Being an ugly nurse

[mofomeat]

Hi folks. My questions in this thread are actually more serious than they'll seem...

We've discussed at length here how awesome it is to be a young, hot nurse. Well, how about if you're old and ugly? The first strike against me is I'm male. The second strike is I'm going to be past 40 by time I finish Nursing school. My hair is thinning a little and I've got a mild case of rosacea. I'm somewhat overweight, but I've also got a condition known as Diastasis Recti which makes it look like I have a beer gut. I never was a cute little kid to start with and never got to be "young and hot" like everyone else. Basically, I'm at tops a step up from your standard Level 4 bridge troll. In real life, if I'm too nice to people or too eager to help them with anything (an innate flaw of my personality) it somehow translates to "creepy" instead of "kind". This disqualifies me from L&D and Ped for sure, but I'm fine with that.

When a classmate of mine tells people he is going into nursing, the responses he gets are usually "*swoon* nothing like a hot male nurse!". When I tell people, I usually get stuff like "You'll be useful for all the heavy lifting and cleaning up".

Surely some of you Studly Guys and Lovely Ladies have had to work alongside someone who looks like they stepped out of the Mos Eisley Cantina scene before (and I don't mean that in the cool way). Even if the ugly nurse is reasonably intelligent, competent, fairly personable with a great sense of humor and doesn't smell bad, would their dodgy appearance make them more prone to:

1) Discipline for mistakes.

2) Lateral violence.

3) Getting a bedpan dumped in their locker

4) Patients being 'creeped out' in the presence of an ugly old man

5) Jealousy from co-workers (see Mos Eisley comment above)

6) Getting hired in the first place

7) ???

I'm not becoming a nurse to go hit on all the hot young female nurses (as my friends seem to believe) so I'm not overly worried about dating prospects. It's a job, it's a career and I'm driven to help people.

The people I work with now love the crap out of me because I'm good at what I do, I'm good at understanding what THEY do, I'm good at getting everyone and everything to work together and I make the work environment fun and enjoyable with humor and good cheer. However, we're all a bunch of computer/Star Wars/Lego/DnD geeks and we don't work with the public a whole helluva lot.

But nobody goes to a hospital to see ugly people, right? Should I just pack it in and join the circus instead?

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

i am sure some pts prefer the better looking nurse. i think there was a study about how attractive people are preceived to be smarter than non attractive people. frankly i dont care how pts or coworkers rate my smile or facial appearance or beauty. but having these things does help you alot in life . sure some can think a greAt looking nurse is a bimbo looking to marry a dr but sometimes i think those thAt think that have some jealousy issues. i dont see a correlation with the favorite (pts or managements) nurse and looks or skill/ competence for thAt matter! i have no idea how some make it to the favorite level.

[RehabRNjc]

I don't care what you look like, if you know how to pull me or my loved one back into a Normal Sinus Rhythm, you're the best nurse in the world. (Not always possible, but when you can...you and your coworkers will be the coolest people in the world for just a moment, nobody will care how you look.)

[txwildflower57]

I am a woman but I was over 50 when I got my RN. I have found that many of your elderly patients want the us "older" nurses because they have more confidence in our abilities. Your age will be advantage for you. Patients don't care how cute or young you are, they want to know that you are there for them and know how to take care of them. My suggestion - study hard, learn it, and always put the patient first. You will do fine.

[MommyandRN]

I'd MUCH rather work with YOU than a young, attractive nurse with no sense of humor. You'll do great!

[ncat]

who is bringing u down???? a good nurse is a good nurse is a good nurse. a smile and soft touch is there to open the door. think better of u and then others will. fyi-if i had a drop dead gorgeous nurse taking care of me-i would be less comfortable...too much time in bathroom 'fixing' themselves up:0-over and over again. if u don't want to be in a hosp-how about an agency with private dute type of cases??please-think better of yourself and u have so much in sensitivity to share..i think u are one of the best:)

[wish_me_luck, BSN, RN]

I have to post. I think OP has great assets (see my earlier post) but please don't bash younger nurses or ones that are pretty. I thought the whole point of the thread was to point out OP's great assets, not to bash other people. Just because someone is pretty, doesn't mean they are awful or dumb, there are plenty of pretty nurses that are also smart. Also, age has nothing to do with anything. That's reverse discrimination. One post said they started nursing in their 50s and pts respected them more...why would someone in their 20s starting nursing not deserve that respect? Education is equal, experience is equal. Only age is different. I must add, yes, that comment bugged me a lot because I am in my 20s and I look like a teenager. That doesn't mean I am immature or dumb.

In short, I think it's wonderful to point out great assets about people but you definitely don't have to bash others in the process.

[Despareux]

Genuinely nice people who smile a lot always have an attractive quality. It's much easier to see those positive qualities in a nice person; however, if you're considered sexy, gorgeous, etc...you can turn ugly real quick with a bad attitude.

[Zapazol]

Finally someone uglier than me has posted here. I thought that having to wear that Leatherface mask was essential to cover up my facial deformations. Now I can show them with pride.

[Jingles39]

I'm sorry, but this has got to be one of the most lame threads on this site. We're seriously rallying around the "ugly" nurse to make themselves feel better because they've got other abilities that make them a good nurse?? Kind of like "everyone gets a gold star cause they're SPECIAL"...don't ya think?

I'm far from from young, hot and sexy, but I sure as h*ll have a million and one other concerns in life when it comes to what type of nurse I'm going to make one day. I want to be competent, a good team player and someone my patients can rely on during their most trying times in life....not a shallow worry wart that wonders if my "designer" grey's anatomy scrubs and fresh, visually appealing face make me look like part of the cool crowd at the nurse's station

Pages of posts devoted to such a silly topic and nurses wonder why they aren't take seriously or seen as professionals.............

OP, I'll bet you're not nearly as "ugly" as you proclaim to be, get over it and be proud of what you bring to the profession, sheesh.

[Stephalump]

Well, if I ever need a self esteem boost, I know where to come!

My breasts are sagging a bit after having three kids. Will I still be a good nurse????

Y'all can start telling me how awesome I am now. :)

[PirateArrrNnnn]

Last night when I was volunteering in the ER I was talking to a patient and his family. I usually put on makeup and fix my hair decently. But yesterday was a different story. I was just too tired to sit down and put on the makeup. I had oily face with horrible acne breakouts. My hair was falling out of the ponytail. I admit, I look pretty good with myself made up but very plain with out. When talking to patients, they commented more on my personality rather than looks. They said that I would make a great nurse because I was easy to talk to which makes them comfortable. I get the same comments with and without makeup. I think how a patient perceives your worth as a nurse is based on your skills and bedside manner when their life is in your hands.

[DichloroacetateAl]

This is the first time I've come across the notion that only hot, young people should join nursing. To be a good nurse, and to be liked by the patients, you need to fulfill their needs. Many patients who come into the hospitals are already married or are partnered, so most do not care how you look. In addition, when people are in pain, romance is the last thing on their mind. They'll be very thankful if you alleviate their pain, and it doesn't matter if you are handsome as Gerard Butler or as "ugly" as DJ Qualls.