when they are on the floor and you can't even tell they have a piercing, so no need to remove

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

It'll likely depend on how conservative your area is and your school in particular.

You can always take it out if it becomes a career hindrance. I had a nose piercing that I took out a while ago (unrelated to dress code/nursing) and it just leaves a small scar- nothing major.

[joyfulgrrl]

I love nose piercings!

I have my nose pierced, but take it out while in school or at work - of course, I have had mine pierced for about 20 years, so I can leave the ring out for weeks and it doesn't close up. However, I was very surprised that at the LTC I just started out there are several women with nose rings in!

[justme1972]

The nose ring, from my understanding (because we actually have very few American physicians in my area, and I grew up with kids of Indian heritage my entire life), is not religious based, but just a cultural adornment.

The spot on the forehead, is religiously based, because it is given as soon as possible with regular ink at birth to ward off evil spirits until a permanent one can be placed.

Remember that physicians are not employees of the hospital...that is why the standards can be different. They have privileges and the hospital doesn't make money without them to admit patients...so that is why their dress code is far lax.

Nurses ARE employees of the hospital...so they have the right to say no to piercings.

With that said, facial piercings, of any kind, is not considered professional...I don't care who has them, or if 'the last place they worked didn't say anything' or 'I have never been able to not get a job because of one'...bottom line: They are not professional.

I personally, LOVE nose rings. I used to have my eyebrow pierced in my younger years and I had this very, very tiny mini-bar that was custom made by a jeweler that I dated at the time with two diamonds that I wore, and all you saw was sparkles on my eye.

I also worked in clothing retail at the time, I was the regional visual merchandising manager, so it was very appropriate in that setting.

But not in a hospital.

[catnip]

i have a very small stud and have been working as i nurse for about a year. i have never had anyone say anything to me about is, maininly because it seems to give me a better connection to my patients who are younger, they see me as someone who understands where they are in their life, and that i value greatly, i only work 3 days a week and nainly at night so im sure the families would have something to say if they see me, but with the teens/young the adults see to be more apperciative , esp after the pt begs for a peircing and i tll them ALLLLLL about it, then the teens seem to stop asking. hope this was helpful

[CANewRN]

I have had a small stud for a long time before I even started school (so I could take it out if needed, but tried to get away with it . Only a few times during my first semester did they want me to take it out, and once in my peds rotation. Never had any other problems with it besides that, nor was I asked to take it out while I was working as an extern (I am starting my RN position there in a few weeks, so hopefully they will still allow it). Keep in mind my stud is very small and diamond so it doesnt draw too much attention. Being that I was one to follow dress code but not quite to the T that they wanted me to (i.e I wore crocs when I was supposed to wear all white athletic shoes----but I did that because those white shoes HURT) I would say go for it, but give it enough time to heal where you could take it out for a clinical day if needed and not have it close up on you