Industrial Piercing

[jessadarling14]

I'm going to a four year private college for nursing in the fall. I just got an industrial piercing (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Industrial_ohr.JPG) and was told that I would have to take it out for nursing school? Am I not allowed to have this piercing as a nurse when I get a job?

[roser13, ASN, RN]

That piercing will be very detrimental to your safety. You are basically giving a disturbed patient a handle to rip your ear to pieces. And no, you are not always certain who is disturbed and who is not. Nor will you likely ever be in charge of making your own assignment and will not be able to avoid confused, disoriented or violent patients.

[KeepItRealRN, BSN, RN]

If you don't want people to look at you or stare at you then don't have a style that is way out of the box known as standard.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

Nursing schools are very strict on what you can and cannot have at clinicals. They want professionalism. They want to teach you professionalism. So I am going to say with 99% certainty that will not be allowed. When you get a job they will have their own policies and procedures on what you can wear. And that looks like an accident waiting to happen and would be very painful either getting caught on something or have a patient rip it out.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

As has been mentioned, policies vary.

As far as the risk of the piercing being pulled out, I think sometimes these things can be a titch overblown. I've been nursing for 7 years and have had my share of combative patients and not one has ever gone for my dangly earrings or my multiple necklaces.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

I've worked with people with industrial piercings before. I also have 7 piercings in my ears (3 in each lobe and cartilage on the left) and have always worn earrings in each hole as well as dangling earrings in the first one... in every job I've ever had.

[RunBabyRN]

You may have to take it out during clinicals. Schools want to be well represented by their students. I have waited to get my nose re-pierced until I have my first job (and I see what their policy is) because of this sort of thing.

I would agree about combative or disoriented patients- you never know what they can use or accidentally get hung up on, or what a stethoscope may catch on, etc. I don't wear necklaces or dangling earrings in clinicals for this reason. Assuming it's acceptable per hospital and/or school policy, the risk is up to you.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

When I was in nursing school I wanted an industrial, but I held off because my school had a strict dress code where you could only have one pair of small ear rings in on the lower part of the ear. Right after graduation, I went and got an industrial. My boss when I was an RN never cared or said a word about it.

If you can keep it from closing up, I would cap it off while at clinical. I highly doubt a future employer will care (unless you are working OR or in an area such as that where no jewlery at all is allowed)

[Caffeine_IV]

For school, It would likely be a no. They have strict dress codes even down to the type of pants that you wear and we know that is not usually the case on our jobs.

I don't know any nurses with industrial piercings. I have wanted one in the past but thought they seemed a lot of upkeep in the beginning. Tongue piercings are not allowed but I have worn mine without issue because I can be discreet.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

Even if your future employer allows the industrial piercing, its not advisable to wear while working as a nurse. As others have said its basically a handlebar for ear-ripping.

I know, you think "never gonna happen", but one day you'll have some confused little old lady with manic strength and there goes half of your ear. Same reason hoop earings or dangling necklaces are a bad idea.

[sbostonRN]

I unfortunately had to remove my tragus piercing for nursing school and it healed over by the time I graduated. It stinks, I know, but patients and families will look to you as a professional and it's an important image to maintain.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

We cannot wear dangling earrings at my place of employment, or any jewelry that could scratch or harm a patient. I wore hoops in my ears years ago, and a patient did grab one and ripped my earlobe. I don't wear any jewelry at all anymore. (You can be choked with a necklace.)

[ComeTogether, LPN]

Like others have said, it just depends. I just thought I would mention, I've been in several situations where having one of those piercings would have been detrimental to my health. Obviously, I'm a CNA, but everything I do a nurse has to do also. I would advise against it. If for no other reason than to keep your ear. :-/