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...
Specializes in LTC, HH, clinic.

I have a fairly large(covers scapula) orchid. i wanted a tattoo since I was about 12 or 13 but waited until I was 23 to get it. Hubby hates it, but I don't care. I do not and have not ever regretted having my tattoo. If there are those small minded people out there who thinks it makes me less professional, I guess that they can stay in their black and white(tiny) world. I am returning for my RN in the fall(I have been an LPN since'95) and will get another to commemorate my graduation from RN program. Any ideas shoot 'em my way! I have a friend who is also a nurse who has a tattoo on her lower back, one on her hip, and a breast cancer ribbon(she beat it) on her deltoid. My only word of advice is be sure of what you want, and what you can live with(it is permanaent after all). BTW you can see the top of my tat if my scrub top slips back a bit, and nobody has ever been scandalized by it, they are surprised though for some reason. :wink2:

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

A nurse friend of mine has a fairy named Sophie tattoed on her scapula - I'm a wuss for pain and too afraid of HepB/C to go there, but hers is cute. And she wears it well.

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Specializes in Burn, CCU, CTICU, Trauma, SICU, MICU.

i'm an icu nurse and i am very heavily tattooed - i wont even bother with the ones that i have that i can cover up - but i have both half sleeves done, my forearms, a large chest piece, the back of my neck and my knuckles done. - very blatant and obvious tattooing.

i have my earlobes pierced at an average lobe guage, an industrial in my left ear cartilage, my tongue is pierced and my septum is also pierced. i have had inappropriate comments about my tongue from both patients and staff in the sexual manner. my septum - i usually keep flipped up inside my nose while im at work so people will only see a glint if they look a certain way and will offer me a tissue, - then when i show them - its a mixed reaction. i was invited to wear it out by MANAGEMENT as they said it didnt effect my ability to my job so they saw no problem with it. i still keep it up MOST of the time simply because it is a more "aggressive" looking piercing.

i have never had a problem with it in the sense that i have ever felt negatively judged for it by patients. either they dont say anything about them or they tell me how cool/pretty/bright/whatever they are.

with my co-workers - it is usually a topic of conversation. i have people constantly approaching me and saying "wow, thats quite a bit of ink you have... whats the BSA? 40% 60%?" people will then share what they have tattooed or ask for shop recommendations. now and then i get "teased" or "bullied" by other nurses about it. one of my charge nurses stated that i would likely be a burn patient one day because "weirdos with tattoos are always the weirdos that get burned." im very dark irish (pale skin, black hair, blue eyes) - and people will ask me point blank "are you a GOTH chick??? are you into DEATH??" ... that one always bothers me and i dont think that tattooing has to be equated to specific things like that. also, considering - im covered in FLOWERS its hardly a "dark" image.

when i interview, i wear long sleeved and something high necked. i cant cover up in my knuckles and i dont even try to. its never effected my hiring ability. one hospital i worked at, after being hired - attempted to start a mandatory cover-your-tattoos policy which myself and a few other nurses fought. if your tattoos are non-offensive in nature, they should be treated just as anyone else who uses things to make themselves asthestically pleasing. - you want to ban my tattoos - then ban lipstick, eye shadow, hair dye. you dont like my cartilage piercing - then no one can wear earrings. dont discriminate. we also brought into consideration if we had to wear long sleeves - how dirty and unsanitary that would be when doing "messy" jobs. and how was i supposed to cover my fingers? band-aids? - how could you possibly expect me to wash my hands effectively?

if it is not of a graphic nature that will blatantly be offensive to staff or patients, it does not effect my mind, my judgment, my interaction with anyone, my education or my skills.

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

This is what I was going to say! I am all about doing what I want now. God willing I hope I am 80 with wrinkled tattoos, but if I don't make it that long, I am glad that I have my tattoos with me to enjoy now!

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We serve an elderly population in the healthcare industry. I think they like any generation believe what they believe. Tatoos are very popular unless you are over 65 years old and have never served in the military. The women usually see them as degrading and don't understand why anyone would have one. Hospital Administation simply want to protect the hospital population ( usually over 65 years old). I do not believe it is for any reason other than who we serve. The elderly population are going to judge you based on their culture and generation. In the future you will be admired for your willing to step out and be yourself. This is something our elders were never afforded.

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Specializes in ED.

I've got 6 tattoos (after telling myself I'd only ever get 2). The last one I got was a pin-up nurse on my calf...very popular with my coworkers :p But all of them are covered when I work, and no one would know I have them unless I told them. This was just a personal choice by me to have them in places that could be covered.

I work with another nurse who has many more tats than I have, and despite the hospital policy on having tattoos covered, many of his are visible. No one seems to care at all. I've never heard of any patients/family members complaining about tattoos at my hospital.

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I work in a catholic hospital and I have never heard any pt or family member complain. The nuns on the other hand do complain. They also have complained about dress code issues. They do not want any open-toed shoes, short skirts, or cleavage showing. The families and pts have never complained about dress codes violations to my knowledge and I don't think the doctors have complained either especially about short skirts and cleavage.

I am not sure what dress codes or tatoos have to do with pt care but, it matters to the catholic hospital nuns. They have been known to call personnel down in the hallways in front of God and everybody. Maybe, the pt and family complain to the Nuns. I just don't know.

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I work in a catholic hospital and I have never heard any pt or family member complain. The nuns on the other hand do complain. They also have complained about dress code issues. They do not want any open-toed shoes, short skirts, or cleavage showing. The families and pts have never complained about dress codes violations to my knowledge and I don't think the doctors have complained either especially about short skirts and cleavage.

I am not sure what dress codes or tatoos have to do with pt care but, it matters to the catholic hospital nuns. They have been known to call personnel down in the hallways in front of God and everybody. Maybe, the pt and family complain to the Nuns. I just don't know.

I think it is reasonable not to wear short skirts or have cleavage showing at work. That IS unprofessional.

And how do nurses work in a short skirt? Or bend over to take care of a pt. with their breasts hanging out?

I'm with the nuns on that issue.:up:

As to tattoos . . .. this is an older thread and I see I already voted "NO I'd never get a tattoo". . . .. .but I don't like tattoo art period - it looks like the "Velvet Elvis" or "Velvet Dogs Playing Poker" art. I wouldn't hang it in my living room. My son has a "NorCal" star on his shoulder blade. My daughter has "Mentior" and "Veritas" on her wrists (Truth and Lies). I don't like the looks of either. But they are adults.

Former long-haired, no makeup, overalls, and horse riding hippie . . . :D

steph

I thought of something after I posted . . .when I was in jr. high the big deal then was WHITE LIPSTICK AND WHITE EYESHADOW. That was attractive . ..:rolleyes: and I did it.:imbar

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I have small fairy tatoo on ankle

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It is not the nurses who are wearing the short skirts or showing cleavage. That is difficult to pull off in scrubs. There are other people working in the hospital besides nurses. There are nurses who like to wear their scrubs below the waist line, and maybe, no really too tight. I agree the Nuns are right too and that is why I love working in a Catholic hospital. They try to hold everyone to a higher standard. I have been around for many years. The standard is so much lower in my point of view. Showing up for work early, showing up at all, being responsible and following rules are a thing of the past. The Nuns try to make everyone responsible and decent. I am not tatooed myself but, I hate needles and I think art belongs on a wall. It doesn't make it wrong for the youth who love it, it is just not my thing.

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Specializes in critical care.

I have 4, 1 small butterfly on right foot. Hummingbird with rose on my left foot for mom who passed away august 14, 2005,(daughters also have same tattoo but different color rose). Cherokee-Apache hummingbird symbol on left ankle for grandparent. And butterfly on back. They are all concealed by scrubs and about to get another one. Anna RN:nurse::nurse:

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I have four tattoos.

1) A giant green Shamrock on my right shoulder.

2) The words "Éirinn go Brágh" on my left shoulder without the quotes :)

3) Slave in Japanese (well Chinese Kanji) in all black -> slave.jpg

4) A big spider on my right ankle with D-1 under it in all black. (Military thing)

Love em all!!!!!!!

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