Tattoos in Nursing

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What do you think about Nurses with tattoos?

Do you have tattoos?

Should tattoos be shown during work as a Nurse?

There is no right or wrong answers. Thank you.

Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Interesting I go to a nurse website and get called a crusty old bat and a dude and someone writes a statement about fishes in memberes. Strange, very strange.

Nobody called you a crusty old bat. And I didn't call you a dude. I used the word as verbal punctuation. The fish in member statement is a signature file (as is the crusty old bat statement in others' posts). Meaning, it's not directed at you, but is at the bottom of every post made by that member.

And when you quote yourself and then respond, it appears as though you are carrying on an argument with yourself.

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No, you're derided for being rude.

Quite a double standard. If I share an opinion that is positive and strokes someone's ego it is quite alright, but should my personal opinion (that I own) be negative then I am being rude, judgmental and intolerant. In this discussion honesty in the form of a dissenting opinion is apparently unwelcome. So if I ever decide to post in this forum again I will be sure to wear my rose colored glasses so I can tell everyone just what they want to hear.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Quite a double standard. If I share an opinion that is positive and strokes someone's ego it is quite alright, but should my personal opinion (that I own) be negative then I am being rude, judgmental and intolerant..

I didn't call you rude, judgmental and intolerant. I said you were being rude. And yeah, I think telling a person specifically that you find their tattoo trashy and garish is rude. You can share a personal opinion that you don't like tattoos and perhaps think they are unprofessional, without directing rudeness at an individual.

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Specializes in Hospice.
Quite a double standard. If I share an opinion that is positive and strokes someone's ego it is quite alright, but should my personal opinion (that I own) be negative then I am being rude, judgmental and intolerant. In this discussion honesty in the form of a dissenting opinion is apparently unwelcome. So if I ever decide to post in this forum again I will be sure to wear my rose colored glasses so I can tell everyone just what they want to hear.

Ok, this thread is about tattoos in nursing, not how posters perceive their feelings are hurt because people don't agree with them.

Now, on topic. I've seen some beautiful ink, and I've seen some that made me wonder "WHAT were you thinking??"

I'm officially a COB (36 years in, just turned 59 this month). Tats don't really bother me, I have flirted with getting one for 20 years. Now I'm wondering if I'm too old, or if I should just go ahead and get it done already.

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.
Quite a double standard. If I share an opinion that is positive and strokes someone's ego it is quite alright, but should my personal opinion (that I own) be negative then I am being rude, judgmental and intolerant. In this discussion honesty in the form of a dissenting opinion is apparently unwelcome. So if I ever decide to post in this forum again I will be sure to wear my rose colored glasses so I can tell everyone just what they want to hear.

To paraphrase the old quote, it's possible to disagree without being disagreeable. You seem to be under the impression that we only tolerate one viewpoint here, which is an error. The members here have some pretty widely variable ideas on things (flu shots and firearms come to mind).

Which is not to say that we always play nice... but it is to say that you can't pick fights and then call foul when someone accepts your challenge. :)

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Specializes in Hospice.
To paraphrase the old quote, it's possible to disagree without being disagreeable. You seem to be under the impression that we only tolerate one viewpoint here, which is an error. The members here have some pretty widely variable ideas on things (flu shots and firearms come to mind).

Which is not to say that we always play nice... but it is to say that you can't pick fights and then call foul when someone accepts your challenge. :)

THIS is why I love you. 💋

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.
Ok, this thread is about tattoos in nursing, not how posters perceive their feelings are hurt because people don't agree with them.

Now, on topic. I've seen some beautiful ink, and I've seen some that made me wonder "WHAT were you thinking??"

I'm officially a COB (36 years in, just turned 59 this month). Tats don't really bother me, I have flirted with getting one for 20 years. Now I'm wondering if I'm too old, or if I should just go ahead and get it done already.

I think of tattoos like marriage. If you're not sure, don't do it. And take your time making sure it's the one for you. :)

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
I think of tattoos like marriage. If you're not sure, don't do it. And take your time making sure it's the one for you. :)

And that is why I spent 2 years thinking about it before I took the plunge and got mine. I also chose to get it in a place very easily covered by scrubs. I have seen some beautiful artwork, but I have also seen some questionable taste. Bottom line though is what the employer's dress code states regarding tattoos and piercings.

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Nobody called you a crusty old bat. And I didn't call you a dude. I used the word as verbal punctuation. The fish in member statement is a signature file (as is the crusty old bat statement in others' posts). Meaning, it's not directed at you, but is at the bottom of every post made by that member.

And when you quote yourself and then respond, it appears as though you are carrying on an argument with yourself.

Thanks for your feedback. I was lectured repeatedly by another member to click on the Quote button I was not finished my post when the text went all funny so I wanted to continue and since I was being instructed to use the Quote button, I did. I was adding on to what I had already written. So sorry that you were offended by it. I personally am so confused by this site. One poster says use the Quote button, while another criticizes me for using it. Is is just a site that is used by people to put down other nurses. It sure looks like it might be to me. This is so unfortunate. This is not meaningful interaction. To be lecturing people on the use of Quote buttons, how is that about nursing care delivery and patient safety. I also find it interesting that no one has addressed my comments regarding form versus substance and patient care delivery issues. They just comment on use of the Quote button. Does anyone even see the patient they are caring for? Or are they too busy on the computer to notice their patients. As a recipient of health care, I want a nurse who care about my health status, who is competent in their skill set vis-a-vis the patient not just on how to use a computer. I see the nursing profession losing ground constantly and I can see why. It is very sad. I don't care if the nurse has tattoos, dyed hair, spiked hair, etc. as long as the nurse is capable and takes care of the patient. We all become patients at one time or another. It is scary that people care more about these superficial cosmetic issues than about patient care, and by people, I mean the nursing profession. When I began my career in nursing, we did so much more. We were valued professionals. Now what I see is nurses just pushing pills into people. When asked what the pills are, the answer is often "I don't know." Give me a spiky-haired, tattooed nurse who knows what they are doing any time over one of these. I want a nurse who has a skill set and knowledge base that goes beyond how to push a Quote button. But sad to say I think there are way more of the latter than the former out there in the nursing work force.

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"Another post about tattoos in the workplace (outrage)"

*post gets 105 comments*

Yes it should about competency and skill sets and the ability to deliver safe patient care, not about superficialities like tattoos, dyed hair, etc. I am beginning to think many nurses do not have the competency other than how to use and computer. That seems to be the priority skill as evidenced by so many comments about how to use a Quote button.

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Ok, this thread is about tattoos in nursing, not how posters perceive their feelings are hurt because people don't agree with them.

Now, on topic. I've seen some beautiful ink, and I've seen some that made me wonder "WHAT were you thinking??"

I'm officially a COB (36 years in, just turned 59 this month). Tats don't really bother me, I have flirted with getting one for 20 years. Now I'm wondering if I'm too old, or if I should just go ahead and get it done already.

You go girl. If getting a tattoo would brighten your life and make you happy, why not? You could even go further and have cosmetic surgery if you wish too. Do you think people would be offended by nurses who have cosmetic surgery? I have known many nurses who had their breasts built up or pared down. I have never heard anyone protest about this kind of cosmetic enhancement.

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Do you know any gangster nurses?

No, technically speaking, not gangsters, but I have read about nurses who murdered their patients. And nurse imposters. We had a few where I live over the years. We had a nurse who murdered one of her relatives and was never denied a nursing licence. We had a nurse who gave a patient a potassium overdose and fled the country and was never brought to justice. None of these people had tattoos. They all looked very conventional and ordinary and blended in well.

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