Tattoos and nursing

[ryanna112]

:uhoh3:I have a tattoo of a lotus flower below my collar bone and am going to school for my associates in nursing. I am worried that finding a job will be hard.

[Five&Two Will Do]

I have beautiful black and gray tattoos on both of my arms that stop at the elbow. When I have interviewed for jobs in the past, I wear long sleeve shirt and tie anyway. I love my ink and find it unfortunate that some people are so closed minded as to judge or assume that they are from a time when we were reckless, young and dumb. I work at a VA hospital, and I bet 90% of my patients have tattoos so I guess we are a perfect fit for each other!

[DaniannaRN, ASN, BSN]

I have MANY visible tattoos. When I was in nursing school, I also had my eyebrow, lip, and nose pierced in 2 places. Never had a problem. Now that I'm not in my 20s anymore, I took out the piercings but my tattoos are still there. Never had a problem getting a job. I've been a supervisor in LTC, worked hospice, and currently hold a job in an insurance company. At my current job, I have to do field visits to doctor offices. I don't cover my tattoos at all. I do represent the insurance company when I'm out in the field. No one cares about my tattoos. This is just my personal experience, yours may vary.

[miss81, BSN, RN]

Funny, I can think of three of my managers that have tats on their feet and they go around all day with sandle type shoes on, very proud of their art work. I have a tat on my leg that never shows at work, but I have no problem with tattoos on nurses. Learned a very long time ago not to judge a book by it's cover. I guess that next thing there will be a question on job applications "Do you have any tattoos? If so, where are they? How many? What are they of?

We even have a specialist (a very good one, might I add) that goes around with a blue mohawk!

[ryanna112]

i understand that completely i don't think it has anything to do with being classy if i have one but i do agree that it would look less classy if i walked into see a patient with tattoos all over me. I know i can cover it up at work and in an interview but i would mention it to the employer . Thank you for your reply tho

[ryanna112]

you definitely give me hope in this world i love tattoos and even though i have this one that shows i know that the rest won't at all unless i wear sandals. if you need a new RN anytime in the next few years let me know =]

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

I'd much rather have a bright, kind nurse with tatoos and piercings, than a dim bulb nurse with perfect skin, helmet hair, French tips, and no tats/holes..... Give me the one who can think and not judge :)

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

If I interview you, it will be. I would not hire you. I don't want to be represented this way.

When Sandra Day O'Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Hillary Clinton, Kathleen Sebelius, Carly Fiorina, Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi, Patricia Horoho and Queen Elizabeth II start sporting visible tats, I'll consider a different stance. Until then, professional women don't, period.

Are you planning to make interviewees strip during the interview to check for tattoos? Because that might be inappropriate.

To the OP: I have two tattoos. One is super easy to cover, the other is not but I manage to keep it covered. I have a job. It's not a big deal.

[PediNurse3]

i understand that completely i don't think it has anything to do with being classy if i have one but i do agree that it would look less classy if i walked into see a patient with tattoos all over me. I know i can cover it up at work and in an interview but i would mention it to the employer . Thank you for your reply tho

I don't think that you need to mention it to your employer. I think if you just cover it up and if hired, follow the organization's dress code policy, you should be fine. They don't need to know about a tattoo that they can't see.

I am tattoo free so it's never been an issue for me, but both hospitals I have worked at have had a "no visable tattoos" policy. It wasn't really enforced when I worked in the ER. I currently work in the PICU at a children's hospital and anyone who comes to work with their tattoo showing or their piercing (other than ears) who can't cover it up or take it out can expect to be written up.