I would like to get some input from my fellow nurse managers out there. How important is appearance during job interviews to you? Do you prefer your interviewee to wear scrubs or professional attire? How do you feel about coloured hair (pink, purple, blue, etc)? How do you feel about piercings and/or tattoos? How do you feel about missing teeth and/or no teeth at all?
I have interviewed many healthcare professionals from CNAs to Doctors, and I have seen many things that make me wonder if I am right or wrong in my expectations.
Seriously, no teeth!! I know there must be a rule or law about asking the applicant about it, so I didn't ask where they were. Good idea about the new thread! I could share many stories!!
OP included CNA's to MD's. I've known CNA's who had a less than healthy background that was trying to make a living but couldn't afford the expense of tooth replacement without employment. I'm not quite what I would suggest to them if they're trying to find work when they couldn't afford to fix their dentition.
There's intentional dress and appearance and then there's what can't be helped.
Ir would certainly make me pause particularly with professional staff but I couldn't laugh about it.
I have a coworker Im surprised got hired. She's loud, obnoxious, wears wrinkled scrubs that are too small for her, and has a constant odor of stale cigarettes. The amount and color of her make up makes her look like a clown. She just doesn't look like she takes care of herself. Her hair is long and greasy - Ive yet to see her hair kept back.
There are just so many GOOD nurses out there who present themselves well ...why did they pick her?
Thank you for your reply, Libby1987. I do understand that there are expenses that unfortunately come with tooth replacement. Maybe in that situation it could not be helped. I am thankful that I have dental coverage.
ACNP2017, I don't know. I have worked with many nurses that do not care about their appearance. This also happens in the non health-care fields. I think appearance is important no matter what you do for a living. If we do not care about the way we present ourselves what does that say to our patients and/or co-workers? Can we expect less care to be given by that nurse? I sure hope not.
Please everyone understand, I definitely did not post this to laugh at anyone, I just wanted to know if anyone else has had the same issues, and how they handled each situation. I have to stay on top of my staff about see-through t-shirts, smoke smell, wrinkled scrubs, piercings, etc. We have a dress code, but there are always those that try to push the envelope.
Clean and neat in appropriate attire. Scrubs, business casual or casual for a staff position. Less crazy about seeing roots than off color hair. I take note of nails and teeth. I can't help it. Unfortunately, lack of teeth puts me off but If the person passes the drug screening, I would still consider them.
Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.
We expect some people to come in scrubs. People may interview with us either before or after work. Neat and professional is the key, if you aren't in work attire.
One interviewee sticks with me. This particular nurse (RN) had been personally recommended by one of our staff physicians. She came in dressed like she was going fishing at the lake. Plaid flannel shirt, badly worn jeans (complete with holes) and shoes that should have hit the trash can a couple of years earlier.
Specializes in Case management, occupational health.
I am in a different position now, but when I was doing interviews appearance did matter, as did smells. Smelling strongly of cigarettes, day old alcohol, or severe body odor would really bother me. I feel like the last thing a patient needs when they are in the hospital is a nurse who smells. I worked cardiac, so nurses who smelled like cigarettes while educating patients on the dangers of smoking seemed very hypocritical.
I was disappointed when candidates came to the interview with visible tattoos or piercings, but that did not necessarily keep me from hiring them.
Poor grammar, bad communication skills, just sloppy appearance in general was what I saw the most.
Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.
I am not a manager, but I do think appearance should matter, especially for a professional role such as nursing.
I go to an ice cream place and the person at the counter has her hair dyed bright red like Wilma Flintstone. When I first went to the counter I withheld my need to call her Wilma, and thought I was being nice when I told her she had a rainbow sprinkle stuck to her face. To my embarrassment she responded "that is my lip piercing". Even more embarrassing was the uncontrollable laughter that followed from both myself and the family members I was with. It was to ironic that the person working at the ice cream place had a lip piercing that looked EXACTLY like a pink rainbow sprinkle. So, anyway, I think the above is ok if you are 19 working at the ice cream store, but when a person transitions to adulthood and into a professional role I think the funky hair coloring and lip piercings need to come out.
As a patient if that same person came into my room and introduced herself as my nurse I would have a really hard time trusting her abilities and taking her seriously. Nursing takes a level of maturity and if you are still needing to dye her your hair bright pink or purple you are not there yet. I know people have different ways of expressing themselves and I accept that, this is just my opinion.
With regards to the tooth thing... I could understand the difficulty in hiring someone with no teeth or who's teeth were in rough shape. I was missing a tooth for about a year, that was after I fell on a cement floor and smashed my chin on it. I can tell you I am VERY thankful it was workers comp because that one implanted tooth I had to get was 5,000 dollars! As someone else said this may be a hinderance to someone getting dental replacements, as I am sure dentures are not cheap either. Kind of a tough situation.
So I've never posted on here before but love the site and find it very informative.
I'm not a nurse, studying to be a paramedic right now, my interest in the medical field peaked late in life. I'm 32 years old and have spent the last 17 years as a Pastry Chef, Professional Cake Designer, I went from managing and running kitchens to Owning my own Bakery. So might not exactly be nursing but I was still working in a field where I was expected to be a professional. Especially when your dealing with people's food, appearance means a lot. I just thought maybe I could offer a different perspective on this topic.
I'm 5'2 120lbs and look like a 20 years old kid. I have tattoo's, piercings (including my tounge and labret) I enjoy trying different and bold colors in my hair, not exactly rainbow or hot pink but I've never been a follower of current styles and enjoy expressing myself the way I choose. And I'm sure your all thinking I'm about to disagree with everyone who says appearance matters as a professional, I'm not.
I just wanted to point out from the view of the young kid looking, pierced, tattooed, non traditional person trying to make it in the professional world, appearance is everything. Now I've always kept myself clean and my wardrobe, sometimes different, appropriate. But I have had to work my Butt off, twice as hard to make it as far as I did due to my appearance. When I walked into the kitchen of a respected chef I had to work my Butt off to earn thier respect and prove that I deserve to be there. When I use to meet couples getting married, interested in using me as thier baker. I could see the shocked looks when I introduced myself, I was seen as some punk kid and it took a lot on my part to win them over. But I did. In 17 years I've made such a name in my little town, everyone knows exactly where to go for cakes and desserts, I've earned respect I never thought I would.
I got the opportunity once to work alongside a almost famous chef from Disney world hotel in his kitchen. I made sure to deliver my portfolio, resume, and tons of samples the day before my interview, prior to meeting me. After my interview the next day he signed me and was honest. He told me that was the smartest thing I could have done, he said had he met me first I wouldn't have gotten the time of day. I looked like a little kid.
Everyone here is totally right, appearance is everything and if u choose to be different, instead of getting mad for people who judge you, plan on busting your Butt and doing whatever it takes to prove thier judgment wrong and earn thier respect. It is possible to be a respected professional that people trust covered with tats and piercings, we just gotta work a little harder. Keep that in mind to a point during some of your interviews.
After reading this tho, I'm nervous becoming a paramedic won't be an easy road either, lol.
Even more embarrassing was the uncontrollable laughter that followed from both myself and the family members I was with. It was to ironic that the person working at the ice cream place had a lip piercing that looked EXACTLY like a pink rainbow sprinkle. So, anyway, I think the above is ok if you are 19 working at the ice cream store, but when a person transitions to adulthood and into a professional role I think the funky hair coloring and lip piercings need to come out.
FieryPsychRN, BSN
65 Posts
Seriously, no teeth!! I know there must be a rule or law about asking the applicant about it, so I didn't ask where they were. Good idea about the new thread! I could share many stories!!