Industrial Piercing

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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?

Specializes in Emergency Department.

Disclaimer: I have no piercings...

That being said, I have no objections at all, generally speaking, about people that choose to pierce their body parts. To a degree, that even extends to healthcare providers. However much they're pierced and tattooed, as a healthcare consumer I want my providers to be professional in appearance. If you have tattoos or piercings other than the "traditional" ones for your area, you need to work that much harder to carry out that "professional appearance."

Nursing schools really want their students to reflect well upon the school so they have a very conservative/traditional dress code that minimize piercings and visible tattoos.

I would suggest that at least during school and initial interviews for a job, you put flesh (yours) colored studs in any "non-traditional" piercings so that you can keep the holes open, reduce any potential further injury, and minimize any distraction by those piercings. Once you're in a position where you can keep your piercings in, don't get too close to a powered-up MRI machine.

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

Your employer will have a dress code, but it's probably best not to wear it to the interview. That said, it looks like a safety hazard -- facemasks, stethescopes or patient hands can get caught on it.

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Specializes in LTC.

Your school will more than likely not allow that. Some schools allow one pair of stud ear rings but a bar like that would surely be considered distracting. Not that I don't like piercings :) I used to have my lip pierced. But when I didn't want it to be shown (ex. job interview, etc.) I had a clear stud I could put it in it. You couldn't see it at all. Maybe you could talk to your instructor about getting a clear one to put in for clinical. The worst that can happen is he/she will say no!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Oh dear lord - is this a 'thing' now? Just when you think you've seen it all (like the earlobe portholes), something new comes along.

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Specializes in Med/surg, Onc.

I've had my industrial done for 5 or 6 years now. It's my favorite!

I found nursing school to be more strict about dress code, earrings, tattoos than employers. That said I usually take mine out and then out it back in at home because I don't want someone ripping it out. I fought hard to "be myself" but safety wins out every time. So I cover my tattoos and check my earrings at the door. I have small studs I tend to leave in in my bottom two lobe sets.

A good rule of thumb is to not do anything drastic before or during nursing school, piercings, or hair color especially.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.
Probably not considering most places only allow studs. No hoops or dangling earrings. Personally, I wouldn't want that in at work anyway in case a combative patient yanks at my ear. ouchie!

This is exactly what I would think. Hope you don't plan to work in ER or psych!

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.
Oh dear lord - is this a 'thing' now? Just when you think you've seen it all (like the earlobe portholes), something new comes along.

HouTx, portholes! I love it, and will now never be able to think of it by any other name.

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Specializes in MICU - CCRN, IR, Vascular Surgery.

I got my industrial all the way back in 2000, and it's one of my favorites. I wore it in nursing school for lecture and lab, but never for clinical. I've worn it at work a few times, but generally I don't. The only earrings I wear at work are my daith and my rook, and very occasionally my tongue barbell, but that's only if I've completely forgotten to remove it before walking in. I've had my tongue done since 1999 so I've learned how to talk without anyone noticing it at all, but I still remove it 99% of the time.

I know of one RT and a few other RNs that wear their industrials at work though.

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Specializes in Acute Care - Adult, Med Surg, Neuro.

Can you put studs in the holes during school etc? By the way I've been strangled with my scrub top at my place of work, inner city hospital. Never had the studs in my upper ears pulled.

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I don't think it looks that bad, however people will judge you based upon your appearance. Piercings and tattoos are so prevelant now, it may indicate to an employer that you might do anything just to fit in. Just shows you to be a team player.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Oh dear lord - is this a 'thing' now? Just when you think you've seen it all (like the earlobe portholes), something new comes along.
what I have seen pierced/tattooed in the ED very little surprises me any more.
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Oh dear lord - is this a 'thing' now? Just when you think you've seen it all (like the earlobe portholes), something new comes along.

As a few others have pointed out, industrials have been a "thing" for over a decade.

But now I want to see your reaction to a corset piercing . . . like these. ;)

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