Does "Looking Good" help you get the nursing job?

[Brother-of-Nurse]

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!!

[soulofme]

Naw, Im ugly as SH*T and they keep hiring me!

[oregonchinamom]

I tend to agree that attractive people have slight edge getting a job. I think that all other things being equal, a more attractive candidate may have a better chance. That may not mean conventional standards of beauty, however. I used to hire and I was was looking for someone that took care--i.e. was very clean and well put together. And I don't mean wearing make-up but that they had appropriate, pressed clothing, neat hair and nails, things like that. If a candidate looked sharp, that was a mark in the positive colomn for me, but it certainly was not the only or most important factor.

[TrailBlazerRN]

As wrong as it sounds, I think that looking good has an impact on someone getting a nursing job. I guess it's natural for someone to gravitate toward someone who is attractive over someone who is not. Think back to high school, looking good is an almost competition, you naturally want to be with the good looking people because it will improve your image. Likewise, would you rather be admitted to a hospital with attractive nurses or a hospital with ugly nurses? I'm probably not making sense. But anyway, I guess "looking good" might include someone's weight too. I can see someone who is thinner and in better shape get the job over someone who is obsese, simply because they may be able to perform the job better physically.

[vashtee, RN]

I don't know that a nurse has to look like a movie star, but if s/he looks slovenly, I wouldn't want them as my nurse. I want a nurse that looks clean, professional, and intelligent.

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

I think it is easier to hire someone who is somewhat attractive just because they have a "look" about them that can translate to competent--by that I mean, many people assume that since one is pretty, one must be good, great, etc.,

Stupid assumption, but unfortunately it happens a lot.

[shellpsychrn]

Naw, Im ugly as SH*T and they keep hiring me!

Too funny! I think if we are all honest with ourselves, we will admit that people are naturally drawn to attractive people. If that person also has an out going personality and appears confident, who would you pick. I am not saying that this is fair, I just think that this is how it is. I do believe that we all have the ability to look professional when we show up for an interview, this does not mean you have to be natural beauty, you just have to have pride in your appearance.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

I believe there is research proving that attractive people get the jobs and earn more money.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I think that good looks can help get a nursing job ... but it's not nearly as big a factor as it is in other jobs. The ugly nurse who appears competent will usually get hired more often than the beautiful incompetent one. However, if all other things are equal ... then the pretty one will have an edge because she makes a more positive impression in an intangible way that may even be sub-conscious on the part of the interviewer.

But that's just my opinion.

[leslie :-D]

I do believe that we all have the ability to look professional when we show up for an interview, this does not mean you have to be natural beauty, you just have to have pride in your appearance.

i agree with shellsn, esp the part i bolded.

it really is about confidence, being comfortable with oneself.

honestly...who would you hire?

a handsome/beautiful person that appeared timid and meek?

or, an avg (or

leslie

[Woodenpug, BSN]

what I've seen. Attractive female nurses, get more than their share of stuff. It seems that patients and fellow nurses refer to an excellent nurse as that "skinny" nurse. She seems to have to try harder to prove herself. That or go into management or education.

[Coloradogrl]

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.

It is sad but it does happen