pre-nursing student needs help with tattooed nurse survey!!

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Hello all!

I have posted a few times here on this board and I read the digests diligently. Let me make this as short and concise as possible.

I am in a psychology class (doing nursing pre-requisites!) I have to do a survey for my final paper. I will be going around to people having them fill out a survey about whether or not they would perceive a heavily tattooed nurse as being unprofessional.

I would present to one group of people a picture of a nurse with very visible tattoos, wearing scrubs, badge of some sort. It will be evident she is a nurse. Her hair will be neat, her scrubs will be clean and pressed, she will look nice and she will have very visible tattoos.

The list of questions they would answer will range from "strongly disagree to strongly agree." The questions are Common stereotypes and not necessarily at all valid but to represent what a large number of people seem to think. (based on my own personal experience as a heavily tattooed woman)

Male____ female____

High School/GED___ Certification___ Associates Degree___ Bachelors Degree____

Masters___ PHD___

This nurse is dressed professionally.

I believe this nurse is competent in her field.

I would be concerned this nurse would steal my personal belongings.

I would be as comfortable as possible with this nurse administering an IV or an injection on me.

This nurse's appearance conflicts with my religious beliefs.

This nurse may have Hepatitis C.

This nurse would listen to my concerns.

This nurse has excellent bedside manner.

I would feel comfortable with this nurse changing my bedpan and performing personal care for me.

This nurse would advocate my needs for me and help me receive proper care.

I will then have a picture of a clean and neat nurse with no visible tattoos and the same exact questions will be presented. This will be my control group.

Since I'm sure plenty of you have figured out why exactly I'm posting this here, I do not have a picture of a tattooed nurse. I do not know any tattooed people besides myself and I can't go around expecting honest answers if I'm standing right in front of them. I did order some of those Halloween fake tattoo sleeve things but I dread the way they're going to look, but will use them if I have to. I google constantly trying to find tattooed nurses, and I come up with risqué stuff that is obviously not what I'm looking for. I do not know how to use photoshop, sadly, or problem would've been solved.

If there are any tattooed nurses here that would be so extraordinarily kind as to help out a pre-nursing student by sending me a picture of yourself? My intent is listed above, there will be no harm done. I intend to fully keep my tattoos under wraps when I obtain my licensure. I rarely show them in public anymore anyway! So I understand that you probably wouldn't even show yours at work.

But if anyone has any tattoos and wants to have a picture of yourself taken in scrubs; Please let me know. I just need a picture preferably of a tattooed female nurse. Because I am a woman and I wanted to my research around that.

Thank you enormously.

Any feedback involving the survey is also welcomed. I take any and all and am not afraid of criticism! I will also be glad to post the end results and the final paper once it has been completed.

Sincerely,

Sarah

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Specializes in Tele.

I don't know if this will help any.... but at my facility, tats have to be covered. If you have a sleeve tat, then you have to wear a long sleeve shirt underneath your scrubs. This is per hospital policy.

I'm not tattooed, but I have nothing against tats....

One of my good friends/coworkers has tats allover her body, and she decided to get a sleeve a little below her elbow, but she has to keep it covered at work. at our facility we have to keep tats covered, and our hair with "normal" colors, and of course our fingernails without polish except clear color.

I think they do this to keep a "clean" image of the nursing, and other staff working and "representing" the hospital.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

Tattoos scare the bajeebers out of older patients.

They are a NO-NO in my area---i.e. total coverage.

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Specializes in OR RN Circulator, Scrub; Management.

In our facility they must be covered and piercings have to be removed (face, nose, brow) and spacers in its place.

I do have a tatoo and it is below my neck line and between my shoulder blades. My longer hair normally covers the top if it peeks thru when wearing a shirt that dips below. I am a nurse, have been for almost 15 years and am in management now so rarely in the trenches (sadly). I just got my tatoo 9 months ago and haven't regretted it:-) but I also knew enough not to get it in a location to be seen.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

No pics, sorry, but I can tell you that my charge nurse has a large tat on her lower leg of a long stemmed rose that she proudly displays in the summer by wearing walking shorts to work.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Tattoos scare the bajeebers out of older patients.

They are a NO-NO in my area---i.e. total coverage.

hmmm....what about all the old vets from WWII and the Korean War with tattoos? I would hardly say that tattoos scare our geriatric patients, but probably as generational thing our geriatric patients don't like tattoos.

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I have tattoos but I make sure to cover them at all time working at the hospital. I am a CNA working for my RN.

I cover them just because I do not want to offend anyone.

Personally, I do not think people care as much as we think. I think the problem comes when you have very large tattoos and they cover your body. I think it also depends on what the tattoo is, too. Certain tattoos can be misinterpreted very easily.

I do believe it is best to cover them just to be safe, but just because I have a few tattoos does not mean that I am not a great CNA or soon to be nurse.

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You know, your picture of a tattooed nurse does not actually have to be a nurse. Find someone that has the look you want, and put them in scrubs with a stethescope and label him/her a nurse. Might be much easier than actually finding a nurse that suits your purpose.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

In my facility, they don't have to be covered-we have a couple of people with neck tattoos also. I myself have 4 tattoos(soon to be 5) and a tongue piercing. We are in an urban area-don't know if that makes a difference.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
hmmm....what about all the old vets from WWII and the Korean War with tattoos? I would hardly say that tattoos scare our geriatric patients, but probably as generational thing our geriatric patients don't like tattoos.

We have a large hispanic population made up of little old ladies.

They do not...and I mean...do not...like tattoos.

It scares them.

A lot.

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i know without a doubt tattoos are not allowed at the majority of hospitals. i know without a doubt I will be covering my tattoos at work, (as I do most of the time in my daily life now)

I dont know any tattooed people so I can't put someone in scrubs. that would be awesome if i did. i did order some fake tattoos on nylon sleeves that i will put on a girl and put some scrubs on her to look like a nurse. that is my plan b.

To avoid all of this, I should've started it all that my hypothesis IS: the non-tattooed nurse would be percieved as the more professional nurse compared to the visibily tattooed nurse.

Thank you for all your input.

I really am not asking if it's okay to have tattoos as a nurse at work. I know it isnt. I'm just confirming my hypothesis that it is not. There are a billion threads on here about if it's okay to have tattoos at work, and yes there are fine lines and not so fine lines about the quality of the tattoos and the placement of the tattoos and the subject matter and who might be offended by what...... but when it comes down to it, a lot of people dont care what or where, just the fact that it's there!

i'm really not asking permission, or if it's okay.

i'm possibly Confirming what everyone thinks the patients point of view would be by collecting surveys.

still holding out hope for this heavily tattooed nurse. hello?

maybe i should post a craigslist ad, looking for tattooed girl, for terribly innocent photo? lol? but, must wear scrubs, and stethoscope.... lol :(

thanks everyone. sorry if i was short in my response. not your fault you couldnt read my mind in my intent! geeze :)

thanks again.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Patient Safety.

Are you just focusing on tattooed female nurses or are you also including heavily tattooed male nurses?

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