Should I Wear this to Work?

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Hey guys,

I need a little bit of advice. A friend of mine gave me a necklace that I dearly love. I wear it all the time outside of work. My hospital's policy is fine with necklaces being worn to work, so I can wear it at work, however I have not due to it's message. It's a #lovewins necklace. Even though I love it, I would never want to make a patient uncomfortable. But on the other hand, this is a huge cause I believe in. The other nurses wear crosses and such, and I would like to wear what I believe in. Still, I'm not someone who wants to get into problems over a necklace.

If you want to see it, it's very similar to this one, except mine also has a set of initials on it:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/238443539/hand-stamped-love-wins-heart-necklace?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=love%20wins%20necklace&ref=sr_gallery_15

Any thoughts are welcome. Thanks!

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

I think there are several factors you should consider:

Your facility's dress code. Does it specify anything about wearing anything with a saying or slogan?

The culture in your area. Some areas are more conservative and an open display could lead to issues. Others are more liberal and it won't be a problem.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

Wear it and don't worry about making people uncomfortable.

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According to the employee handbook, slogans are fine as long as they are "a positive message" and not "vulgar or crude".

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Specializes in LTC and Pediatrics.

Here is my take, wear it. If there is an issue, then maybe all necklaces should not be allowed. If one can wear a cross or other type of necklace, you should be able to wear one that means something to you.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

I would honestly be more worried about the necklace getting damaged or pulled off by a confused Pt.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I wouldn't be worried about the message, I'd be worried that necklaces generally aren't safe to wear in many if not most patient settings. The chances of finding a care setting where it's guaranteed no patient will randomly grab at things in front of them and pull at them is pretty small.

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One of the guidelines I was taught in nursing school, that has always made sense to me, is to never wear anything to work that you really care about and would really upset you if it got ruined.

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I wouldn't wear it for one reason ...I despise patients asking me about my political and religious beliefs. Wearing something like that would be like handing out an invitation to a "party" I never wanted to have.

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I never wore any jewelry of any type at work, due to the germ factor. Heck, I never even wore watch to work.

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Specializes in Surgery.

People don't know what that means, I wouldn't worry about it too much

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Just because you can do something doesn't mean that you should.

Should you toilet that patient, or should you delegate it off to the CNA?

Should you wear your jewelry to work, or should you leave it at home?

Should you announce to your workplace that you're a MFC star, or should you keep that a secret?

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