well, it makes me curious. i'm just starting nursing school, and I have a tiny little monroe piercings, its small, and only noticable depending on the color of the ball. I'm only 19, and i've had the piecings since i was 14, its apart of me. i'd understand taking it out for class but what about once i get a job?
and then there is my hair, i'm a natural blond, but i have a very vibrant red underneath the blond, its only noticable when my hair is down and straight, will i have to dye my hair back or not? i'm just not sure, i don't know many nurses who could tell me.
This varies a lot from one facility to the next, and from one part of the country to the next. I live and work in the SF Bay Area, and I've seen quite a few nurses with visible tattoos and nose studs -- may have even seen one or two with the type of lip stud that you apparently have. Haven't seen anyone with their hair dyed an obviously unnatural color though.
From my own experience I can say that dangly earrings don't mix very well with isolation masks, so when I worked in a hospital the most I would wear was small studs in my ears. It seems to me that the lip or nose studs might also interfere with the fit of certain types of masks where you need to have a tight seal along the bridge of the nose and the upper lip.
All of these tats and piercings are becoming the norm for this generation now ready to enter college. Its a coming storm....
They are the me generation.
What they are going to find is that their mom and dad's generation will be the ones hiring and its not going to be pretty for them. My son went and got tatoos up and down the full length of both arms....I warned him and now....he is having a devil of a time getting hired anywhere....
Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, Emergency, SAFE.
I have my ears gauged to a 00g, I have been known to stick a pen or two through there (not at work :) ). I have gotten many compliments from curious patients and families and nothing negative has been said (to my face, anyway). I dont wear obnoxiously big earrings though and sometimes its hard to tell its a big hole rather than a big earring. Lol.
The place I work for allows nose rings, but no other facial piercings. They suggest visible tattoos be "non-offensive" and also no unnatural hair colors. I feel this still give room to play with your identity. For school however, much stricter rules. I had to cover or remove my nose ring and I kept my gauges as discrete as possible. Too many other things to worry about to get in a tizzy over my appearance. Good luck.
Specializes in Infectious Disease, Neuro, Research.
You'll find the gamut of opinions if you search out, "Guys with visible tatoos" (IIRC) in the Men in Nursing section. I have a long-ish biker-stache, and 1 visible tattoo.
The one practical warning I would have for you is that mean and/or confused people may have a respectable go at ripping stuff out. A Munroe would be fairly safe, but anything torn out is one hell of an exposure, both for you and the pt. Just bear in mind that not all the world will be accepting, and much of the world is completely willing to ignore what you may consider your personal boundaries. Just be careful...
Specializes in L&D, OR, postpartum, pedi, OBGYN clinic.
I have friends covered in tattoos who are nurses, midwives, etc. I myself have a tongue ring and large, albiet, coverable tattoos. It all depends on your culture. Get hired first, then most people won't say anything :)
Also different departments are a little different...ER and L&D I have found are a little younger and more flexible, night shift is usually younger as well. It all depends.
I have friends covered in tattoos who are nurses, midwives, etc. I myself have a tongue ring and large, albiet, coverable tattoos. It all depends on your culture. Get hired first, then most people won't say anything :)
Also different departments are a little different...ER and L&D I have found are a little younger and more flexible, night shift is usually younger as well. It all depends.
You must be a West Coaster because here in the south, the body art is not gonna fly, ever
So, you are allowed to stand outside the hospital, or at the store in your scrubs after work and smoke...but you are not allowed a piercing or different color hair, because that is considered "unprofessional".
We can attack someone for expressing themselves and being unique, because something like a piercing may have offended people 40 years ago, but maybe we should focus that energy on some of the larger professional issues that affect us and our work.
noahsmama
827 Posts
This varies a lot from one facility to the next, and from one part of the country to the next. I live and work in the SF Bay Area, and I've seen quite a few nurses with visible tattoos and nose studs -- may have even seen one or two with the type of lip stud that you apparently have. Haven't seen anyone with their hair dyed an obviously unnatural color though.
From my own experience I can say that dangly earrings don't mix very well with isolation masks, so when I worked in a hospital the most I would wear was small studs in my ears. It seems to me that the lip or nose studs might also interfere with the fit of certain types of masks where you need to have a tight seal along the bridge of the nose and the upper lip.