Is this professional?

[Jenni811]

We have an RN on the floor that i work with, we went to nursing school together, graduated last year and both got hired on the same floor. She is super sweet, but not exactly the brightest bulb in the tanning bed.

And i don't know why anyone has not said anything about this to her, but she is ALWAYS wearing sunglasses on the top of her head INDOOR at work.

like a real pair of designer sunglasses, on top of her head. and she is always adjusting them...so clearly she does not just forget they are there. But why on earth would someone wear sunglasses on the top of their head at work? (i work on a med/surg unit).

I addressed it once with a CNA i've been best friends with since childhood, just casually brought up in conversation OUTSIDE of work. She didnt think it was that weird and stated "she is just showing her personality"

I don't get why anyone else just does not think it is weird or no one has said anything. I dont think its some eye disorder where she needs sunglasses at certain points because ive never actually seen them on her face, EVER. and i've known her all through college.

Sorry it just bugs me!

[Jenni811, RN]

Hey- if she has some type of eye disorder, thats fine. but i've known her for YEARS and i have never actually seen them on her face. I've been in a car with her because we carpool, when she gets out of work she takes them off her head and sets them in her glove box. So i highly doubt its an eye thing (Could be wrong...)

I dont want to turn this into a heated thread, because clearly people are upset that i even brought it up. im just asking other peoples opinions.

Our hospital has recently gotten strict on dress codes. (I.e. we no wearing long sleeves under scrubs, the whole hospital is uniforms, hair below the shoulders needs to be pulled back, no perfume, white shoes only,and more)

i have longer hair and i got chewed out because i had my hair in a half pony tail instead of a full pony tail.

[Jenni811, RN]

Honestly, I don't understand why you are that concerned about what she wears! If she likes wearing them and it isn't hurting anyone, it is her business. There are probably things you wear that she doesn't like!

Maybe outside of work, but at work we are all required to wear the same things. The whole hospital is uniform, no jewelry (wedding bands allowed), WHITE uniforms (no joke), hair pulled back, no perfume, white shoes, no long sleeves under scrubs etc.

So with the strict rules that doesn't leave much for me to wear that she doesn't agree with. I couldn't even get away with wearing my hair in a half ponytail.

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

Funny part is, if she worked with me, she'd have to make a big decision: Are these glasses worth it?

I'd tease her so much about them she'd be screaming. IDK, the image I have of it in my mind is just too much.........

Try this...........nickname her "Miller Lite Girl" and she how she reacts. That would be my first tease.........

Next I'd tell her "Hey, Corey Hart has been admitted to the unit so we are giving you that assignment."

[Jenni811, RN]

Funny part is, if she worked with me, she'd have to make a big decision: Are these glasses worth it?

I'd tease her so much about them she'd be screaming. IDK, the image I have of it in my mind is just too much.........

Try this...........nickname her "Miller Lite Girl" and she how she reacts. That would be my first tease.........

Next I'd tell her "Hey, Corey Hart has been admitted to the unit so we are giving you that assignment."

Might help to bring some humor into it, "poke fun at her". We were not terribly close in college, but we've recently started to become alot closer. Kind of have a relationship where we are always going back and forth at each other. I tell her to her face she isn't the brightest bulb in the tanning bed...she laughs and pulls out a good polish joke and has nicknamed me "Nubs" because i lost my left thumb.

I just never actually brought it up to her because she is obsessed with these sunglasses. i'm afraid it would be like asking a child to not carry their blanket with them.

[greenfiremajick]

Maybe she thinks it's a cool fashion trend, or somehow distracts from her nose, eyes, cheeks, skin, etc (whatever part she's insecure with)......Or are they expensive sunglasses and she wants to impress with how much she spent?? Or she likes how the sunglasses frame her face, or holds her hair just the right way????

Hey- if she has some type of eye disorder, thats fine. but i've known her for YEARS and i have never actually seen them on her face. I've been in a car with her because we carpool, when she gets out of work she takes them off her head and sets them in her glove box. So i highly doubt its an eye thing (Could be wrong...)

I dont want to turn this into a heated thread, because clearly people are upset that i even brought it up. im just asking other peoples opinions.

Our hospital has recently gotten strict on dress codes. (I.e. we no wearing long sleeves under scrubs, the whole hospital is uniforms, hair below the shoulders needs to be pulled back, no perfume, white shoes only,and more)

i have longer hair and i got chewed out because i had my hair in a half pony tail instead of a full pony tail.

[merlee]

Actually, it can be construed as unsanitary, like our caps were.

Other than that, don't let it bother you.

Why have you never asked her?

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

Might help to bring some humor into it, "poke fun at her". We were not terribly close in college, but we've recently started to become alot closer. Kind of have a relationship where we are always going back and forth at each other. I tell her to her face she isn't the brightest bulb in the tanning bed...she laughs and pulls out a good polish joke and has nicknamed me "Nubs" because i lost my left thumb.

I just never actually brought it up to her because she is obsessed with these sunglasses. i'm afraid it would be like asking a child to not carry their blanket with them.

Yes, definitely nickname her "Miller Lite Girl".

[Jenni811, RN]

They look expensive. She is from California originally, so im guessing she got them out there. Not that it matters but we live in rural Wisconsin.

So its not something we are used to, the only place that sells sunglasses around here are gas stations for a couple bucks, and these are not gas station sun glasses.

Maybe i will nickname her miller-lite, she calls me Nubs and i still have not come up with anything good for her. I'll just have to be careful at work referring to her as miller-lite. She calls me Nubs like it is my real name.

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

Actually, it can be construed as unsanitary, like our caps were.

Other than that, don't let it bother you.

Why have you never asked her?

Especially if they fall off while taking care of a C-diff patient...................ewwwwwwwwww

I wonder why I/D Nurse hasn't chimed at her about them? IDK.

[jcbhappy]

REALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, but there are larger fish to fry............. Just ask her to remove the glasses for her own safety r/t risk of infection..... aeb.............. if you have been friends for years you should feel comfortable asking her why she feels the need to where the glasses.........

[mike109810]

Haha I know that as a fourth year medical student I have seen attendings shred apart students/residents attire (sometimes in good humor, sometimes in not). We had one student who would always always be sporting fancy cufflinks, bowties, novelty ties, very expensive italian leather shoes. The attending (an older gentleman) would always walk on the floor, pick on this student, and referred to him as "Miss Fancy Pants" (student was male of course). While it came off harsh at times, it was good-natured ribbing to the student, and definitely made him realize that the hospital is not exactly a fashion show, and at times he was bordering between less-than-professional-attire and over-the-top-goofy-attire. Needless to say, the student came in the next day with a nice sedate blue button down shirt, black slacks, and a nice red tie.

During the surgery rotation, an attending caught a student wearing surgical scrubs in the cafeteria, and literally yanked him out of the cafeteria, yelled at him to change his clothes, and told him "not to come back the next day" since the student was wearing scrubs outside of the OR. This particular surgeon was usually mild-mannered, and is rightfully so paranoid about spreading infectious diseases, and I guess the student figured out this pet-peeve the hard way.

There are clearly many ways to handle a situation like this, but I will admit, barring any underlying medical condition, I find wearing sunglasses in a hospital odd. Especially since she wears it over her hair like a trinket. My girlfriend sometimes wears her sunglasses over her head in a similar fashion while in the car on a rainy day; she claims that it helps keep her hair in place, so maybe that's why this particular nurse does it (then again, my girlfriend has a lot of idiosyncrasies that I don't even try to explain, haha). I do think that as a patient, I would personally (my opinion) find this rather unprofessional, and would make it look like the nurse is ready to head out and get some surf and tanning in. I have yet to see any nurse, physician, therapist, etc. wear sunglasses over their head in the hospital setting. Moreover, there is an increased risk of spreading infectious diseases. If this particular nurse is leaning over to place an IV, and the glasses fall off and hit the patient's head, I can see this as being a liability as well.

I would use humor to subtly address the issue, if it were me.

[Bandaide, ADN]

Actually, it can be construed as unsanitary, like our caps were.

Other than that, don't let it bother you.

Why have you never asked her?

Especially contaminated if she keeps touching them. Ew.