"Fake" or Nonprescriptive Eyeglasses

[DemosthenesRN]

I know a man in nursing school who wears glasses for accessory and not for medical need. He told me he began doing so when he started working as an aid in a local hospital. He says that he believes people take him more seriously when he wears his glasses than not.

I have known him for years and never would have guessed that his glasses were not a prescription; those days he came in without them I assumed he was wearing contacts. Now I look around me and wonder how many other hospital staff are also wearing glasses for reasons other than poor eyesight.

I did have a colleague who was splashed in the eye with gastric juices when performing a G-tube feeding, and he said his glasses helped deflect some of the material. I don't need them, and I find myself pondering the benefits.

Those of you who wear glasses, do you find they are protective? If you wear both glasses and contacts, do you notice you make different impressions on others depending on your choice? Is there anyone who wears glasses and can admit to perfect vision?

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Please tell me you are either kidding, exaggerating for effect, or not a nurse!

LYNDAA is a nurse...you can decide to choose from the other options if you wish...

[omsteelo]

Men don't make passes and women that wear glasses. And I only became a nurse to marry a hot doctor......

"As long as men look at me that way? I'm earning my keep". -Betty Draper, from MadMen

[omsteelo]

But newsflash, anotherone- most doctors and dentists are egocentric and frigid, so I'd suggest aiming only on the money, and don't expect much more that that?

[omsteelo]

I'm just saying...Been there, and done that.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

I'm really surprised at the attitude here, too. Why can't people wear glasses as an accessory if they want to? I've needed mine my whole life, but some people like the way they look. It's just such a weird thing to judge people over. I don't think wearing glasses because you think it makes you look smarter and you want people to think better of you is any weirder than wearing concealer to cover up acne to make you look less young since most people associate acne with teenagers. I know I get more respect when I cover up my zits. This is a seriously judgmental society. It just is what it is.

That being said, I can't help but judge the people who wear the "blinds" glasses, whatever they are actually called - the ones that look like horizontal window blinds because they have all of the pieces of plastic running across the area where the lens is supposed to be. I see no harm in wearing something as an accessory when it hurts no one, but when it actually blocks part of your vision that's a little creepy. I definitely wouldn't want to be on the road around someone who is deliberately limiting his/her vision.

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

But newsflash, anotherone- most doctors and dentists are egocentric and frigid, so I'd suggest aiming only on the money, and don't expect much more that that?

(just in case...) it was just a joke

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

It never occured to me people might wear "fake" glasses simply as a fashion accessory.

But I don't get what the big deal is. It's just another thing people wear, like earrings or something.

How is wearing fake glasses to look "smart" any different from wearing jewlrey to look "pretty". Or tattoos to look "tough". If we're going to go down that route, we're all vain, shallow hipsters.

As for the "big" glasses being ugly or nerdy, I have to disagree. When I wear glasses (I usually wear contacts) I wear big old honkin' Buddy Holly glasses with big black frames. I personally hate the "wire thin" or whatever framed glasses. Especially on men.

And, BTW, hipsters are, by and large, a perfectly harmless group of people. They're just trying way too hard.

[olioxenfree]

Sounds like a great opportunity for a social experiment to me. Why don't you buy a pair and wear them for a week to see if people treat you differently.

It may be a good idea to make sure there are lenses in them as a minimum standard LOL

[IEDave, ASN, CNA, LVN]

Sounds like a great opportunity for a social experiment to me. Why don't you buy a pair and wear them for a week to see if people treat you differently.

It may be a good idea to make sure there are lenses in them as a minimum standard LOL

Nah - already had intro sociology; only thing I learned is that it's a bad idea to take sociology from a disgruntled professor. Ended up getting 18 weeks of conspiracy theories for my trouble.

Far as specs; been wearing corrective eyewear since age 13 and would gladly give up what little fashionability they might present. Imagine being able to make it from the home office to the fridge without 'em; or being able to drive sans eyewear - heavenly! And, they aren't particularly effective as PPE either; couple of weeks ago an aggressive pine tree attacked while I was mowing the lawn - even my loyal specs couldn't protect me from corneal injury and a trip to the doc in the box.

----- Dave

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Oh no! The list of hipsters keeps growing!

NO definitely not hip....just not enough "protective goggles" in the inner city emergency department and I got tired of spit in my eye...the "fake" glasses" deflected a majority of spit and kept all of it out of my eyes. Most unhappy intoxicated, obtunded, strung out individuals in custody know exactly when to "wake up" scream an obscenity and spit in your face while starting their IV .

Until you have experienced it it's difficult to understand.

Being "hip" was my flight suit as a trauma flight nurse.

[OCNRN63, RN]

Fake braces are all the rage in Japan... don't believe me? look it up!!

As someone who can't see without her glasses or contacts, this whole idea is just ludicrous. Wear eye protection when you need it, lose the fake glasses if they are truly fake; you might "look" smart, but when people find out they're fake they'll just think you're DUMB.

Who needs to find out they're fake? Do you interrogate people wearing glasses to see if they're real or fake? "Listen Mister, we don't wear non-prescriptive lenses around these parts."

I had radial keratotomy, the precursor to LASIK, back in '82; I was one of the first in the country to have it. It was fabulous unti I was ~ 45y; then I became very farsighted as well as nearsighted. My rx glasses are uncomfortable, and I don't see as well with them as I do readers.

Really, would you judge someone who wears acrylics instead of just going with their regular nails? What about people who color their hair?

Instead of judging someone based on appearance, how about getting to know them? They might be a really nice person...maybe even someone who could be a friend.

I just can't wrap my mind around being so shallow.

[Apedro]

"Please tell me you are either kidding, exaggerating for effect, or not a nurse!" & "LYNDAA is a nurse...you can decide to choose from the other options if you wish...:whistling:"

Don't worry LYNDAA, you're not alone, I thought the same thing. My eyes started messing up in nursing school too. I thought it was the computer usage, also. Don't feel bad about their comments. :) I think it's dumb to make fun of people who don't know what you know instead of helping them out.