Tattoo Policy

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Hi! I have several tattoos - and I was curious what the typical health care employers policy is on them. The ones I have now are all easily coverable. I was however thinking of getting another one the base of my neck, which would be covered by my hair when worn down - such as during interviews etc, but it would be visible when I wear it up in a pony tail while working.

Could you please give me an idea of what the policies where you work are? This should give me a general idea of what to expect! Thanks!

Specializes in LTC/ rehab/ dialysis.

Obviously times have changed, but I remember working in the banking industry in the 1980's. I had just accepted an AVP position and was so proud of myself. I had (and still have) a small flower tattoo on my ankle. I wore a bandaide over it for months along with my conservative suit and hose. Different era now and tattoos are pretty mainstream. If I were hospitalized I would be more concerned about the skill of my nurse rather than his/her body art. Of course something offensive/gang related, etc is totally different.

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Specializes in DOU.

My nursing school doesn't allow visible tattoos, facial piercings, and more than single piercings in the ears because a couple of the hospitals we rotate to won't allow it, saying these things appear "unprofessional".

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Personally, I don't think it should matter at all. My company's view is quite different. Their policy is that they prefer that tattoos not exist at all, but if you do have them, they need to be covered with either clothing or makeup. They don't allow piercings except for ears and they limit that to small posts. Also...hair has to be a "normal" hair color, so no pink, blue, green, etc. Jewelry needs to be conservative and everyone in nursing has to have their hair controlled around their face. We also can't wear sleeveless shirts and pants or skirts have to come at least to the knees.

Everyone was aware of the policy when they were hired and there is nothing in the dress code that actually violates rights...it isn't like they are saying no redheads or no green eyes or anything like that. There is also nothing in the policy that violates any religious or cultural beliefs that I know of and I'm willing to bet if there were religious reasons for needing tattoos or piercings, they would figure something out.

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Specializes in ICU, telemetry, LTAC.

Hm. I have loved ink since the first time I saw any examples of it. When I was nine I knew I would have it someday and I also knew it would have to wait until it was something that I could live with. This is before I knew you had to be eighteen to get it done.

My family's beliefs were that it was a sin to write on your hands, let alone get something else done, lol. Anyhow. I graduated nursing school with a tat in my britches/hip area that people don't see. I'm itching to get something I can show off. Plus it's been ten years, so I have a good idea of what parts of me are more saggy than others. Back tats are nice but they do nothing for me if it's my back because I can't readily see it and appreciate it. Feet are nice, feet wear the colors off quicker though.

So anyhow I've come up with my design, and I'm getting a left wristband, custom, fairly delicate item that will be about an inch wide. My intent is to cover it for job interviews but that's about it. I've worked with a fair amount of people that have visible bits of ink here and there in the last few years, and all management tends to say is it should be something you "can" cover. I love a good whole sleeve to look at, but don't see myself going that direction.

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All the LTC facilities I have worked for have had outlined in their employee handbooks, tattoos need to be covered. All of these places have not allowed facial jewelry either. I have my ears pierced 3 times each ear and am only allowed to wear one set of studs. :shrug Maybe it's the places I have worked at, but, they really have all been the same. I have never worked with a nurse covered in tattoos or piercings.

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It will be awesome as time goes by how more lax the policies will get eventually. (15,20,30) years down the road.

The will be SO many with tattoos it will have no choice to become more acceptable.

Personally I love sleeves but I won't be getting any. I have 1 on my inner forearm and plan to get 2 phrases on my wrist, easily covered with a watch or something. Everything else can be hidden with scrubs.

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Body art is a to each his own issue. I was pointing out what my own upbringing taught me was appropriate. I support the rights of individuals to make their own choices. (There are social implications for those choices...)

I think Balder's point was that you said that you wouldn't add any tattoos in school, and then you said you were brought up not to get tattoos. Conflicting statements, as the first implied that you had tattoos but were not going to add any more while in school, and the second implies that you were brought up to think tattoos are wrong and you still hold to that opinion.

I don't care whether you like tattoos or not, or whether you are a conflicted individual who has tattoos but feels that they are wrong or what; I'm just clarifying why Balder stated that it would be more accurate to say you wouldn't add any at all. Your original post was a bit confusing.

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Our hospital does not have any policy on tattooing, and several of us have visible tattoos that we don't make any effort to cover.

I have only had compliments on mine, and there are more tattoos among the older generation than you would think. A lot of men in the military, who were drafted in WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam have tattoos; they love to compare them with mine and tell me their stories. I've never had anyone make a disparaging comment about my moral character because of my tattoos. At least not to my face!! I've never had someone refuse to have me back as a nurse (we get our same pts back each shift unless there is a request not to do so), so I'm assuming they at least put up with the policy.

I sometimes have pink hair/highlights, too. Nothing in our policy about that. I always find the "only natural hair colors" funny. Like there is anything natural about those crazy highlights that many of the mainstream women are sporting. I KNOW there is nothing natural about the suits in my building who are in their 50s+ but don't have a grey hair on their head! If they can die their hair an unnatural color, I can, too!

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

I have 5 tattoos, 4 on my upper arms and one on my ankle, and when I worked in the hospitals in Mobile and here, the general rule was 'as long as we can't see it, it's fine'...those of us with body art had to keep it covered up...

Now I work in outpatient mental health, and nobody cares...so I wear sleeveless shirts and capris, and one of the NPs has as much ink as I do! :)

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Our hospital does not have any policy on tattooing, and several of us have visible tattoos that we don't make any effort to cover.

I have only had compliments on mine, and there are more tattoos among the older generation than you would think. A lot of men in the military, who were drafted in WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam have tattoos; they love to compare them with mine and tell me their stories. I've never had anyone make a disparaging comment about my moral character because of my tattoos. At least not to my face!! I've never had someone refuse to have me back as a nurse (we get our same pts back each shift unless there is a request not to do so), so I'm assuming they at least put up with the policy.

I sometimes have pink hair/highlights, too. Nothing in our policy about that. I always find the "only natural hair colors" funny. Like there is anything natural about those crazy highlights that many of the mainstream women are sporting. I KNOW there is nothing natural about the suits in my building who are in their 50s+ but don't have a grey hair on their head! If they can die their hair an unnatural color, I can, too!

:up:Good for you and the pink hair....:down: to the double standard.

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Well, with most of the choices we make in life, there are consequences and repercussions for most if not all of them. Same for the choice to have tattoos, body piercings, and the like.

Some facilities will allow it, some will not. Some will allow them in moderation or with certain coverups. You, as the tattooed person, have the choice to apply at those facilities or not. You also have to understand if the answer is no. Certainly you knew when you got the tattoos and piercings that they would not be accepted 100% of the time, 100% of the places you might go in life.

Of course, acceptance at the places that DON'T accept your artwork may be of little or no concern to you. That's understandable, too. I doubt you got the tats and holes to please strangers! However, since there will be times when your desire to have the tattoos and piercings visible conflicts with the facilities' policies, you should be prepared to accept that as well.

Something to keep in mind is that nursing is never about YOU. It's always about the patient. And if a facility feels its patients will not appreciate staff sporting tattoos and piercings, then so be it. Someone had written that he/she always wears multiple earrings, a tongue ring and a certain necklace (bone? teeth?) and that's "who he/she is". I hear ya, but if the facility you want to work in doesn't allow jewelry except for a single earring in each ear and a wedding band, well..."who you are" would be unemployed!

My own facility allows tattoos on a case-by-case basis. If something is deemed too vulgar for hire, they aren't hired. If someone GETS something deemed too vulgar for viewing, they can either cover it or find another job. Vulgarity is subjective, so those who choose to get the ink take that chance. Under no circumstances are facial piercings or facial tattoos allowed. We also get one earring per ear (male or female).

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Ahh.. the tattoo talk. I am currently a CNA and I'm in full sleeves and I also have knuckle tattoos. I am 24 and was on a completely opposite direction with my life before deciding to go into nursing 6 months ago. Being a person that is heavily tattooed I understand I accept the responsibilites of the choices I've made and I also accept both warm and cold judgements from people. I can't take them off nor would I. They are a part of who I am and tell a story of my life. I have however taken a vow to myself to be the best student I can possibly be and work towards being an even better nurse.

We all come from different backgrounds, tastes, roads and beliefs and thank god! Whatever is going to happen is going to happen. To be completely honest.. I'm far more concerned about what attitude I am going to be recieving from my fellow nurses once I'm out on the field then I am about the patients..

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