How important is your 'look' as a nurse

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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?

This isn't about hiring, but with clients in home health: a father makes derogatory remarks about one nurse, while praising another whose work wasn't "equal". Snide remarks about being "old" (as well as other derogatory comments) to the spouse, then the spouse told the nurse. Didn't make for a pleasant work environment. The praises were for the nurse from the same country as his "other woman". Kind of obvious there.

Some people, when you are looking at them, give themselves away by the expression on their own face, that they find you to be unpleasant to gaze upon. It is no surprise that what they say, or do, is in line with the downer facial expression.

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Specializes in peds, allergy-asthma, ob/gyn office.

Speaking of teeth... In the process of trying to improve my appearance and the awful TMJ pain the developed due to my awful bite/malocclusion... I got braces last April. Within two weeks my top front tooth had turned dark. It was a rare complication of braces; moving the teeth killed the blood supply to the tooth. I was sent to several specialists before the problem was properly diagnosed. I had to go on a job interview looking like that. I am sure my self-consciousness worked against me. But, the point is, you never know by appearances what people are going through.

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Specializes in ICU.

Of course looks matter. We are all taught not to judge a book by it's cover, but first impressions are lasting impressions. Whether it is right or not, people will make snap judgments just by looking at you. To be successful, one must look successful.

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All you know when you look at a fat person is that they are fat. YOU DO NOT KNOW how much/what they eat, how much they exercise, or how healthy they are. In addition, it is absolutely, positively none of your beeswax.

To say a person who is fat shouldn't be in a position to educate on healthy lifestyle, or that it is ironic when they do, is a bigoted statement. You are making assumptions based on a person's looks. Guess what that's called?

Although I know for a fact that being overweight has nothing to do with a person's ability to perform as a nurse...

You couldn't convince me that you wouldn't bat an eye if a dentist with rotten teeth was lecturing you about the benefits of daily flossing.

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Again, it's silly to compare the thin supermodel who drinks and smokes to the obese person who eats organic foods and takes walks daily.

The comparison should be a person with a BMI of 32 to the same person with a BMI of 25. All else being equal, the person with the BMI of 25 is going to have fewer health problems than if their BMI is 32.

Just like it's silly to blindly compare a thin person to a fat person without taking any other health factors into account. By the way, my supermodel friend has always had a heart condition. My heart is and always will be healthier than hers. She misses more work than me and her family history is full of people who die much younger than my family. It's silly to think BMI is the sole factor of overall health.

My point is NOT that being obese is healthy, it's that it's very possible for thin people to be unhealthy for so many different reasons. My point is not trying to make excuses for people who don't want to incorporate healthier habits into their life but don't make it seem like all thin people are automatically healthy. A truly healthy person has no existing health conditions, a healthy life style AND the BMI of 25.

Just ask the insurance companies, they will tell you pre-existing health conditions trump BMI.

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BMI is used as a guide, it can indicate increased risk of health problems but certainly doesn't guarantee that all people with a high BMI end up with these issues.

There are many risk factors that doctors use to determine the actual health of a person. BMI is only one factor of many.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
Overweight, in and of itself, is a health risk, and is detrimental to health.

It depends. A few extra pounds (as much as 20) overweight has been proven not to make a difference in one's overall health especially in the elderly. Obesity on the other hand...

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You wanna find yourself suddenly getting invisible, wait until you get a bit older. We old broads are the next easy-to-ignore-at-service-counters population. Really ****** me off, and I do speak up about it. My money's as good as the next guy's.

And thanks to whoever it as that had the dead tooth. I had one of those and I always wondered why. Fortunately, when my temp tooth used to fly out of my mouth whenever I made the "f" sound (alas, a very common occurrence in critical care...) I never had it happen at a job interview. Fly off to land in the middle of a pool table, yep, but never on an HR person's desktop.

I did interview once with a really edematous hand and large soft fluffy wrap on my arm related to multiple small incisions to drain a Pasteurella infection from my forearm after a cat bite (look it up, it's nasty), and I always wondered if I didn't get the job because of that. Oh, well.

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I agree. I find it ironic that a lot of medical practices lecture patients about losing weight when so many of their employees are overweight. My gastro docs office is a good example of that.

Well, I'm sure the PCPs of your overweight coworkers have also advised them to loose weight. And I'm sure some of those providers and their nurses are overweight, too. I think you'll have a hard time finding the clinic or hospital unit staffed only by strictly height-weight proportionate workers.

What are you worried about? Do you really think the overweight patient is going to think to himself, "Well, this doctor's nurse is fat, so clearly his medical advice on health is wrong" ?

Frankly, any patient who actually has such a thought process is stupid. No intelligent person thinks that way. Maybe, I'll grant, some of them are secretly amused in a mean way by overweight physicians or three-pack-a-day-voiced nurses doing their jobs. Whatever, people are free to make assumptions or pass judgement.

But I really hope no one is suggesting employers should base their staffing policies on what patients might or might not perceive to be ironic.

nor do I think we have any duty to set an example for our patients. I have a duty to provide competent care and promote health, wellness and to ease pain and suffering. I have a professional obligation to be neatly groomed and hygienic. No obligation to be a paragon of health.

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Specializes in ICU.

The subject of weight is a little off topic. Yes a certain look is important in securing a job in any field. I used to do all of the for this state when I worked for a retail company. I knew within 2 minutes if I would hire you or not. It was how you presented yourself, did you look me in the eye and shake my hand, and how you initially spoke. Personal hygiene cannot be underscored at all. People should have a neat appearance and be well spoken. First impressions.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Float Pool Nursing.
What's a "ppl"? And while I'm happy for you that you're getting all fit and healthy, you cannot tell just by looking at someone whether or not THEY are fit and healthy. A fat person may be far more fit and healthy than the skinny person standing right next to her.

They may, but probably are not. BMI despite its limitations and scrutiny remains an extremely good barometer of cardiovascular stamina and overall health. Having a fatbody simply isn't healthy, sorry.

And you would be hard pressed to find some 300 pounder who is "far more fit and healthy" than the skinny people around her, and you damn well know it. Being fat is very bad for your health, and there is a virtual tidal wave of scientific evidence that shows it.

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As long.as one can do a job effectively, who cares what one looks.like? Unfortunately thats not the world we live in.

As far as a nurse giving advice on health, well its always up to the patient to follow that advice, what he or she should be concern with is the message not the messenger. After all, the patient is there for a reason whereas the nurse is at work. If skinny is always more healthy then wouldnt the roles be reversed? It is so easy to judge when one is on the outside looking in but reality is, if you haven't struggled with weight then you shouldnt judge those who do. Telling an obese person to 'eat right and exercise' is the equivalent to telling an anorexic to 'just eat'. Let me do my job to the best of my ability and go home. Nothing more nothing less. #my2cents

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