tattoos/piercings

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Specializes in oncology, MS/tele/stepdown.

Tattoos and piercings. I'm curious how they are handled in other facilities.

My nursing school had very specific uniform requirements. You could wear earrings, but only in the first hole and only posts, and no visible tattoos. It wasn't necessarily enforced by every instructor, but that was the policy. I was told it was the policy of the hospital as well, but if it is, it doesn't seem to be enforced universally. When I worked there, I didn't actually read the guidelines (which I should have), but I was told during my interview that noserings weren't allowed. I never did take it out.

Does your facility have a strict no piercing no visible tattoo policy? If so, is it enforced?

Just curious.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

I thought of this thread:

https://allnurses.com/nursing-and-professionalism/tattoos-piercings-workplace-842562.html

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My current employer has a pretty casual policy, since we do home visits and don't want to come across as "institutional". No flip-flops, no jeans, and no t-shirts with writing on them.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

My hospital specifically allows a nose ring as long as it's just a stud. I see a lot of younger residents with nose rings. Beyond that, facial piercings are not allowed, although I have seen nurses with eyebrow piercings, so it doesn't seem universally enforced.

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Our only policy is to wear company scrubs. We don't have to cover tattoos. I don't know the policy about piercings though as I don't have any.

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My staff and I must be clothed at all times. We're really very strict and don't allow anyone to show up naked, ever.

If people wish to doodle on themselves or place holes in unusual locations, that's not in the policy book, so is subject to interpretation.

;)

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Specializes in CCM, PHN.

Please do a search on this subject on the forum as it has been a very popular, redundant and repeated conversation we've had over many threads for years.

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My micro teacher had really strong opinions about things, so take this with a grain of salt, but I learned from her that piercings are very bad in a hospital setting because each time you remove it for work and then put it back in, you are re-wounding yourself and increasing the spread of disease.

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...piercings are very bad in a hospital setting because each time you remove it for work and then put it back in, you are re-wounding yourself and increasing the spread of disease.

Sounds like she might have been doing it wrong! You're not supposed to make a new hole when you put it back in! :D

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Specializes in retired LTC.
My staff and I must be clothed at all times. We're really very strict and don't allow anyone to show up naked, ever.

If people wish to doodle on themselves or place holes in unusual locations, that's not in the policy book, so is subject to interpretation.

;)

DANG!!! I always wanted to work in a nudist facility. For pts and staff. No dress code and no lost/missing clothes incident reports to complete!
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Specializes in ICU.
DANG!!! I always wanted to work in a nudist facility. For pts and staff. No dress code and no lost/missing clothes incident reports to complete!

Yes!!

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DANG!!! I always wanted to work in a nudist facility. For pts and staff. No dress code and no lost/missing clothes incident reports to complete!

Ah, but I seriously doubt many would take lunch together...and I sure don't see the cafeteria serving hot sauce on ANYTHING.....lol.....

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