Are Braids Professional?

[POB21]

Hi! I'm 21 years old and I'm in my last year of nursing school - graduating in May 2020. I'm mixed race (Black and some white), and currently have in braids like the picture I attached (this is not me, this is a picture I got off Pinterest ). I wear these because my hair is super thick and curly, and braids like these help my hair to be more manageable, and help my hair grow. I have gotten braids consistently for about 1 year now. Nobody has said anything to me in Clinical as of yet. I wear the braids up and out of my face for clinical, and obviously keep my hair and the braids clean. Since I will be starting to go on interviews soon, I was wondering if braids like these are considered professional - especially for a new grad looking to be hired. Would wearing braids like these stop me from getting my first job?

Thank you for reading!! All opinions welcome ?

[Guest1117442]

Girl, wear your braids!

[nurseteni]

Had to chime in here. As a black woman who was a healthcare professional long before I became a nurse, I decided fresh out of college that my ethnic hairstyles were not innately unprofessional. Furthermore, an organization who may perceive my hairstyles as such would not be an organization I'd want to work for. I've worn plenty of hairstyles (currently have locs) and have been in a myriad of hospital and corporate environments and my hair has never been an issue as my professionalism speaks for itself. Keep your braids pulled back but wear them as you please. Blessings on your new and exciting journey ?

[Cococure]

You hair is beautiful! And yes is it professional...no need to worry about that. Just pull it back in a pony tail and rock it

Cococure

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

I'm a conservative in a conservative region, and think that it would be fine. It's not in your face, and could easily be put up if required for patient care

[Oldmahubbard]

On the other hand, huge elaborate hairdos in multiple colors to me are over the top, and I have seen this.

[Daisy Joyce]

The black nurses I work with wear their braids “up”, just like the long haired white and Asian nurses and nobody has a problem with it.

[Subee2, BSN, MSN, CRNA]

Braids aren't the issue. It's the length that's the issue. I would wear my hair to the interview in the style I would wear it to work...braids pulled up or pulled back not to fall onto people or stuff. There's a fecal veneer in the hospital and I'm sure it would make the interviewer reassured that you "got it." Let them flow when you walk out the building at end of shift.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Nothing wrong at all with the braids but depending on the setting you might need to put them up in a bun while working. Which you would probably want to do anyway. You don't need your hair used against you as a weapon if you are working with a volatile patient population and you won't want your hair dipping into who knows what at work.

[Amanda Bergvik]

I think you should have no problem. Like many others said, as long as you can keep it out of your face when needed, there is nothing wrong or unprofessional about your hair style. I don't think what another said about "liberal" places being more open to it... Poor choice of words imo because you don't have to be a liberal to appreciate ethnic and cultural diversity... but that isn't what you asked. So rock the braids! I was always jealous of girls who could wear the tiny braids in their hair.

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

11 hours ago, Amanda Bergvik said:

I think you should have no problem. Like many others said, as long as you can keep it out of your face when needed, there is nothing wrong or unprofessional about your hair style. I don't think what another said about "liberal" places being more open to it... Poor choice of words imo because you don't have to be a liberal to appreciate ethnic and cultural diversity... but that isn't what you asked. So rock the braids! I was always jealous of girls who could wear the tiny braids in their hair.

I was a poster who mentioned liberal, and it had nothing to do with politics...

[turtlesRcool]

Currently, California and New York are the only two states with laws forbidding discrimination based on ethnic hair styles. Several other states have proposed legislation working its way through.

The truth is that there are some people who have (sometimes unconscious) derogatory views of natural hairstyles that deviate from the standard white/asian hairstyles. Some of this is from ignorance. Some is from racism. You may never be able to prove their bias was the reason you didn't get the job.

Yes, it's wrong. Unfortunately, it's not something any of us can control, so you control what you can control. Wearing your hair up at the interview will show you understand good safety and hygiene aspects to longer hair.