Hey guys, so I made a post about my vibrantly colored sleeve about 6 months ago. Currently I'm a student working on my associates degree in nursing (I haven't made it into the program yet, but next semester I'm starting my CNA clinicals).
I'm proud of my tattoo and what it represents, but just like I chose to get a tattoo I'm choosing to be a nurse, and so I'm choosing to adopt nursing standards of professionalism, so in this way it's really important to me to figure out viable ways to cover up my tattoo regardless of where I work.
Obviously long sleeves will be a must, but with starting my CNA clinicals I'm sure there will be times when I'll be elbow deep in excrement. I know there will be moments where I'll need to roll up those long sleeves. In this case, I've looked into investing in tattoo covering makeup in addition to the long sleeves.
But I want to make sure these are viable options - someone told me that they had been told (see how reliable this info is already?) that in some hospitals long sleeves are considered unsanitary. Is this the norm? I know it's not true universally because I see nurses all the time wearing long sleeves.
But the makeup... The best stuff for covering tattoos I've found, I did research on reviews and such - it's described as feeling sticky and rubbing off a bit on tights or clothing throughout the day. So would this be a sanitation issue? The only time I see this mattering is when I roll my sleeves up to clean a patient.
I dunno, I just want to make sure that I represent my place of employment well, make patients feel comfortable, and make sure I'm set up to be successful regardless of my carefree glory days .
Specializes in acute care med/surg, LTC, orthopedics.
I agree with what the others have said. Forget the makeup and just go with the long sleeves, you can roll them up when elbow deep in poo or when washing hands.
hahaha, yea makeup sounds really rediculous the more I think about this (I posted that about 10 minutes after thinking of it as an option). I'm a guy, so naturally I've never warn makeup a day in my life, I just read that the makeup was "smudge proof" and stayed on solidly... but yea, I'm sure it wont last under vigorous scrubbing.
The main two reasons I was concerned are these - first, my mom used to be the administrator of moses cone psych unit in Greensboro NC. At the time I got my tattoo she said "yea I pulled a nurse in my office yesterday because they had a tattoo on their arm that became exposed in front of a patient. She was given another chance to find a way to cover it up, but if I see it again she's fired." My mom is uber old school by the way. And I'll never forget my response - "Well good thing I'll never be a nurse then."
Reason 2 - A friend of mine got a low wage job at pet smart. The policy is very strict about no visible tattoos. In the back one day, she rolls up her long sleeves for just a moment to reach in to a fish tank, her boss walked by and saw the tattoo. She was fired on the spot (though low wage jobs tend to be extremely beurocratic, and my friend probably did some ******* off before that).
But it does sound like an ace bandage is my best bet if I find I'm in an environment that highly frowns upon it.
Specializes in OR, OB, EM, Flight, ICU, PACU.......
WT*? Has someone said anything to you about it? I'm working with a tech in the OR that has both arms done! She looks like an advertisment for "LA Ink". Don't worry about it.
in school it is required we cover them up. i have two full sleeves and wear long sleeved shirts to clinicals. i have dealt with A LOT of poop and never had to worry about it getting on my shirt. if the mess is that bad, i wear an isolation gown anyway.
hospitals are a different story, depending on the place- i have seen several surgeons and RNs with full sleeves that are never covered. but since it is our school's policy, we have to cover them regardless.
personally i will keep mine covered even after graduation, i find it easier to get your work done and connect with patients when they aren't judging you or questioning you about your tattoos.
I think it's so unrealistic and impractical for schools to be this way about tattoos. PLENTY of medical workers have them, and I have yet to work in or visit a facility that requires covering them.
Employer attitudes toward tattoos seem to be largely geographical. I work in a medium-sized city in a Southern state, and none of the area healthcare employers permit tattoos to be visible at work (and the rules are enforced). There are plenty of places in the US where it's not an issue, but there are also plenty of places where it is.
I think the ace wrap is a great idea! You could get a couple of them, so you'd always have a clean one while the other is being washed.
But, I do agree with everyone else that said you'll probably be fine with a long sleeved shirt under your scrub top. If there is a mess huge enough to literally have you "in up to your elbows", you're better off wearing an iso gown, anyway.
PS: The make-up idea sounds like a disaster to me... LOL I wouldn't bother with it.
I say no to make up - too messy. I have never voluntarily shown my ink at work, but sometimes it peaks out from under the sleeve and I've had numerous requests to see the whole thing. Never received a negative comment.
I am entering a BSN program next month, and tattoos need to be covered. I am looking forward to getting my tatjackets in the mail, as both my lower arms are tattooed.
Long-sleeve t-shirts get really hot in the summer, and these seem to be breathable and lightweight.
I am entering a BSN program next month, and tattoos need to be covered. I am looking forward to getting my tatjackets in the mail, as both my lower arms are tattooed.
Long-sleeve t-shirts get really hot in the summer, and these seem to be breathable and lightweight.
Good luck!
I was going to make precisely the same suggestion. They work a bit like opaque nylons and cover very well. You do make a good point about the times you are deep into something yucky - so my suggestion is to buy a few pairs and keep them in your locker or bag - if one gets dirty you can take it off, rinse it out and put a clean one on.
Okay, when I see people in something like that, I assume it's a compression stocking of some sort, like for lymphedema or a burn victim. I wonder how many people I've mistaken for a post-surgical patient when in fact they've been hiding their tattoos?
.
WT*? Has someone said anything to you about it? I'm working with a tech in the OR that has both arms done! She looks like an advertisment for "LA Ink". Don't worry about it. 
OttawaRPN
451 Posts
I agree with what the others have said. Forget the makeup and just go with the long sleeves, you can roll them up when elbow deep in poo or when washing hands.