Nurses please try to look a little more polished at work

Nurses General Nursing

Updated:   Published

Specializes in LTC and School Health.

To the smokers I work with, please do yourselves and patients a favor by brushing your teeth after smoking. the smell of smoke makes me gag, and I feel sorry for your already nauseated patients.

To the supervisor that baths in his cologne... don't. it smells horrible.

To the nurse with the huge blond hair. it looks like a bomb was set off in your hair. did you use a whole bottle of stiff on it? and you may want to wear better fitting scrubs, I'm curvy as well, but I don't like to show my curves at work.

Yes, I do like to wear make up and manicured nails( no chipping, or fakes nails) to work everyday. not only does it make me feel good but patients notice as well. looks are first impressions, and I like to make a good one.

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Specializes in LTC and School Health.

I Know I'm going to get flammed but I don't care. The dress code is also in my employers policy which nurses cleary don't abide to. I believe everyone should look professional. My personal preference is light make up as it makes me look more chipper and awake. I'm not saying every nurse should wear make up or maniucured nails. However, atleast don't come to work smelling like smoke or looking like you literally just rolled out of bed....

I'm 23 years old, and I'm surprised at nurses my senior whom don't look professional. I would expect it more from my peers...

So if I get flammed for wanting nurses to look professional!

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Specializes in Diabetes, Primary care.

When I went to nursing school, we had a rule of "hair off the shoulders". It still bothers me when I see nurses with hair in their face, hanging down, touching patients... Not only this doesn't look professional and "put together", it also creates additional risk for infection transmission.

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Well I agree we should look decent and professional, however I am not one to ever wear makeup. My hair has always been and will always be crazy. That doesn't mean I don't look as a nurse should.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.

We all have things that bother us. Poor spelling and grammatical errors are also unprofessional.

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.

But...I probably DID just roll out of bed. Have you seen me at 5:30am? It ain't pretty.

:p

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Specializes in LTC, office.
When I went to nursing school, we had a rule of "hair off the shoulders". It still bothers me when I see nurses with hair in their face, hanging down, touching patients... Not only this doesn't look professional and "put together", it also creates additional risk for infection transmission.

That does bother me too. We do have that policy in our dress code but it is not enforced.

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Specializes in Oncology/hematology.
We all have things that bother us. Poor spelling and grammatical errors are also unprofessional.

Love, love, love it!

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Specializes in MDS/ UR.

Perhaps you should incorporate your screen name into your public musings.

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We have a super strict dress code which I love. No room for error!

We have a uniform which MUST be worn, no exceptions.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.
we have a super strict dress code which i love. no room for error!

parts of ours:

- no un-natural hair colours or excessive styles (again, defined by management)

i would hope that you mean, no pink hair, no blue hair, no green... when i first read that i thought, "what??? no one is allowed to dye their hair???"

- personal hygiene must be adhered to. (not sure how this one is enforced- would you really go up to an emoloyee and tell them they stink?)

you know, i'm a good, born again christian, and yet, there is a woman that i work with... man someone needs to say something to her. how do you handle that situation? it's an age old question...

to the op... you know, i get what you are saying, i really do, and i actually respect it. i do feel like we as nurses want to be thought of as professionals, we fight for it every day, and when someone shows up to work wearing dirty, wrinkled scrubs, hair looking like an absolute rat's nest.. smelling bad... it does in a way undermine our efforts to make people respect our profession as a whole.

one does of course, have to remember what a grueling, physical job nursing can be, so if our scrubs are dirty, our hair is a mess, and we smell bad at the end of the day, or heck, even by the middle of the day... who can fault us?

i think the things in your post that bother other people in this thread, are, i'm guessing.. the part that insinuates that nurses must wear at least a little makeup, and then i think your post has an overall air of "looks are the most important thing!", especially towards the end.

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Specializes in all but OB and Peds.
We have a super strict dress code which I love. No room for error!

Parts of ours:

- No nail polish or false nails

- Nails must not extend over the tips of fingers and must be clean

- Make-up allowed but must be discreet (definition of discreet is up to management on that day)

- Hair must be off the collar if more than shoulder length.

- No un-natural hair colours or excessive styles (again, defined by management)

- No perfume allowed (working with resp. patients so that makes sense)

- No jewellery EXCEPT 1)plain wedding band b)plain ear studs.

- Plain black shoes only

- We have a uniform which MUST be worn, no exceptions.

- Personal hygiene must be adhered to. (not sure how this one is enforced- would you really go up to an emoloyee and tell them they stink?)

Interesting I work with a nurse who has bad BO, I don't work with her all the time but she works for me on the weekend and every monday I come in I get complaints about the odor and the dress. Spots on her uniform jackets, shirts she wears. Not little spots but biggin. Unfortunately I had to report her to my direct supervisor be cause I was getting to many complaints. At first I told the people that I work with hat they are just use to working with me and seeing how I carry my self. My scrubs are pressed, or folder and pleated quickly out of the dryer, clean shoes, cleans nails, no tips (man saving alot money since taking them off) hair laid, and a little touch of smell good, I have allergies so I can only wear but so much.

One thing that bugs me is seeing nurses wearing their scrubs pants up under there shoes, I think that is just tacking , but hey if they let you get away with it. I know if you work for me or with me I might have to say something to ya.

OK waiting for it........( whew hope I don't have any grammatical or spelling errors.....LOL if I do I look good doing it....lol)

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