Nurses with tattoos...

[vaileheart]

hello all!!! I am going for my BSN, have not yet started my actual Nursing classes. I have a really good friend who works as an RN in the ER at a nearby hospital and she has answered this question for me but I am wondering if all hospitals are as lenitent about this as hers is...I currently have NO tattoos. I recently lost a pet who meant a lot to me, he was a kitten and I was lucky enough to have gotten a paw print of his...I was wanting to get his print tattooed on my wrist, pretty much in the area where a watch band would be (I'm thinking here it will be visible if I want to see it, but hideable also), his print is very small, under an inch tall and wide so I am wondering what everyone thinks of this. My friend that I mentioned said that at the hospital she works at a lot of the nurses have tattoos on their arms and other places that you can see them. One guy even has a 1/2 naked woman! I know, of course, that no visible tattoos would be thought of by most hospitals as best, I am just wondering if I should totally rule out the idea of getting the tattoo there. I am wanting to know what you guys think or what your places of employment have as far as rules. I didn't know if it being so small and being something that is not a naked woman would make a difference. Thank you so much in advance!!!!

[island40]

You are going to hear all kinds of answers to the question about whether or not to get a tattoo because it really does depend on the place (even the unit) that you work. I have worked in long term care facilities in Iowa that require tattoos to be covered (as well as piercings other than ear studs) and in hospitals in Arizona that didn't have any reference to tattoos in their dress code. It is few and far between to see nurses at the VA hospitals and facilities that don't have a tattoo or two (retired military :)

If you want body art please don't be ashamed to show it off.

[AusNurse2B]

Tattoos these days are as common as earrings IMO!! I like the tastful ones, and a nice tat on a man's muscular arms grrrrrrllllll!!:redbeathe

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

lol... you silly thang!!!!

tattoos these days are as common as earrings imo!! i like the tastful ones, and a nice tat on a man's muscular arms grrrrrrllllll!!:redbeathe

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

I'm one of those 'older nurses' who has a personal prejudice against tattoos, if that's worth anything. I find visable tattoos disconcerting. To my twisted point of view, they make me think that the tattooed person might have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol at one time, and maybe has loose morals. I try to be non-judgemental, but don't always succeed.

Just as a heads up-reputable shops that have been inspected by the board of health will turn you away if you are drunk or otherwise impaired. I have 4 tats(thinking of a fifth) and have never done drugs and I drink only socially(I think the last cocktail I had was about 2 months ago). My tats are in hideable places though. I think the OP's should be fine as long as it'll fit under her watchband so she can hide it if need be.

I knew a tech once that had them all up his neck-that seemed a little extreme to me!:uhoh21: