Looking too young to be an RN

[Amxixi29]

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to hear what input anyone has on my so-called "dilemma." I am a 21 year old senior nursing student so I will be 22 when I graduate. I have worked as a student patient care tech at a large university hospital so I feel pretty comfortable in interacting with patients. I have come a long way since working in this role for almost 2 years as I am a generally quiet and soft-spoken person. When called, I am not shy about having to re-direct my patients.

My problem is that I look very young. I hear it from co-workers and patients about how young I look. Patients always tell me that I look like I am still in high school 15-16 yrs old or look like one of the other RNs daughter. One of the older PCTs says that I'll be a great RN some day but that I just look sooo young that I may not be taken seriously.

I don't take it personally and tell myself it is a good thing and would appreciate it when I am older. However, it does get kind of tiring hearing this over and over again. Working as a tech patients enjoy and seem to feel very comfortable having me take care of them. (The majority of the patients are elderly.) I am not sure how it may change when I am their RN though. It makes me nervous about gaining the trust of patients, co-workers, and doctors when I do start working as a new grad. I want to be taken seriously especially since I would like to work in an ICU setting and once I get my skills down go to school for my NP degree in the future.

I obviously cannot change my looks but does anyone feel like I do? Any students or RN who are or were in the same position and how did you deal with it?

Whew...it was great to write this all down since it has been on my mind for a while...any input would be awesome...thanks for reading! :wink2:

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

Your looks is their problem. I'm sure you get nice comments as well as annoying ones about your looks. Matter is, you've worked hard and must have done something good to get where you're at today. As long as you're a good nurse, who cares. Are you helping people? Do you follow the rules? Don't worry about what they think and say, you just keep doing you. You go, girlfriend!

EXACTLY!!!! Especially the very first sentence....

[lilypad2424]

Imagine you were only four feet tall and get back to me

[Annaiya, NP]

I passed the bar exam at 23 and everyone always assumed I was the legal secretary not the attorney, so I know where you're coming from. Aside from the hair/make-up and clothes suggestions, something else to think about is how you speak. Some people naturally have a high voice or still sound like a child even though they are 20 or 30. I was always conscious of not using slang, speaking clearly and confidently, not giggling, and getting rid of what little regional accent I had. I still get comments about people practicing before I was born (and usually they were), but I know I sound like an attorney now, and I think that makes a difference. Now I just need to learn how to sound like a nurse:)

[AdelaideChic]

I graduated at 20, but was working as a nursing assistant (or whatever the correct term is, out of Australia...) from age 17. So, my concerns also branched out to finding out about me signing legal documents, hehe. However, i am now working in a major hospital, on a Cardio Thoracic Recovery Unit (also an ICU). Because of my experience (i think), people tend to take me seriously. I wil admit when i dont know something, but demonstrate my ability when im able to. Our ward 'uniform' is navy scrubs, not very complementary, but we all look the same. I think i look younger with my glasses on (i think i look like i have bigger eyes, more questioning than answering).

Its not our age that matters, its the care we provide. Unfortunately, it seem a lot of people dont mind their own business. I dont do anything to try and make myself look older, i wear very little makeup (base and sometimes some lip gloss) and thats more of a personal confidence thing rather than an age thing. In the end, age is kinda irrelevant, long as your not being harrassed.