I have been in a very ridiculous debate with someone I know concerning this. It begins with a brief story of him asking my brother to help a friend get into the hospital.
The kid states that she goes to nursing school, and my brother agrees that will help.
He adds, "Yea, plus she looks good and she's fit so that will help her get the job." My brother doesn't see how that can help and the kid utters back, "No trust me. I learned it in school. Looking good helps get the job anywhere."
Now of course, my brother disagrees due to his experience in the medical industry. I can agree SOMEWHAT with my business background, but I see it only applying to SOME companies dealing in advertising, sales, marketing, and retail where they want the individual to be an image of their brand, or a representative of their company and what product they are promoting. In those cases where, unfortunately, a pretty face helps get the foot in the door of potential clients and buyers, I can agree with his statement despite its ignorance. HOWEVER, i disagree with it applying to a nursing job. From common sense AND having family and friends as nurses, I know the field focuses on skill rather than looks. Now I'm not saying nurses are ugly.....I have seen many attractive nurses. But I see this as a field consisting of all types which shows me it relies on skill, not looks. I do know physical appearance helps in ANY interview, but that means hygiene, grooming, and professional dress. That should always be key in ANY interview, the kid takes the phrase too literal where he thinks it means a pretty face.
Please help with any proof, experience, or knowledge of this situation. I would love to hear from Nurse Recruiters since they do the hiring. Please help me open this kid's eyes and ears and stop being ignorant and taking things too literally. Thank you!!
It has been study and proven over and over that good looking people do have the edge in many ways. I think of course experience is going to play a huge part but I would not be surprised if you took 2 nurses with the exact same experience(maybe even a little less for the better looking one) the better looking one would get the job.
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
Oh, I dunno...........I have never in my life had trouble getting a job or winning promotions, and as y'all can see I'm far from thin, and I'm certainly not drop-dead gorgeous. Maybe I've been relatively successful because I try to project confidence and competence whenever I interview.
This is why, in a way, I'm glad I was never beautiful because I had to develop other attributes, rather than rely on my appearance, to get where I wanted to go in life. And now that I'm older, I don't really have that "OMG I'm losing my looks!" thing going on.........when you don't have a lot to start with, you've got little to lose later in life when other things become far more important.
It isn't about appearances, it is about confidence and how you carry yourself.
I have interviewed beautiful people and have not hired them because they are not confident in themselves.
On the other hand I have interviewed people that would be categorized as "average" in appearances (one has physical flaws that most would consider "unattractive") yet because of the confidence and self-assured attitude they have I have hired them with no hesitation.
Because of society and the treatment given to "attractive" versus "unattractive" people it is more common for someone who is physically attractive to have high confidence and common for a less attractive person to have low confidence as a result of bullying or societal pressures.
Because of society and the treatment given to "attractive" versus "unattractive" people it is more common for someone who is physically attractive to have high confidence and common for a less attractive person to have low confidence as a result of bullying or societal pressures.
I don't consider myself attractive at all, I'm even considered obese, but every nursing job I've applied and interviewed for, I've been offered a position. The employers I've applied for wants someone that has certain experiences, can work independently, and have other strong qualities that pertain to the job itself. But if looks had anything to do with getting hired, I'll still be unemployed, while all of the attractive people are hired instead.
Back in the day, during the great depression, men bought apples to resell, polish them up just so, so that people would be fooled that a polished apple was worth a little more than a dull one. Nowadays, it's the economy stupid. And if you have an absolutely appealing appearance, why not use it to your best advantage and polish your "apple" prior to the interview?!
I do believe that the attractive one with equal skill sets would be hired over the less attractive one. However it's keeping the job that is the true test.
No matter how beautiful you may be, if your employer finds fault with your performance or attitude, your beauty will only add to their disdain or regret for a foolhardy choice of hiring you for your looks.
The thing is, I know quite a few of very pleasing to the eye nurses; however, I judge their value honestly is rather their beauty but their competence and skill set that makes me want them to continue being my coworker.
I'm sorry but this is exactly how I feel..... Do I really care how my nurse looks when I'm sick,vomitting basically going through some sort of agony so too speak,naw....
Specializes in trauma, ortho, burns, plastic surgery.
Is not at all about PHYSICAL good looking, is about how this person is insiede.
What is insiede the person will be reflected outside of her and will be felled by people who hiring It.
The first 5 seconds are important to hire someone....you know from the first moment what is happen with him/her, what will be happen with him her....
Is not about beauty is about inner beauty..... but to be and a nurse and with inner beauty....hard to find it, loooool!
I had the chance to found one... was an old one... a nurse who was is and will be loved by everyone, hired by everyone, a mentor...you fell good around her....she is beuaty in her soul....
Ugliness, sneakiness is not on bodies is on souls!
I remember a friend of mine being amazed that so many of the receptionists and front office staff she met in this country older and/or plain women. In her country, these jobs were staffed by the young(under 25) and pretty.
Good looks (of the right non-tacky kind) certainly can't hurt.
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Do I really care how my nurse looks when I'm sick,vomitting basically going through some sort of agony so too speak,naw....
leslie :-D
11,191 Posts
i guess, people are really that shallow...
leslie