Anyone get away with a "questionable" hair shade?

CrazierThanYou · Aug 9, 2010

All programs are going to be different. In my area, nursing schools are still pretty strict when it comes to appearances. The nursing program at the closest university doesn't allow their nursing students to wear any make up. Mine asks for minimal, natural-looking makeup, one earring in each ear, stud only, etc.

So, I'm thinking that funky hair colors are NOT going to fly at my program. But, like I said, they're all different.

murphyle, BSN, RN · Aug 9, 2010

My school not only required no unnatural hair colors or "faddish styles," but also a restriction on length: male students had to wear short hair (not longer than 2" when extended), and females' hair could not touch the top of the collar. (Whether you pinned it up or cut it short was up to you.) Hair styles could not include any kind of extensions, beading or other ornamentation, and could not interfere with sterile headgear. (If you can't confine it under a skullcap, it "interferes.") We also forbade visible tattoos, facial hair on males, excessive or unnaturally colored makeup on females, jewelry except for a watch and/or a wedding ring, body piercings except for one small stud per earlobe on females, nail polish of any kind, artificial nails of any kind, and natural nails longer than 1/4".

...And no, this wasn't in the armed forces. (Heck, Army nurses at least get to grow their hair to the bottom edge of the collar! :))

In all seriousness, even if your school doesn't require a strict grooming standard, the hospital(s) you attend for clinical rotations might. Getting sent home from clinical for failure to meet a hospital's professional appearance standards would be a far greater blow to your nursing school career than any amount of self-expression would remedy. I wouldn't even take that risk.

CrazierThanYou · Aug 9, 2010

My school not only required no unnatural hair colors or "faddish styles," but also a restriction on length: male students had to wear short hair (not longer than 2" when extended), and females' hair could not touch the top of the collar. (Whether you pinned it up or cut it short was up to you.) Hair styles could not include any kind of extensions, beading or other ornamentation, and could not interfere with sterile headgear. (If you can't confine it under a skullcap, it "interferes.") We also forbade visible tattoos, facial hair on males, excessive or unnaturally colored makeup on females, jewelry except for a watch and/or a wedding ring, body piercings except for one small stud per earlobe on females, nail polish of any kind, artificial nails of any kind, and natural nails longer than 1/4".
...And no, this wasn't in the armed forces. (Heck, Army nurses at least get to grow their hair to the bottom edge of the collar! :))
In all seriousness, even if your school doesn't require a strict grooming standard, the hospital(s) you attend for clinical rotations might. Getting sent home from clinical for failure to meet a hospital's professional appearance standards would be a far greater blow to your nursing school career than any amount of self-expression would remedy. I wouldn't even take that risk.

I can't help but wonder what qualifies as a "faddish style". What about the "Jennifer" that was so popular? :lol2:

Our school also has the watch and one ring (no stone) policy. Looking at the palm of your hand, your nails should not be visible. No fake nails, hair up, etc. Sounds very similar to my program's guidelines.

ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN · Aug 9, 2010

I find it odd that nursing schools are so strict about these rules on appearance, but at some of the local hospitals around here ive seen nose piercings, visible tattoos, gauged ears, pink hair, etc...

i cant wait to graduate.. i want my nose stud back =(

CrazierThanYou · Aug 9, 2010

I find it odd that nursing schools are so strict about these rules on appearance, but at some of the local hospitals around here ive seen nose piercings, visible tattoos, gauged ears, pink hair, etc...
i cant wait to graduate.. i want my nose stud back =(

I have often wondered about that myself. I am particularly curious about the nurses who have these 3 inch acrylic nails!

Years back, at a major hospital about 100 miles where I live, a rash of babies were acquiring infections and dying in the neonatal unit. The infections were finally traced back to a bacteria growing under a nurse's fake nails...

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Aug 9, 2010

The program I am entering is VERY strict about appearances. No visible tattoos, even if that means you have to wear a long sleeved turtleneck throughout. No visible piercings other than a single pair of studs in the ear. If you have facial piercings that cannot be removed for whatever reason you must wear a bandage to cover. If you have body piercings that are visible through your clothing then you must wear a bandage, etc. to cover them.

Hair must not touch the collar during clinical procedures, and like another poster said you can cut it or wear it pulled back or up. Loud colors are frowned upon (whether a non-natural color such as pink, blue or red) and the administration and clinical instructors reserve the right to send you home from clinicals without credit for the day. (Clinical experiences cannot be made up.)

No acrylic or other fake nails are permitted as there is significant evidence that virulent bacteria is often trapped in the false nail regarless of how well or how often a nurse scrubs her (or his I suppose) hands. There is a limit to nail length also for safety and sanitary reasons.

We have to wear nursing shoes, sneakers and clogs are not permitted. You can be sent home if your uniform is not clean & pressed. Appearances mean a lot.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Aug 9, 2010

Fake nails are a definite no-no everywhere but they seem to be tolerated in many places.

murphyle, BSN, RN · Aug 9, 2010

We have to wear nursing shoes, sneakers and clogs are not permitted. You can be sent home if your uniform is not clean & pressed. Appearances mean a lot.

Likewise with us. We allowed athletic-styled nursing shoes and professional clogs (i.e. Danskos-type) as long as they had a completely enclosed toe and back, were at least 80% white (you could get away with white over a little low-key colored trim; white over silver and white over blue were popular) and in good repair. No ventilated or backless styles were allowed. Students could and did get sent home for uniform violations, including failures of laundering and pressing. (The latter became somewhat of a joke when I started in the EC - several of the more experienced nurses had a good laugh over the fact that my work scrubs were then, and still remain fastidiously pressed and creased...)

Fake nails are a definite no-no everywhere but they seem to be tolerated in many places.

Which I can't understand for the life of me - artificial nail "treatments" (acrylics, tips, wraps, etc) have been banned for perioperative personnel for at least the last 20 years, and we've known about the infection hazards associated with them for the same length of time. We have a hard enough time getting people to wash their hands consistently - why would we then turn around and let them crank up the infection risk even more with a set of fake nails? What's to be "tolerated" about a potentially major reservoir of pathogens in any care setting? :confused:

Mom&Wifetoo · Aug 10, 2010

My school not only required no unnatural hair colors or "faddish styles," but also a restriction on length: male students had to wear short hair (not longer than 2" when extended), and females' hair could not touch the top of the collar. (Whether you pinned it up or cut it short was up to you.) Hair styles could not include any kind of extensions, beading or other ornamentation, and could not interfere with sterile headgear. (If you can't confine it under a skullcap, it "interferes.") We also forbade visible tattoos, facial hair on males, excessive or unnaturally colored makeup on females, jewelry except for a watch and/or a wedding ring, body piercings except for one small stud per earlobe on females, nail polish of any kind, artificial nails of any kind, and natural nails longer than 1/4".
...And no, this wasn't in the armed forces. (Heck, Army nurses at least get to grow their hair to the bottom edge of the collar! :))
In all seriousness, even if your school doesn't require a strict grooming standard, the hospital(s) you attend for clinical rotations might. Getting sent home from clinical for failure to meet a hospital's professional appearance standards would be a far greater blow to your nursing school career than any amount of self-expression would remedy. I wouldn't even take that risk.

I think we must go to the same school LOL

To the OP though, the above is all true of my school, AND we are in all white, must be perfectly laundered and pressed uniforms, with no athletic style shoes, only Danskos or the like, etc, etc. Plus, if you have fly aways, that is grounds for dismissal for the day. One of my dear friends attended one of the other local programs. They were MUCH less particular, to the point they were almost too lax on them. SOme look like they had just rolled out of bed.

In the long run, I would just stick to whatever your school says is acceptable. As you can tell we are all required to do different things regarding our appearance. I feel you about wanting to do something a little different because you like it, not just for the attention, but the reality is that NS is filled with people looking to find what you have done wrong, don't give them an easy target!!! Good luck in school, and have fun!

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · Aug 10, 2010

Every nursing program I know of has a "no unnatural hair colors" policy. I've heard of people doing funky things with natural colors, such as two-tone color or multi-colored highlights. Personally, I'm interested in playing with reds and going a solid plum or ruby; my skin is fair and such colors complement my skin tone nicely. However, I wonder just how strict nursing schools are. Does anyone have first-hand experience with this? What unusual hair colors have you seen in your classes, if any?

um, just remember you are going to be dealing with REAL CLIENTS..in the REAL WORLD. Hospitals are professional environments. no one wants a nurse that looks like a sideshow, this goes for the facility or the patients..

just look at it through their eyes.

if u want to dye ur hair "plum" work at hot topic.

ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN · Aug 10, 2010

um, just remember you are going to be dealing with REAL CLIENTS..in the REAL WORLD. Hospitals are professional environments. no one wants a nurse that looks like a sideshow, this goes for the facility or the patients..
just look at it through their eyes.
if u want to dye ur hair "plum" work at hot topic.

I don't find dark red/plum hair to be shocking or "side show like" at all... Many people in the REAL WORLD have this type of color hair and it is not a big deal.. Personally I don't think this type of hair color would be a problem at most nursing schools, even the strict ones, as long as it is up and off of the collar.

I had my hair a dark burgundy color that is very obviously not a natural hair color, but still not shocking and I actually got lot of compliments on it during clinicals, especially at the nursing home, the old people loved it! And I was going t one of those schools that makes you wear all white, no piercings/visible tattoos, no excessive makeup, etc..

sometimes you just need to do a little something for yourself to set yourself apart from the pack of nursing student clones, and make yourself feel more like an individual... no need o be so mean, really.

K nurse-one-day · Aug 10, 2010

i like your hair, I think its cool