Question about gauged ears.

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I'm not sure if this has been asked before but what are nursing school policies on having your ears gauged?

And do most hospitals have any policies against nurses having them?

I'm currently a phlebotomist and have never had any problems with my ears being gauged before even during school and clinicals.

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

To all ---- In the US, healthcare reimbursement is directly tied to HCAHPS these days. This means that patient "satisfaction" determines how much $ the organization is paid. Low scores = poor reimbursement. Patient satisfaction has been shown to be affected by their perception of the staff that deliver their care. Many facilities have tightened up their dress codes as a result of patient/family feedback.

Sooooo - it doesn't really matter what you feel about your appearance, or your motivations for making your own unique statement - you may find yourself unemployable in the US. And there are no "discrimination" protections unless your "uniqueness" is driven by religious or ethnic requirements. I haven't heard of any religious basis for this particular practice but I'd love to hear about them if they're out there..... anyone?

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
Maybe, in the distant future, when 50% of our patients have tattoos and piercings, things will be different. For now, we can't let our freak flags fly in the workplace.

IMO, I don't think that many patients care about tattoos/piercings/etc. as much as we think, especially since the number of patients with them is increasing. Granted, I am in psych, but well over 50% of my patients have body mods of some way, shape or form.

It's the nursing instructors and the hospital administration that are far more concerned with appearances, and they're the ones that hire and fire (or fail) us. And if we like our classes or jobs, we have to follow their policies.

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IMO, I don't think that many patients care about tattoos/piercings/etc. as much as we think, especially since the number of patients with them is increasing. Granted, I am in psych, but well over 50% of my patients have body mods of some way, shape or form.

I meant that comment to be geared more toward administration. Regardless of what my patients may think of me, it's what the hire/fire folks think that gets me the job. I guess I'm saying that when it becomes more commonplace for the majority of patients to have altered bodies, administration would follow suit.

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they can't not hire you because your ears are gauged, but it can prompt them to find another reason not to hire you.

I would have to disagree with this. "Gauged ears" is not a protected population. It has nothing to do with race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. (Unless it is for a specific cultural thing, which is a different question.) having gauged ears, if they are not tasteful, speaks to your professionalism. Apearing unprofessional is absolutely a reason they may not hire you and they don't have to have any reason other than that.

That being said, it depends on how big your gauges are, what kind of jewelry you are wearing, the hiring interviewer, and the facility policy. For example, I have size 2 gages in both ears. I have small bone loops in them. No one in my school or office even knows they are gauges. They just think the jewelry is pretty. OTOH, a coworker has 1 1/2 in. holes. Management makes him tape the um... skin flaps... behind his ears during his shift. the whole thing grosses me out a bit.

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Specializes in ICU & LTAC as RN. FNP.

Interesting indeed. I accidentally closed this page, and upon reopening it saw an ad on the right side for some kind of round decorative thing. After looking closer, it was an ad for guage ear plugs.

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IMO, I don't think that many patients care about tattoos/piercings/etc. as much as we think, especially since the number of patients with them is increasing. Granted, I am in psych, but well over 50% of my patients have body mods of some way, shape or form.

Really does depend on the population you're working with....as you said, you work in psych where in your own experience well over half of your patients look like this.

But in LTC, the average medical floor, pediatrics, and any number of other exposures that nursing students are exposed to, they might be met with a population that cares very MUCH what their "nurse" looks like. That has actually been my experience; the older folks especially can have some serious trust issues where body modifications are concerned--if they associate such piercings and tattoos with the gangster/criminal/hoodlum, then that 'decorated' student won't be assigned to them for long.

Bottom line here is it doesn't matter, really, whether the school allows this. The OP should be made aware (as we're doing in this thread) that it should be expected that it WON'T be allowed in hospitals, clinics, and wherever else the OP might apply for a job. OP: don't think for a minute that students aren't being sized up during their clinicals at the hospital; THOSE are your first impressions, long before your job interviews.

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Interesting indeed. I accidentally closed this page, and upon reopening it saw an ad on the right side for some kind of round decorative thing. After looking closer, it was an ad for guage ear plugs.

You'll find that key words on the page trigger ad popups...they think we're interested, so they offer it for sale ;)

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The 2 people at our school had to take them out and cover the hole with a bandaid.

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