I was just reading another forum here "What do you bring to work." Many RNs mentioned they bring gum. One RN though said that she forbids her staff to chew a gum on the floor. I sure understand that it does not look good when you obviously chew the gum when taking to a patient or a family but on the other hand... are we to much restricted when it comes to our looks and actions? In nursing school they provided a long list to us of what we should not wear to a clinical. My uniform was dark blue and made of polyster! I could only wear plain white shoes, white socks, white Tshirt, etc. No make up, no nails, no earrings. A hair should be in a ponytail. My instructor even suggested I do something with my bangs (they are long and to the side, not in my eyes though). But have you seen female residents? High heels, skirts, jewelry, hair done... maybe it's just at my hospital. Anyway, while in nursing school, I modeled too and I appreciate women's beauty. I refuse to accept that "plain" stands for "professional". I do use some make up, buy nice uniforms (no flowers and sponge bobs though!!!), and even though I have short nails, I always have them done and I still have my bangs to the side... I also always have a pack of gum with me and I only heard the compliments from coworkers, my supervisors and patients , noting about being unprofessional... Maybe we are not just RNs, but women too...
To the supervisors that restrict gum use, I have a question for you:
Which would you rather have???
1. A nurse who discretely chews gum.
2. A nurse who has breath that reeks of onions, cigarette smoke, or just bad breath (and NO, brushing your teeth doesn't always fix it) where patients have to move away to stand the odor.
... no thongs or g-strings if visible through the pants ( believe me, this has been an issue in the past), make-up has never been a problem... pretty much everyone I've worked with does a very nice job when applying it. There.... that's the majority of my dress code, I may have missed a point or two.
Can I just ask, why the heck anyone would want to make WHITE scrubs part of a uniform??! My scrub pants are white and therefore I had to go buy a bunch of nude undies (sorry to get too descriptive) But I honestly see how seeing the undergarments is a problem and unprofessional but I should be able to CHOOSE what I want to wear UNDER my scrubs!! But now that I have to wear white scrub pants I'm kind of miffed that for the next 20 months I will be wearing undergarments my mother would be proud of. Thankfully my top is blue but why white?! Or better yet, why haven't they invented white scrub pants with LINING?!
This post has gotten way out of hand with nurses criticizing others for their choice in whether to wear rings or not. Enough said on that topic since not all are playing nicely.
To the person asking a few questions back about the gum chewing vs bad breath. Use tic tacs, mints, breath strips, whatever. All i said that in our facility, you will not be chewing gum... final! What other facilities allow is their choice, I have never worked anywhere it IS allowed though.
I personally do NOT chew gum. And that is my preference. I believe that as professionals - we should keep to that - prefessionalism. Everyone is different yet is asked to be the same within their workfield. So as to not look like cookie cutter nurses we should abide by the rules or within the rules and still show our uniqueness. Some people go overboard and some people just don't go at all. If we all meet in the middle perhaps we can all focus on our patients and not on what jane is wearing, what john is smelling like, what jane ate for lunch, why john didn't comb his hair, why jane is wearing so much makeup, why john is chewing gum, why jane is showing her underwear, why john decided not to shower or wear deodorant. meet in the middle. look professional. play your part. take care of your patients. stop complaining. we are lucky to have the title to call ourselves nurses. we help people. at this point i'm just babbling. need sleep. goodnight.
That is your opinion, not fact. How do you equate someone's professionalism with the fact that they wear their wedding rings? How professional is it to sit back and make judgements criticizing your coworkers as you are doing? If one of my family members is rushed to the hospital today I don't care if the nurse is wearing their wedding band or not. Personally, they can have the oily hair that you have criticized. If they do their job then I am thankful they were there to help my loved one. I guess you have "walked a mile" in the shoes of all of those you choose to judge, otherwise what gives you the right?[/quote
This is about infection control issues plus the poor professional appearance of some nurses. If your infection control policy says you are not supposed to be wearing rings - then you are not supposed to be wearing rings. I am moving to an area where they enforce the no rings/wristwatches/bracelets policy...it is a PROFESSIONAL issue.
And no, they don't look plain or less feminine. They look like they care about effective handwashing and the health of themselves and their patients.
I bet you are transferring to work for an infection control department :) I do know a lot about MRSA and handwashing: just last month a research poster I made with my colleges about increasing hand hygiene compliance among health care workers was awarded the first prise by Sigma Theta Tau... It's about proper hand washing and sanitation, using the gloves, etc... How do you wash your hands, for how long and so forth... If I know the rules and play by the rules (lets say take the watch off, clean my ring with the alcohol wipes etc) and you tell me and some of us we are unprofessional because we wear a ring, then how professional are you to be talking this way?
Specializes in Telemetry, Med Surg, Pediatrics, ER.
I bet you are transferring to work for an infection control department :) I do know a lot about MRSA and handwashing: just last month a research poster I made with my colleges about increasing hand hygiene compliance among health care workers was awarded the first prise by Sigma Theta Tau... It's about proper hand washing and sanitation, using the gloves, etc... How do you wash your hands, for how long and so forth... If I know the rules and play by the rules (lets say take the watch off, clean my ring with the alcohol wipes etc) and you tell me and some of us we are unprofessional because we wear a ring, then how professional are you to be talking this way?
Thank you and well said. Just to clarify, your quotes included my name when PEDICURN gets the credit for calling us unprofessional for wearing a wedding band.
I have seen many people saying they will not wear a ring but they still wear watches... they should get rid of watches then too...
i chew gum and wear a watch and a plain gold wedding band .. i did encourge a few of my young cute nurses to buy a cheap wedding band because some of the male patients were hitting on them and i told them to get cheap bands... and they did and they are bothered no more..
so they are gum chewing , watch wearing , wedding ring wearing nurses ( bands only ), but they always look clean and neat...
Yes I to,and I speak also for my co-workers,"I am a gum chewing,makeup wearing,jewlry wearing,perfume smelling nurse,and a da- good one,I might add.Please excuse my run ons! Hey,we can add to this and see how much personal input we collect!!
I have a less concern for the chewing gum and wedding rings as I have for the appearance of the newer breed of nurses.
The nose rings, tongue post, and earring that go all around their ears. Tatoos showing, sloppy srubs, dirty shoes, clogs and no socks, unnatarual hair colors. Bluetooths on the ears.
Specializes in remote, critical care, ER, hyperbarics.
I was trying to find a link to post a pic. I show up to work in body armor, a glock pistol and an rifle...they make us wear collared shirts but the gum thing really isn't an issue.
sorry, just had to put in a plug. I work in Iraq and after 18 years in nursing it's funny to see how we get wrapped up in such minor issues.
Ok, so I know this will sound weird coming from a guy but I am very high maintaince with my appearance. I have blonde highlights (which I tone nearly everyday), I wear Prada or Gaultier colonge, and I have facial cream that costs me $200 for 8 onces - but its worth it for beauty. As for when I work, I wear my professional navy blue uniform, my colonge (not to much just 3 or 4 squirts) and i use Altiods for offensive breath.
Not trying to start anything here... but are you serious? If so, I want to work where you do..they must pay pretty good:p:nuke: !!!
Hey,we can add to this and see how much personal input we collect!!
justme1972
2,441 Posts
To the supervisors that restrict gum use, I have a question for you:
Which would you rather have???
1. A nurse who discretely chews gum.
2. A nurse who has breath that reeks of onions, cigarette smoke, or just bad breath (and NO, brushing your teeth doesn't always fix it) where patients have to move away to stand the odor.