How important is your 'look' as a nurse

[Nola009]

Especially when it comes to getting hired, pay raises and such things. I mean, I'm sure hospital administration can't possibly expect us all to look like super models, but isn't there some sort of 'look' hiring managers tend to gravitate toward?

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

Another one who condones making fun of overweight nurses, patients and student bashing.

Honey, you're taking this all way too seriously.

Who condoned making fun of the overwieght? I'm going to assume you're referring to me and my jokey-post with word play on the terms "weighty" and "chewing the fat". I hate having to explain jokes, but what the heck....

Hiddencat made a comment about this thread dealing with a substantial issue. The unintentional irony of using the word "substantial" to describe a discussion on discrimination of the obese struck my funnybone because, well, that's just the sort of thing I find funny. So I responded to the post with a couple "fat puns" of my own. That's all it was. I was not making fun of overweight people. No one aside from you seemed to be offended, which should tell you something.

What's more, my previous, "serious" posts on this thread prettly explicitly state that I do NOT think it's okay for nurses to make fun of overweight patients. My other posts also state that I think saying fat nurses shouldn't educate on wellness is absurd.

[rizzamdeslate]

Well in my opinion, one's look has nothing to do with one's practice. People who are in a positon to hire would look at the integrity of your practice. Yes, there are facilities that have acceptable dress codes, what a nurse can and can not expose like tattoos, for instance.

Bottom line, your experience, your content of acceptable practice, that you will be team oriented and positive.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

I have to tell you, there are many students on here and the general public that stumble upon this site who are shocked by the insensitivity of people who claim to be nursing professionals. Where I come from if you choose nursing you know and act like it's your job to be a compassionate advocate for the suffering in your community. Not find a way to make fun of them every chance you get.

Stay classy AN.

Let's review: I post that this overconcern about fat nurses giving weight loss advice is weird and that we should focus on other things, unintentionally making a pun in the process.

BrandonLPN notices and makes another pun.

You lecture us on compassion and doing our "job" to care for the suffering.

What the French???

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

maybe it's time for students to start a new topic about all the discrimination they have to endure.

[klone, MSN, RN]

So basically you are saying only healthy perfect people, perfect weight, health appearance should be hired and working as a nurse? So all the unhealthy workers should what be fired? So should all the unhealthy be banned from working as a nurse because they are bad "role models"!

That's quite an extrapolation you made from my post.

I wasn't talking about the hiring process, I was participating in the meta-discussion that this thread spawned. And I never said word one about overweight nurses being bad role models. I think you might be conflating my words with someone else's in this thread.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Another one who condones making fun of overweight nurses, patients and student bashing.

Have you not seen the many posts before this filled with upset comments by those who think it's malicious to make fun of fat people? How can anyone write facetious comments about people's weight especially after reading comments like Esme12's? It's difficult to learn how intolerant and cruel some people can be, IMO some people take it way too far, even for a forum such as this. You wont say anything to the poster earlier who called people out for making fun of their patients, you never speak up when threads get heated and people put each other on the spot (I see it all the time) but you choose to put ME on the spot and in a very personal way....why?...because you have a history of picking on students.

The hypocrisy of your inflammatory and presumptuous comments about how I "feel" or what YOU think my intentions are don't surprise me actually. It's been made known in many other threads that certain people want students to know their place here. You don't think everyone notices how negative the comments are toward students? It's been clearly stated, more than once just in thread alone, that I'm not entitled to my opinion because I'm a pre-nursing student. MANY other posters and students have complained about the aggressive, unpleasant and negative tones of some of the posters in this thread and in others. Do you EVER have anything positive to say...ever?

The only people trying to put parameters and boundaries in place are people who discriminate against others based on how they look and their education status etc. By the way I don't think a post about "one's look" requires a nursing degree to comment. You said it yourself, " You can take the word "nurse" out and substitute ANY profession. I never jump into topics that are above my level of training and I always make it clear that I'm a student with experience in other healthcare industries but not a nurse. Interviews are a pretty general topic if you ask me, but what do I know I'm just a pre-nursing student who worked for several years in a busy, difficult and demanding psychiatric hospital in a major city, while holding a second part time job, taking care of a sick parent and a household all at once. I know what hard work is and I know what sick patients can be like. It's apparent you don't worry about what others think or feel for that matter but I do care about people's feelings and I think some of stuff said here today was despicable, rude, ignorant and hurtful. I'm not an egotistical person, I don't get my kicks from making other people feel bad about themselves and I promise you when I am a nurse I wont be ganging up on students.

I hate when things get off topic like this so I wont comment anymore in this thread, maybe it's time for students to start a new topic about all the discrimination they have to endure.

I haven't noticed anyone particularly picking on students on this thread, although when a student sounds off about a subject in which they have no personal experience as if they know ALL about it, it does get annoying. The ageism among students is pretty annoying, too. But oh, honey, if you always think you're being picked on, clinicals and orientation are going to be very difficult for you.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Another one who condones making fun of overweight nurses, patients and student bashing.

If so, never, not once, did I condone any such thing, or even suggest it. Read more carefully before making accusations, please.

.......You wont say anything to the poster earlier who called people out for making fun of their patients, you never speak up when threads get heated and people put each other on the spot (I see it all the time) but you choose to put ME on the spot and in a very personal way....why?...because you have a history of picking on students.

Whether I choose to comment on a post or not is my concern, not yours. WHICH posts I choose to respond to is again not your business but mine. I didn't realize I was required to comment on everything with which I either felt agreement or disagreement, or someone might feel I wasn't doing my job. Oh, wait, it ISN'T my job.....

As for your comment that I have a history of picking on students because I responded to you the way I did is silly. I spoke to you the way I did because the self-righteous attitude you were projecting provoked my response, period. History of "picking on students"? Also silly. I offer congratulations, advice and encouragement to those I wish to respond to in that manner, and many times. And I 'call on the carpet', to use the vernacular, anyone I feel deserves THAT response as well.

As for the rest, well......I think I've commented enough.

[Okie36]

I am not a size 4 and what's considered "beautiful" by society's standards, but I am also not obese....Here's what I AM. I am HAPPY! I am content and not bound by limitations that being obese or thin bring...yes, BOTH have their limitations.. Obese people have so many health risks and are left on the sidelines of life because they cannot tolerate the activity, but did you know that THIN people are also letting life pass them by? I can't tell you how many of my friends moan and groan about going to the gym, pass on the birthday cake, and don't order what they really want from a menu all for the sake of maintaining their figure.

I have adopted a happy medium...do I like to eat, YOU BETCHA! Am I going to have the cupcake? Yep! Do I sleep in on Saturday mornings? Yep! Do I realize that I am going to have to have some activity during the week to balance all of that...yes, I do. I think there is a balance there and if more people could find it, then slowly acceptance could evolve. I am a new grad nurse, no longer a student. I know there is tons more that I need to learn about patient care, BUT I am a seasoned individual and with that comes wisdom of living. Are people going to judge you for the sake of a job...yes, they are. It doesn't matter fat, thin, tattoos, or not, people are going to judge...I don't care what you look like as long as you respect me, do your job, and act with professionalism. Your weakness may be my strength and vice versa.

OP, yes you are judged by many standards, size being one of them. I don't like it but it's not my place to judge. The more I experience in this life, he more I realize everyone has a story. We all wear a mask. Until you can walk in someone else's shoes, you simply just don't know.

[Ally082]

Brandon

Thank you for explaining when you didn't have to. You have been very civil and I did notice your "serious" post and liked it. You say it was harmless and I believe you, you noticed something funny and pointed it out, fair enough. It just came right after a bunch of serious posts and some very ignorant ones before you. The whole fat nurse thing got to me, then Esme12's post made me feel really bad, then all the sudden there were fat jokes..from a guy..I snapped. Part of my comment was a general statement about an observation I made regarding the negativity in some of these threads, which should have been more clear and made separately. It just seemed like one pun, led to the next which was about to open the door for more harmful fat jokes. I understand now, you weren't encouraging or instigating fat jokes.

[Ally082]

Let's review: I post that this overconcern about fat nurses giving weight loss advice is weird and that we should focus on other things, unintentionally making a pun in the process.

BrandonLPN notices and makes another pun.

You lecture us on compassion and doing our "job" to care for the suffering.

What the French???

I seemed like the fat jokes were starting, which was upsetting. I already replied to Brandon that I understand he pointed out a "fat pun" from your post and then continued on with other fat puns to be funny. I acknowledged that he said it was a harmless joke after the fact. Several people understood what I was saying about how it's wrong to make fun of or discriminate against overweight (obese, sick, old, young, tall, short, skinny etc.) people if you are a healthcare professional, because they personal messaged me to agree with me. Now, Brandon didn't mean it that way so unfortunately my point got lost and started to derail this thread. I hope this clears it up and we can move on from it.

[Delicate Flower]

I am not a size 4 and what's considered "beautiful" by society's standards, but I am also not obese....Here's what I AM. I am HAPPY! I am content and not bound by limitations that being obese or thin bring...yes, BOTH have their limitations.. Obese people have so many health risks and are left on the sidelines of life because they cannot tolerate the activity, but did you know that THIN people are also letting life pass them by? I can't tell you how many of my friends moan and groan about going to the gym, pass on the birthday cake, and don't order what they really want from a menu all for the sake of maintaining their figure.

I get the feeling that you are really being sincere here and not meaning to offend anyone, but please think about this. Your post was pretty over the top for me. In one fell swoop, your post

1)Conflates weight and health - yet again,

2)Overgeneralizes fat people as being on the "sidelines of life,"

3)Assumes fat people cannot tolerate activity,

4)Overgeneralizes that thin people go to the gym and watch what they eat (AND the converse - fat people don't do those things), and

5)Assumes thin people are sacrificing their time going to the gym, and not eating what they really want in order to be thin.

What your post says to me is that you think fat people don't care what they look like, and thin people do. You're basically saying that fat people make sacrifices because they are fat, and can't possibly be fat AND active, but thin people make sacrifices to stay thin. Neither one is capable of being happy.

But alas, you have figured out the magic balance and eat what you want but make up for it with exercise. Now why didn't I think of that?

Here's the thing: yes there are people like you describe. But there are also lots of active fat people who watch what they eat. There are lots of sedentary thin people who eat whatever they want. And there's a whole lot of everything in between.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

That's quite an extrapolation you made from my post.

I wasn't talking about the hiring process, I was participating in the meta-discussion that this thread spawned. And I never said word one about overweight nurses being bad role models. I think you might be conflating my words with someone else's in this thread.

It's true you didn't say this and perhaps didn't even mean this, but the general tone of a lot of these comments about weight (not just on this thread) seem to imply this is what some people would prefer if they had their choice and the power to hire and fire! Worked with cheerleader RN's in the past who used to actually do cartwheels down the hall, put their nail polish on at work, put signs on patient's back as a joke and felt like nursing was all about a popularity and beauty contest. They have moved on to other things and hopefully have grown up in the process. Being a nurse is a serious job with heavy responsibilities with patient's lives in your hands and should be about more than looks, weight or popularity! Those are the last qualities one needs to be a good nurse!

The hiring process should be about skills, education and experience. Neat professional appearance should be all that is required not movie star or model good looks, which is the least important thing if you ask me!