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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)
What do you guys think - should I just wait?
Every time I see this topic here I get double shocked. Once because I can't believe anyone actually cares about people's tattoos anymore and still feel the need to jump on people for getting them. And twice because the hospitals here apparently don't care since every time I've been in any of them here there are always employees tatted up. Thank goodness people here have matured over the issue in the last 30 years.
So what will places do if they forbid long sleeves and they have a glut of nurses with now visible tattoos? Are they really going to fire an entire group? I know LOTS of nurses with some tattoo that they are covering for work. They range in age from mid 20s to 50s and all kinds of levels of experience. They have flowers, birds, vines, religious symbols, kids names etc.
i guess for those of us that love our tattoos we will cross the bridge if what to do when/if it happens, I'll invest in lots of dermablend I suppose Other than that though I never get why anyone cares what my tattoos will look like when I'm old, they are mine not yours.
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.
We do not hide our tattoos during interviews because WE see them as unprofessional, but because the people interviewing us see them that way and judge us accordingly. Just because I have a half sleeve on one arm, a wrist tattoo on the other, two finger tattoos, plus one on each ankle and one on my foot (plus many more that I can easily hide with clothing), does NOT mean I am in any way unprofessional or an incompetent nurse. I should be judged only on my competency, qualifications and attitude, not by what is on my skin.
None of my tattoos are vulgar or distasteful in any way (flowers, stars, caduceus..) Until society in general changes their idea of what/who tattooed people are we must cover ours up when we are put into these types of situations.
Previous to my nursing school career, I held a "Professional" office job as a Title Insurance Agent. I interacted with many bankers, real estate agents, insurance companies, etc., and did not cover any of my tattoos. My job performance does not suffer because of some ink on my skin.
As for "what will they look like when I am 80?" - My whole body will likely be saggy, wrinkly and covered with age spots (since I am already covered in freckles) with or without tattoos....my batwing will look awesome with all of my colorful flowers and owl! My tattoos tell a story of my life and I love telling people about them - this will make me the most popular granny in the nursing home!
To the OP:
If you do decide to get a sleeve started, I do encourage just a half sleeve to start. Irregardless of my feelings stated above about how no one should care and it's my body and blah blah blah, I know how bad it sucks to have to wear long sleeves all of the time. I only have a half sleeve on my upper right arm, but my scrub uniform for school did not cover it and long sleeves were the only option I had at the time to cover it up. I did finally find a product called a "Tat Jacket" which is a stretchy type material sewn up with elastic bands that comes in 4 different colors and is intended to cover up tattoos on different areas of the body. I got one intended for just the upper arm and this saved me from having to wear long sleeves all of the time. Google the name and you should find their website. It is an awesome product and is totally machine washable!
So what will places do if they forbid long sleeves and they have a glut of nurses with now visible tattoos? Are they really going to fire an entire group? I know LOTS of nurses with some tattoo that they are covering for work. They range in age from mid 20s to 50s and all kinds of levels of experience. They have flowers, birds, vines, religious symbols, kids names etc.i guess for those of us that love our tattoos we will cross the bridge if what to do when/if it happens, I'll invest in lots of dermablend I suppose
Other than that though I never get why anyone cares what my tattoos will look like when I'm old, they are mine not yours.
Have all the tats you feel are so important. Have a Mohawk, a nose ring , elongated ears.. whatever you feel the need to express yourself. The nursing profession is now mandated by a corporate body that can and will call the shots on this.
As the "shortage" disappeared in many areas of the country, many employers were able to become more particular with the dress code.
Yes, a hospital where I live terminated several nurses for visible tattoos. They worked in an environment where no long sleeves were allowed, nor were watches allowed. Wrist tattoos were the issue. Not to worry, there were many people waiting to apply for those open positions.
I have a tattoo, my husband has several. If you work in health care, I think it is wise to avoid tattoos that are difficult to cover. It doesn't matter if you disagree with the policy, it could still cost you a job.
I think it depends on the facility and your geographical location. Where I live I've seen many professionals (ranging from police to nurses to paralegals) with visible tattoos, in general they are fairly well accepted even in the more conservative professions so long as they aren't glaringly obvious or profane. But I also live in an area that is fairly accepting of "being different" and having independent style. I can think of other cities, some not even all that far away, where tats would be a problem to hiring.
I live in one of the most conservative metro areas in the US and it's not frowned on here. That's why I find it so shocking people would have this problem. Kind of makes me wonder if since the average age of nurses is so high, and this being a nursing forum, that it skews the answers people get here. These responses just aren't the reality I see in actual professional life, healthcare or or otherwise.
I don't have any tattoos, and have never wanted one. To me, they just look painful. That being said, I think that it's more important on what's on the inside of a person then what is on the outside. If I was in the hospital, I wouldn't care if the nurse taking care of me had tattoos or not, as long as they were nice and competent at their job. Unfortunately, many folks don't feel that way and judge folks just by looking at them.
I do think that that many employers go a bit overboard, when it comes to finding potential employees that fit their "mold". They do disqualify folks from jobs, simply by the way they look. (Of course, they would never say that!) And it's not just in healthcare that this happens. Depending on where you live, you might find that a lot of tattoos will limit some of your job prospects. I have even been asked a couple of times in job interviews, if I have any tattoos. Where I live, there seems to be a fairly strict policy against tats. Maybe some day that will change.
icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN
1,970 Posts
My coworker says her son was recently rejected by the Army because of his tattoos. They have to stop one inch above the bend of the wrist.