How important is your 'look' as a nurse

BrandonLPN, LPN · May 12, 2014

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.

It was just silly, harmless word play. Goofy puns.

You need to lighten up, don't be so heavy. (Get it now?)

Editorial Team / Admin · May 12, 2014

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.

And this anonymous message boards intended for nursing professionals and aspiring nursing professionals is a place where we can safely vent so that we don't end up saying those things to actual patients. Nurses are human and need to be able to commiserate with others who understand- and for many of us, that rules out family (unless they are in the medical field) because they just don't get it like other nurses do.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · May 12, 2014

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.

And where I come from, people use message boards like this....that by the name indicates it's for nurses.....to vent, laugh, relax, blow off steam, and NOT have to be on the spot as though we're at work.

People here are "compassionate advocates for the suffering in their communities". They don't "find a way to make fun of them every chance they get". And they also don't need to be lectured to about how to unwind ON THEIR OWN TIME. Especially not from a pre-nursing student who feels it is HER job to set everyone else's boundaries, parameters for what SHE feels is allowable for us to say.

Don't worry about the general public who "stumble in" here. They are guests, and can choose to stay and be happy or stumble on out. The general public will get all their money's worth from me when I'm on the clock, thank you.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · May 12, 2014

..... and for many of us, that rules out family (unless they are in the medical field) because they just don't get it like other nurses do.

And that also rules out many students, until they find out what it's really like to be in nursing, not protected in school....and THEN they get it.

TU RN, DNP, CRNA · May 13, 2014

A fat person may be far more fit and healthy than the skinny person standing right next to her.

'murica.

klone, MSN, RN · May 13, 2014

I laughed

Ellekat2 · May 13, 2014

To be overweight is not necessarily to be unhealthy. I am overweight (have been since becoming a nurse, ironically, was a "normal" weight before). I have no health issues. My sister is thin and has high blood pressure and high cholesterol. She runs five miles a day and is often sick with whatever is going around at the time. My cholesterol levels are WNL, my fasting glucose is usually in the 70's and my BP is usually around 110/60-unless I'm at work. There is genetics to consider, lifestyle, exercise, and also metabolism. I gained thirty pounds in one month of being on night shift and gained slowly the whole time I was on night shift. After getting onto days, my weight gain stopped, but even with a regimen of walking and the Total Gym, I cannot lose the weight gained while on night shift. However, if you look at my labs, my vital signs, etc. minus the weight, I am the picture of health.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · May 13, 2014

My manager hires all ages, sizes, races and sexes so there doesn't appear to be any age, weight, or racial discrimination where I work. All our welcome! Fortunately the manager looks at a person's abilities, skills and personality and we have a very diverse team of workers whose differences complement each other!

But it's kind of sad how so many discussions end up being about weight and it appears weight remains the one socially acceptable area of intolerance toward others! The most vocal critics are the one who are naturally thin. God forbid they ever get fat in their old age or due to an accident or illness, because how will they live with themselves! There for the grace of God go I!

I had been active, naturally thin before I had to have a surgery and was wheelchair bound for over three months, than walking casts and crutches. I was only a child and gained weight and it took me a long time to lose that weight and I loved exercise and became physically active as soon as I was able, walking, biking and swimming. I was even on cross country in high school. As physically active as I am, weight has been a constant struggle so I'm aware how easily one can gain weight and how difficult it is to lose! Also I've had to be on prednisone at times due to asthma and had to deal with the moon face that comes with it, that bothered me the most!

Becoming a nurse has been helpful in managing my own health and that of my family and friends. I'm the resource person they go to when dealing with a health problem or question. But I will tell you no one is immune from health problems. They can happen to anyone and judging someone on their weight doesn't help them or do them any favors. I personally believe obesity is actually a sign that their is already something wrong with their metabolism ie insulin resistance rather than being the "cause" of all the health problems and is part of metabolism syndrome. Why blame the person for having a health problem that you are lucky not to have. Unfortunately it is a visible problem that cannot be hidden from others and becomes easy to stigmatize. I personally think weight discrimination is because of an intense fear of becoming fat realizing how society treats people!

Isn't it ironic that the Mona Lisa was considered beautiful centuries ago and she was certainly full figured. Now beauty is all about being thin and then having plastic surgery with breast and but implants to have curves. So many of the models and stars today even their ribs and bones are showing. How is that beautiful!

OCNRN63, RN · May 13, 2014

And that also rules out many students, until they find out what it's really like to be in nursing, not protected in school....and THEN they get it.

I try not to pay any mind to what pre-nurses and students say. They can have opinions, sure, but opinions without real-world experience just don't amount to much.

Ruby Vee, BSN · May 13, 2014

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.

I don't have to worry about what the general public thinks because I'm on a nursing site, discussing issues pertinent to the profession with other nurses. It's not my job to be a compassionate advocate for suffering in my community when I'm at home, playing with my computer and discussing my profession with other professionals. That's my job when I'm at work, wearing scrubs with my company's name emblazoned on my chest. Nurses are people just like doctors, lawyers, gas station attendants and dog catchers. We get to make fun of whatever we want, as long as we're not at work taking care of an actual patient.

Nola009 · May 13, 2014

To be overweight is not necessarily to be unhealthy. I am overweight (have been since becoming a nurse, ironically, was a "normal" weight before). I have no health issues. My sister is thin and has high blood pressure and high cholesterol. She runs five miles a day and is often sick with whatever is going around at the time. My cholesterol levels are WNL, my fasting glucose is usually in the 70's and my BP is usually around 110/60-unless I'm at work. There is genetics to consider, lifestyle, exercise, and also metabolism. I gained thirty pounds in one month of being on night shift and gained slowly the whole time I was on night shift. After getting onto days, my weight gain stopped, but even with a regimen of walking and the Total Gym, I cannot lose the weight gained while on night shift. However, if you look at my labs, my vital signs, etc. minus the weight, I am the picture of health.

I gained TWENTY pounds in nursing school and a year later, it still hasn't come off. Went from a size small to large. Working as a nurse --- what with.all the stress and irregular hours makes it hard to lose weight! Judging by the posts on this thread, it shouldn't make getting a nursing job more difficult. Wow. It's really something how many assumed 'attractive' meant thin. Wowowow.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · May 13, 2014

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.

What does this have to do with the hiring process! 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". And if that includes the overweight that includes 2/3 of the population and what do you suggest they do to make a living and to have health insurance? Should they be banned from working and end up on medicaid? Should people be given ultimatums ie lose this much weight, quit drinking, quit smoking or you're fired? And what do you suggest should be done about the unfortunate nurses who develop cancer or MS or some other disease that isn't because of an assumed weakness on their part? Are they allowed to keep working or should they be fired because they are unhealthy? Who will be taking care of the patients then? Let alone who will be working then!

Nurses are merely human, we are not supermodels of virtue or health, just ordinary people with problems like any other person! We don't like being compared to angels by management for nursing week or a PR boost for the hospital. I don't think we should be viewed as role models for health as if we had some magic elixir of health because we are nurses because we don't! Health is fragile and you can think you are just fine one day and the next get a cancer diagnosis or have a heart attack or stroke. Being healthcare workers doesn't make us immune from disease! Ironically working as a healthcare worker can be a downright unhealthy job to have with excess stress from long hours, endless alarms, overworked, mandatory overtime flooding a person's body with cortisol and epinephrine and raising a person's blood pressure and this on a daily and chronic basis is sure to have negative health effects over time. Let's be supportive of each other and recognize we are all just struggling to live and work and doing the best we can in a difficult and even at times dangerous workplace and world!