Nursing and tattoos

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  1. Do you have any tattoos?

    • 716
      No, never would
    • 525
      No, but would like to
    • 712
      Yes, but only one in a discreet area
    • 83
      Yes, but I wish I didn't
    • 990
      Yes, I have more than one, but less than ten
    • 132
      Yes, my body is a living canvas

1,962 members have participated

:D Just thought we needed a new poll...

I have four, all hidden while in uniform. I see no reason why it should matter if they are hidden.:nurse:

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Specializes in Respiratory, Hospice, Med-Surg, MICU,.

I am an agency nurse and have been for two decades. I had a pt, about 15 yrs ago in an LTC facility who had a large tattoe on her arm. She was in her 90's! It was ugly, undiscernable and she was in a circus :clown: in her younger years. She chewed tabacco in her t/o her life :smokin: and in her demented state, she hurled her lugies Everywhere. Her walls were covered with bedding b/c of her frequent neverending spitting :banghead:, people were warned to duck and cover in her presence.

After seeing her, there is No way I would Ever have a tatto :nono:! Although, I've been tempted to have one on my ankle....sigh.

I had a pt come in who had a tatto the same time with her teen age dgtr as a "bonding experience". This middle aged Mamma was convinced they messed hers up b/c it was not as crisp and pretty as her dgtrs. Some cannot accept that they are aging and she was one of them..........I'd call that a midlife crisis.

As far as tattoes and nursing, I believe they should be covered up while at work.

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I have only one in a discreet area as well and I am seriously considering another one on my back that has the names of my babies.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

As I have always said, "you can be old and wrinkled or old, wrinkled, and tattooed". The choice is yours, but you can't choose two of three no matter what you do.

As far as how tattoos look on most of your geriatric patients: There is no comparison between the tattoo inks used several decades and the tattoo inks used today. All tattoos will fade, but newer tattoos shouldn't fade to that uniformly "greenish" color that older tattoos do.

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I have 2 myself. One on each upper arm :banghead: I got them when I was fresh out of high school and into college. Talk about being defiant! I loved them both for awhile but would love to just have my skin back. However, I must admit that getting another one sounds enticing. :banghead: I have a dragon on one arm and korean letters which spell my name on the other. :bow:

If you are not sure - don't do it!

If you are not sure on what type of tattoo - don't do it until you've decided that you will be satisfied with it for the rest of your life!

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Specializes in Neurology / Stroke Service.

I have one tattoo, covered up under my scrub. This week I had a patient who was tattoo artist, and he asked me if I had any tattoo's. I guess that if I had said yes that the next question would be... can I see it? And that I think would be very inappropriate! So I never tell a patient that I have a tattoo.

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Specializes in None but I am a...HHA ( Home Health Aid).

I have 2 One in between my sholder blades that has 2 roses and a banner that says uncle Jimmy and his dob and dod. we were real close

my other one is on my left outter ankle that has a butterfly with a banner that has my daughter's name in it. thinking of geting another one with my son's name in it

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Now I'm not a nurse yet but, I intend to be in the near future.. I have 16 tattoo's as of right now.. All but 3 can be covered while in a normal scrub top. I have a Celtic design around my wrist.. On the other arm I have a heart and banner with my children's name in it and a piece that sort of wraps around my forearm with morning glory's that are colored in to match my families birth stones. Do I think I am unprofessional? Not in the least.. do I think I will make a bad nurses based on my tattoo's? Not at all. Tattoos are becoming so normal now that sooner or later it wont be such a big deal. When I finally become a nurse I will just wear a long sleeve top or scrub jacket at work and I will be fine with that. As far as whenever I go to apply for a nursing job and go in for an interview I will wear a professional outfit with long sleeves to conceal them. I know that if I tried to go in wearing a short sleeved top they might be judgmental even though they shouldn't be and if concealing them helps me get a job thats fine. I can just show them outside of work. I want to be a nurse to help people my tattoos will have nothing to do with the level of care I can provide to my future patients.

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Specializes in ED/trauma.

I'm a big body mod fan. I'm also a professional, though, so everything is covered.

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I'd love to get a tattoo to represent my culture ( 1/2 Filipino 1/4 German 1/4 Italian) but I have no idea how to represent each one so they flow and look nice. I was also thinking about getting the Chinese symbol for Strength on my inner wrist...

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Specializes in Cardiac.
I toyed with the idea a few times but just couldn't get the image out of my head: me, female, at age 80, with tatoos on my wrinkled, sagging, droopy old-person skin. Kind of ruined the glamour for me!:chuckle

Agreed.

I think about getting one, because it seems everyone around me is working on there second, third, or even forth. But It is forever and I change my mind way to much to have anything permanent besides my ears pierced once lol.

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Specializes in Emergency/ Critical Care.

One on my ankle and one between my shoulderblades...I don't feel they are a problem because both are covered with scrubs. I also have a tongue ring but I take it out at the hospital

plus I figure that NOTHING on me will look good at age 80+ so who cares about a little deformed tattoo lol

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