Being an ugly nurse

Nurses Relations

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Hi folks. My questions in this thread are actually more serious than they'll seem...

We've discussed at length here how awesome it is to be a young, hot nurse. Well, how about if you're old and ugly? The first strike against me is I'm male. The second strike is I'm going to be past 40 by time I finish Nursing school. My hair is thinning a little and I've got a mild case of rosacea. I'm somewhat overweight, but I've also got a condition known as Diastasis Recti which makes it look like I have a beer gut. I never was a cute little kid to start with and never got to be "young and hot" like everyone else. Basically, I'm at tops a step up from your standard Level 4 bridge troll. In real life, if I'm too nice to people or too eager to help them with anything (an innate flaw of my personality) it somehow translates to "creepy" instead of "kind". This disqualifies me from L&D and Ped for sure, but I'm fine with that.

When a classmate of mine tells people he is going into nursing, the responses he gets are usually "*swoon* nothing like a hot male nurse!". When I tell people, I usually get stuff like "You'll be useful for all the heavy lifting and cleaning up".

Surely some of you Studly Guys and Lovely Ladies have had to work alongside someone who looks like they stepped out of the Mos Eisley Cantina scene before (and I don't mean that in the cool way). Even if the ugly nurse is reasonably intelligent, competent, fairly personable with a great sense of humor and doesn't smell bad, would their dodgy appearance make them more prone to:

1) Discipline for mistakes.

2) Lateral violence.

3) Getting a bedpan dumped in their locker

4) Patients being 'creeped out' in the presence of an ugly old man

5) Jealousy from co-workers (see Mos Eisley comment above)

6) Getting hired in the first place

7) ???

I'm not becoming a nurse to go hit on all the hot young female nurses (as my friends seem to believe) so I'm not overly worried about dating prospects. It's a job, it's a career and I'm driven to help people.

The people I work with now love the crap out of me because I'm good at what I do, I'm good at understanding what THEY do, I'm good at getting everyone and everything to work together and I make the work environment fun and enjoyable with humor and good cheer. However, we're all a bunch of computer/Star Wars/Lego/DnD geeks and we don't work with the public a whole helluva lot.

But nobody goes to a hospital to see ugly people, right? Should I just pack it in and join the circus instead?

Specializes in critical care, Med-Surg.

I dislike original post for one reason.

Do you think any med student sits around asking "Am I hot enough to be a med student?"

Do you think any other "professional" , other than a model or actor, sits around asking this question??

Let's take nursing out of the 1950's (or whatever), please. Assume the mantle of a PROFESSIONAL.

Original post kind of makes me sick. No offense to original poster.

I dislike original post for one reason.

Do you think any med student sits around asking "Am I hot enough to be a med student?"

Do you think any other "professional" , other than a model or actor, sits around asking this question??

Let's take nursing out of the 1950's (or whatever), please. Assume the mantle of a PROFESSIONAL.

Original post kind of makes me sick. No offense to original poster.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but in today's society - especially in America - looks are put on much higher of a pedestal than they really deserve. This leads to people feeling self conscious, perhaps because of past judgement based on appearances. It is real and it happens every day, in pretty much every profession. Of course we all seek to be professional. But if we cannot voice our worries and fears and troubles here, where else can we go?

Specializes in LTC and Telemetry.

If you are saving someone's life, or the life of aloved one, I PROMISE they won't care what you look like! :) chin up!

To add one last thing, I'd like to offer one of my favorite quotes: "Ugly is something INSIDE a person. You have to decide: am I ugly or not?"

Good post.

Here is where we can vent our fears and our frustrations. I feel what the original poster is feeling. But I am not one sit around and let the world decide my desitiny. You want something bad enough you have to work for it. If you don't like your looks change them. I know in some instances that would be near impossible, but this original poster's concerns can all be handled and changed. If you were not blessed with good looks, it does not mean you can't be good looking. You are right, this is the world of today, is majorly vain and fickle in their judgements. But I say, if you want something bad enough you can go after it or die trying. Never give up before even trying.

Specializes in PCU/Telemetry.

Real life isn't Grey's Anatomy, thank God. Patients do not care what you look like as long as you're clean & presentable. Sure, there are probably some pts who enjoy having a "hot nurse" but it's no one's main concern. What pts, families, & coworkers care about is that you are professional, intelligent, efficient, & compassionate & maintain a positive, helpful attitude.

Specializes in ICU, CVICU.
The people I work with now love the crap out of me because I'm good at what I do, I'm good at understanding what THEY do, I'm good at getting everyone and everything to work together and I make the work environment fun and enjoyable with humor and good cheer.

I don't think it matters what people think of your appearance. In fact, if I'm at the hospital as a pt, I'm probably at my own worst; and I'd rather have McNormal than McDreamy taking care of me any day! The only thing I'd expect in any person in a medical profession apart from their competency at what they do is cleanliness and kindness. I think you need a bit more confidence in yourself, I think people will love the crap out of you when you are nurse because you will be good at what you do, you will understand them, and you'll be just as good at getting everyone and everything to work together and make the environment more enjoyable. I'd much rather work with or be treated by someone like you than someone lacking personality but blessed with superficial beauty.

Specializes in Gerontology.

I am far from pretty. I consider myself ugly ( although I have been told I am probably more self conscious than necesary, but that's another thread altogeather). I have a medical condition that has caused a deformed eye. I get a lot of stares, a lot of rude questions. But I have also been told that my smile lights up the room. And my pts seem to like me.

I've been nursing for 27 years and most of my pts seem to like me.

I think most pts are more focused on the care they are receiving more than what their nurses look like. I have had to have numerous surgeries on my eye. I can't tell you what my nurses look like. But I can tell you what ones made me feel comfortable and safe.

Specializes in Psych/med surg.

I would rather have a nurse that is nice, fun and has a good sense of humor than a hot nurse with no personality. The young nurses tend to be stiff with no personality while the older nurses are more comfortable with the patients and I think that makes the patients more comfortable.

Specializes in General Medical, Geriatric.

I actually think being a hot nurse can take away from the fact that you know what you're doing. OK I'm not calling myself hot but I'm blonde and thin. So I tend to get that oh she must be a dumb blonde thing all the time. I know what I'm doing. I'm a cancer survivor. I had it while pregnant. Lost my dad to cancer a as well. I worked hard to get my degree and sometimes I don't get taken seriously so there are two sides to everything. You'll be awesome as long as you are good at what you do.

Specializes in L&D.

Only level 4 bridge troll? If you were like, level 70, at least you'd have sweet armor.

I don't really think that looks play a huge role in patient care. If a patient thinks you can do the job well, and they're sick enough to be in the hospital, they really won't care what their nurse looks like! I do like the list you have going there, though. :D

OKAY, first of all sorry to say but SUCK it up LOOKS have NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING A GOOD NURSE! Not sure where you live but I live in Canada and most people value good quality of care NOT that you're beautiful. Embrace that you have the good qualities of a being a good nurse and all the pts/residents you care for will value your compassion and skill in caring for them in a dignified manner. Good luck to you and your future in a valued profession.

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