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?

LMAO!!!

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I liked that @cuddleswithpuddles

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They may, but probably are not. BMI despite its limitations and scrutiny remains an extremely good barometer of cardiovascular stamina and overall health.

No, it's not. I lift weights and the weight of my muscle mass puts my BMI well over 30, into the obese category. In fact, at my previous job, I had to fight with HR because their stupid "healthy lifestyles" program rewarded or punished employees based solely on BMI. I'll be darned if I'm going to pay an increase in my health insurance based on their faulty methods.

Weight divided by height is a dumb way to evaluate a healthy weight and it needs to be put out to pasture. Body fat percentage would be far more accurate. (though still not always a fair barometer of a person's health and/or "financial risk" to the company)

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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.

Obesity is correlated with some health problems. No study has ever proved that obesity causes those health problems. Each and every one of those health problems also afflicts thin people, in addition to obese.

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Brandon, I wholeheartedly agree that the BMI is total garbage. But body fat percentage to determine health/financial risk? No. Just, no. Show me a study that indicates when you control for each and every other possible variable that goes into health, that a higher BF% indicates worse health, and then it might make some sense.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

Yet no matter how much evidence there is that a fat person can be healthy, or that health problems afflict the thin as well as the obese, there are still some folks who are going to be insisting that "Fat is unhealthy" and that they can tell how healthy the nurse is just by looking at her. Fat bias is alive and thriving on AN.

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In school I had a nursing instructor who weighed approx 400 lbs. she was awesome but her weight clearly hindered her nursing abilities. At a hospital we walked to the elevator in the lobby and rode a few floors up, got off and walked a short distance down the hall and she had sweat rolling down her face and was SOB. It was a major distraction for the students while she was teaching us the layout of a typical hospital room. All I could think of while watching her was what does she do if she needs to perform CPR? Is she even physically able to do it? Also, how could a patient take her seriously if she was teaching them about a healthy lifestyle?

What if she were wheelchair bound? Would it be a distraction for the students then? Could she be a nursing instructer if she were in a wheelchair.

I would wager that most people would consider a W/C bound nursing instructor to be an inspiration, a hero of sorts. The moridly obese one though? Awkward and embarrassing.

Why is this? Society and culture has taught us that fat people are weak willed, lazy, and disgusting. This stereotype is frequently and consistently portrayed throughout the media. Do you ever see a fat movie star where the main theme of the show does not involve their fatness? Even if the show does not come out and make fun of them, it typically does not portray them in a positive light.

Our society maintains that the only truly positive thing a fat person can do is lose weight.

Almost every single person on this thread who has mentioned that they are overweight, has followed that up by saying they are on a weight loss journey, or they are getting fit and healthy, or they are making better choices, etc. etc. etc. Fine for you, if that's what you decide you want to do. The problem I have is when the assumption is, It's OK to be fat...as long as you are trying to lose weight.

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Yet no matter how much evidence there is that a fat person can be healthy, or that health problems afflict the thin as well as the obese, there are still some folks who are going to be insisting that "Fat is unhealthy" and that they can tell how healthy the nurse is just by looking at her. Fat bias is alive and thriving on AN.

I feel like banging my head against a wall.

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It's so ironic that people here are getting their heineys all up over the fat comment towards medical workers yet you all have no problem coming here and making fun of that "obese" patient you had today and making comments about how many co workers it takes to move them.

Pot meet kettle. I stand by my comments-overweight or obese medical workers have no business educating patients on losing weight.

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Brandon, I wholeheartedly agree that the BMI is total garbage. But body fat percentage to determine health/financial risk? No. Just, no. Show me a study that indicates when you control for each and every other possible variable that goes into health, that a higher BF% indicates worse health, and then it might make some sense.

Well, I don't really think body fat percentage should be used as an indicator for health. Just that its at least a better indicator than BMI. of course, that's not saying much.

The moridly obese one though? Awkward and embarrassing.

Why is this? Society and culture has taught us that fat people are weak willed, lazy, and disgusting. This stereotype is frequently and consistently portrayed throughout the media. Do you ever see a fat movie star where the main theme of the show does not involve their fatness? Even if the show does not come out and make fun of them, it typically does not portray them in a positive light.

And this really gets more to the original topic of this thread.

Does your appreance affect your nursing ability? Of course not. Should our ability be judged by our appearance? Again, no. But is our ability judged, at least in part, by others based on whether or not we're fat or old or supposedly unattractive? Of course it is, that's human nature.

But being a part of a group of educated professionals should mean that we transend that way of thinking. I find it a bit disturbing that some nurses seem to think it's okay to be biased.

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It's so ironic that people here are getting their heineys all up over the fat comment towards medical workers yet you all have no problem coming here and making fun of that "obese" patient you had today and making comments about how many co workers it takes to move them.

Pot meet kettle. I stand by my comments-overweight or obese medical workers have no business educating patients on losing weight.

Well, no, its not okay to make jokes about obese patients.

Of course, I'm only human and if I were to say I've never joked with my co-workers about a patient's appearance, I'd be lying.

But I can honestly say that I made far more snarky comments about patients as an aide than I do now as a nurse. As a nurse, I feel I ought to at least try to set a good example to my aides.

I can also honestly say that if I and my cowokers do make fun of a patient, 99% of the time it has nothing to do with appearance, it has more to do with their attitude or rudeness. I think that is very different. Making fun of someone because they're fat is tacky and low-class. But if a patient is rude and just plain mean? Yeah, its a safe bet staff is making comments about them behind their back.

And, yeah, overweight nurses do have business educating patients about their weight and nutrition. That's part of their job.

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Gooch! The point I was trying to make is that it doesn't make sense, nor is it evidenced based medicine, for anyone to educate patients on losing weight. I won't repeat myself further.

And I assure you, I did not make any negative comments about my obese patients today, or any other day. As I said before, I am the party pooper who puts a stop to this when it happens around me. There is a difference between saying "Come help me in room 4, we'll need 4 or 5 people to turn my patient." vs. saying something judgemental and rude.

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