Can I have multiple ear piercings?

[SingDanceRunLife]

I'm thinking about getting second holes in my ears (lobes), but I'm starting nursing school in just over a month, and I'm not sure if I can have multiple piercings...are nurses usually allowed to? I don't want to get my ears pierced and then have them close up because I can't wear the second earrings (although, I suppose if I can only wear one, I could only wear earrings in the second hole while I'm at school, and when I go elsewhere put earrings in the first holes).

Anyone?

[CherryRed23]

Most schools say studs, one hole, lobe...nothing else. Check with your school before you waste your time and money.

[One1, BSN, RN]

It will depend on your school, see if you can find the clinical guidelines before you get your ears pierced again. At my school, you are only allowed one earring per ear.

[gumby1411]

I never thought about this before. I can't imagine the school telling you how many ear piercings you can have. I would think it has more to do with the requirements of the hospital where your clinicals are, which may vary. I have a cartilage piercing in the upper portion of my ear, I hope that's not a problem. Guess I'll find out!

[UVA Grad Nursing]

We have different restrictions for students in the clinical arena versus the classroom area. In classes, students can wear whatever they want (sweats, pajamas, etc to class). However in the clinical arena, there are different codes for dress (including jewelry and tattoos).

Let me give you a brief visual -- imagine you are in a pediatric environment holding a 12-month old. You can be sure a baby is going to grab whatever s/he can reach. This would include earrings, nose rings, etc. Perhaps you see why clinical settings prefer studs only -- they do not want RNs to become clients in the ED because someone grabbed an earring.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

There's no restriction on the number of piercings; the restrictions are on what type and how many earrings you can wear. In both of my nursing schools, no earrings were preferred; if one did wear earrings it could only be 1 pair of stud earrings--no multiple pairs, no hoops, no dangles.

I have multiple holes in each ear, but I've had them for decades so they're not in any immediate danger of closing. Whenever I had clinical and chose to wear earrings (which was rare), I wore birthstone studs and just alternated which holes I put them in.

But as already mentioned, your school is the one with the final word on the matter, so you should ask them.

[SingDanceRunLife]

My school and clinical setting are one in the same since my school is run by a hospital, and said hospital is where all the clinical rotations happen (except peds because the hospital doesn't have peds).

I never wear dangly earrings at all. Only studs. When I first got my ears pierced, as soon as I could, I wore larger, dangly earrings because it was "cool" (I was in middle school). Now I like a cleaner, more classic look.

My first holes have been in for about 7/8 years now, and I went through a period of time where I pretty much never wore earrings, so if I don't wear earrings in them, they'll be fine...so as I said in my OP, I guess I could get the second holes and if I can only wear one set of earrings, wear them in those so they don't close up.

[One1, BSN, RN]

I never thought about this before. I can't imagine the school telling you how many ear piercings you can have. I would think it has more to do with the requirements of the hospital where your clinicals are, which may vary. I have a cartilage piercing in the upper portion of my ear, I hope that's not a problem. Guess I'll find out!

In our case, it is absolutely the school and not the facilites where we do clinicals that dictates how it wants its students to represent the school. We have strict guidelines, from number of earrings to nails to hair color. Some of it is for safety or aseptic reasons and some because it would not go in line with our school's image.

[JBGC4]

My school only allows one set of stud earrings.

[DayDreamin ER CRNP]

It is a facility rule for our program. I also work at the hospital where most of us do our clinicals and our school rules about uniform, hair, nails, and earrings, are verbatim from the hospital's policy.

We can wear only one watch, one bracelet, and one pair of stud earrings while at the clinical site. I don't even bother most of the time but when I work, I wear my little hoops or nothing at all. Most of the time, the rules aren't totally enforced at work but they definitely are by our clinical teachers.

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[cnmbfa]

I teach in a BSN program. The hospitals we are affiliated with have dress policies that allow one pair of studs. They also call for hair tied back, clean & pressed uniforms, and no visible tattoos. Pretty strict because they are concerned about the patient's perceptions. The patient's are almost always older and don't view these things as "cool".

[bowlofsurreal]

My program only allows 1 set of stud earrings, too and that isn't just at clinical. The expectation is that in lab we dress the same as if we were at the clinical site.