Good Looking Enough to be a Nurse?

Nurses General Nursing

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I know it sounds like a silly question. But, I'm worried because I know most doctors want to have good looking nurses to work alongside. Also, I know many male patients will want to have good looking nurses taking care of them. I'm so insecure about my appearance and have struggled w/ eating disorders on and off for years. I'm a third year student in the fall and am already dieting like crazy to be in top shape for my first clinical. I know I shouldn't worry about this or let it enter my mind, but it always comes up! Ahhh :banghead: . Thanks guys.

Thank you to everyone for the responses. I know its a rather silly topic, but it's always been my cross to bear since I was 12. I've gotten help, but it always rears its head during stress! Yes, I'm from the US. Anyways, thanks so much. :D

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Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.
i happen to think that beauty comes from within. if you're beautiful on the inside, it shows.

as far as being good looking enough to be a nurse -- it's what's inside that counts.

amen ... i wish i could of said it so beautifully...

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Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.
Thank you to everyone for the responses. I know its a rather silly topic, but it's always been my cross to bear since I was 12. I've gotten help, but it always rears its head during stress! Yes, I'm from the US. Anyways, thanks so much. :D

casey it's really not silly .. just be yourself ... people will love you for who you are.... nursing isn't about beauty .. nursing is the art of helping others when they are at their worst ... you just be kind to people and do your best for them and you will be fine...

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Specializes in Day program consultant DD/MR.

I think you have what it takes to be a wonderful nurse. You are 19 yrs old and aldready have a plan. You will make a wonderful nurse.

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Sorry, missed the bit about the eating disorders. Now I understand. Darling, you have to make yourself well, and fight that monster before you can think about anything else. The older we get, the less important looks become. You can't base your self-worth on how attractive you are on the outside. I was a size 5 in college, and ok looking. I am now a size 12 and getting older, and let's just say that the boobs aren't where they used to be! I am WAY happier now than I was then, even though I'm not 'attractive' anymore. Find the people who couldn't care less if you were to have three ears and a nose on your behind. Those are the ones that matter.

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Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.
Sorry, missed the bit about the eating disorders. Now I understand. Darling, you have to make yourself well, and fight that monster before you can think about anything else. The older we get, the less important looks become. You can't base your self-worth on how attractive you are on the outside. I was a size 5 in college, and ok looking. I am now a size 12 and getting older, and let's just say that the boobs aren't where they used to be! I am WAY happier now than I was then, even though I'm not 'attractive' anymore. Find the people who couldn't care less if you were to have three ears and a nose on your behind. Those are the ones that matter.

i love your post .. i agree ... casey i wish i wrote this to you .. ten cat thank you ...

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
I know it sounds like a silly question. But, I'm worried because I know most doctors want to have good looking nurses to work alongside. Also, I know many male patients will want to have good looking nurses taking care of them. I'm so insecure about my appearance and have struggled w/ eating disorders on and off for years. I'm a third year student in the fall and am already dieting like crazy to be in top shape for my first clinical. I know I shouldn't worry about this or let it enter my mind, but it always comes up! Ahhh :banghead: . Thanks guys.

Don't worry about it. I'm an ugly cuss. The patients don't seem to care. The docs... well, yeah, they seem to give a lot more attention to the cute young things but I'm not looking to impress the docs so what do I care?

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Specializes in Emergency.

If you truly want to become a nurse, then I strongly encourage you to focus on your career and resist from indulging in stereotypes. The nursing profession has come so far, yet there's still a long way to go. How are nurses ever going to gain respect if we believe that our job is to look pretty, to make male patients happy, and to compliment doctors who focus on staff aesthetics rather than staff credentials.

All you seem to focus on is how one looks, how much one weighs; but nothing in your post mentions that you are excited about clinicals, or that you are worried that they are going to be hard.

You say "I'm worried because I know most doctors want to have good looking nurses to work alongside." This is false. Most GOOD doctors want to have COMPETENT nurses to work alongside.

You stated "I know many male patients will want to have good looking nurses taking care of them." Actually, I've found that most men prefer to have someone other than the "hot" nurse, especially when it comes to modesty issues (putting in a foley, BM, etc).

Perhaps you should see a therapist to get a handle on your insecurities, so you can better cope with your life and future. If you do become a nurse, then each day will be hell for you if you are always thinking you need to be "pretty" to go in to work. Because guess what? There'll always be someone prettier out there, and if you valued your life by what is reflected in the mirror - well, you'll never be happy. With your mentality, you are setting yourself up for a long, miserable career in nursing.

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

is this a joke???

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are you serious??? you can't really believe this, right?

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Specializes in Neuroscience, ED.

You should have seen the nurses I worked with on three different unit. You would not be worried :-P

You talk about doctors hiring, do you only want to work in a doctor's office? Because in the hospital the doctors don't do the hiring, the HR department does and I have found most of them to be women.

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Specializes in critical care.
Are you kidding me?

Sorry if this doesn't sound helpful or understanding, but I agree with the above post. It really sounds like a ridiculous concern. There are so many other things to worry about being a new nurse, and you are worried about how others view your appearance? It just sounds a bit shallow. You really should be more concerned with whether you will be able to assist patients effectively, intervene in emergencies, advocate for your patients needs. Not how you look.:twocents:

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