I am currently in nursing school(RN).. I will graduate in Dec
I plan on getting both arms tattooed - - -nothing inappropriate
I would love to start it now - but I am wondering if this will hinder me from getting a job in the future
I would wear a long sleeve dress shirt to interview, and make sure I'd be allowed to wear long sleeves under my scrubs if they had a no tattoo policy (this is what the employees do at the hospital I go to school at)
I agree with everyone who said to wait until after you graduate and get a job and find out your facilities policy. Waiting will not hurt you.
For what it's worth, I have never heard of a policy against wearing long sleeved shirts under a scrub top. My manager is more strict than others on dress code, but we can wear long sleeves as long as they are white or royal blue. I wear them often because I am cold natured.
You will find that each facility has it's own official policy, which may be enforced more/less strict on different units. Some units at my hospital are okay with bright undershirts/jackets, t-shirts, ect... My manager is not. However, piercings seem to be allowed as long as they aren't too outrageous.
Anyway, wait on the tats. In this job market new grads are having a difficult time as it is, you can't afford to have anything against you.
I find this a little overboard... You "hide" them in a interview for professionalism, not because they are secret. If I had tats on my arms I would hide them in my interview but also simply say, "I have some tattoos that would be visable at work, is it within policy to wear a long sleeve to cover them?"
I don't understand the statement "in a lame attempt to hide them" either. Its just being respectful. My tattoos are not me making a statement. They are just part of me. I'm not going to make decisions about MY body based on work. Work is not my LIFE, just my living. If somewhere wouldn't let me have tattoos I can cover, I'd move on.
Here lies the generational difference with the statement that tattoos make. I find them distasteful and can't help but wonder what a full sleeve tattoo will look like on an 80 year old granny that has developed "batwings".
If you do not show your tattoos in an interview for "professionalism" , then you realize they are UNPROFESSIONAL. If it is within policy to cover them up, a full sleeve tattoo always ends up showing... even proper hand washing technique is not possible without rolling up your sleeves.
Long sleeves are becoming more of an issue due to evidence from infection control studies that have uncovered evidence that we (clinicians) are essentially walking fomites. Some countries - who have always prohibited wristwatches - are even adopting "no long sleeves & no neckties" policies in clinical areas. It's all about patient safety.
As a crusty old bat, I am always intrigued by the tattoo threads. Hey, fads and fashion change, but most of the time (think mullets, facial hair, platform shoes, crimped hair, sparkley eyeshadow, skunk-black hair dye, bellbottoms, etc.) the must-have-to-show-I'm-soooo-cool "thing' just fades away. This is not going to be the case with tattoos. I am getting the feeling that I should consider investing in or launching my own tattoo removal shop to supplement my retirement ... I'm sure that this is going to be a growth industry.
I never understand the idea that you shouldn't get tattoos simply because our culture defines them as unprofessional. I am more than my job; if I choose to be inked head to toe outside of the 40 hours I spend at work, who cares as long as I meet the dress code at work?
With regard to OP's question, get the tattoos if you want them. Insert lecture about tattoos lasting forever here. But keep in mind you will be forearm deep in all kinds of things as a nurse and long sleeves are not a hygienic idea. If you don't already have tattoos below the elbow and you know most prospective employers will want them covered, definitely think before you ink.
Here lies the generational difference with the statement that tattoos make. I find them distasteful and can't help but wonder what a full sleeve tattoo will look like on an 80 year old granny that has developed "batwings".
If you do not show your tattoos in an interview for "professionalism" , then you realize they are UNPROFESSIONAL. If it is within policy to cover them up, a full sleeve tattoo always ends up showing... even proper hand washing technique is not possible without rolling up your sleeves.
I don't have tattoos or want tattoos, but I'm not going to look good when I'm 80, either. Nobody is.
I have plenty of patients in their 70s and 80s come through with old faded out tattoos or with multiple piercings. I don't even notice them until a thread like this pops up.
I have tattoos. I have them for only me. I fully expect that when I am an old lady and everything is sagging, my nurses will notice them about as much as I do now.
OP, tattoos are not something to take lightly. Getting them on can be painful, and getting them off is even more so. Think extra hard for at least 6 months about what you are about to do and make sure it's something truly meaningful. Then do some heavy research on the artists available to you before you actually getting it done, ok?
Yes....however, you can be protected by religious exception. A full sleeve of tat's isn't protected
I was actually referring to the notion that the op would not want to wear long sleeves all the time because they can be a nuisance and uncomfortable at times. And my point was that it can be worth the trouble if the reason you are doing it is important to you.
Wearing long sleeves all the time is not easy. I will be the first to admit it (this was definitely the case when I was working in the hospital). But modesty is more important to me than my comfort. Perhaps with the op, tattoos are more important than his comfort.
I would suggest, however, before consigning one's self to a lifetime of long sleeves (presumably...I don't see tattoos being banned forever), the op wear long sleeves on a regular basis to clinicals and see how it goes. Perhaps he will decide it's not worth it after all.
I always laugh when others are worried about how my tattoos will look when I'm 80. I don't care that they might be wrinkly or faded. They tell the story if my life.
And my half sleeve plans are all nursing related, very meaningful and important to me.
To those talking about 80 year olds with tattoos, batwings, and how ridiculous they look: Are you seriously telling me that this bothers you? Because it sure looks to me like they are enjoying the heck out of life! I sure hope I'm still loving life as much in another 40 years when I am that age.
I LOVE my ink! I have a large tattoo on my right shoulder and will have many more. But until the healthcare work arena changes drastically, I won't get one that would show when wearing standard short sleeve scrubs. Long sleeve undershirts are not an option for me considering hygiene and the fact that I am extremely hot natured. I'm currently saving my pennies for a half sleeve, but intend on marking where my scrubs pull up to when I'm moving and then making sure the design doesn't fall below that (one third sleeve?).
I applaud Mr. Murse's opinion. Respectful of the professionalism we must maintain while on duty AND of the beautiful art form of tattooing. If you get it, think long and hard and make sure it's something that means the world to you. Then find the best dang artist in the area. This is not a time to cut corners. Consider the attitude where you intend to practice (rural vs urban, LTC vs ER vs home health vs whatever). It would probably be best to wait until you are well situated in a job before approaching the idea of a full sleeve just in case.
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Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN
20,908 Posts