Tattoos/piercings?

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Hi I'm going to be going to Baker College (if anyone knows that college) to become a nurse then further my education and become a nurse anesthetist. I've read articles on here saying that policies on tattoos and piercings depend on the nursing schools policy but I'm not sure of baker's policy since its not technically a nursing school. Not specifically for nurses any ways. I have my Monroe pierced and I'm going to get my nose pierced but I can't take it out or it won't heal properly. I'm also getting a small wrist tattoo that says Stay Strong and it means a lot to me. Can anyone help me out here please?

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Specializes in Cardiac Stepdown, PCU.

You will be required to remove facial piercings and any other visible piercings as well as conceal any of your tattoos irregardless to it being a nursing school or not. You may not have to do it for your classes in general, but you will be required to do so at clinical sites and possibly in labs even if they're on campus (our campus treats labs like clinical and we are required to abide by clinical dress code during that time.

Whether or not the will allow you to cover the piercing rather than remove it (to which they would likely make you cover the hole anyway) will be up to the clinical site. However, in the appearance of professionalism it's likely a no.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Here is my advice...if you are in nursing school to be a RN you are in a nursing school. It is the facilities dress code that may not allow students to have tattoos and piercings. While it is important to you and means something special I would wait for your nose and wrist tattoo until you re complete with your schooling. Besides that who wants a fresh open wound around infectious things. If you have read the threads here about this then you are pretty informed that this is not a good idea.

In the very near future they are talking about making the CRNA programs DNP level...applying and interviewing for an advanced degree with piercings is probably not the best idea...regardless...I think you need to think about what your future holds and not about body mods in the present. Get your tattoo in a non conspicuous area. The nose piercing I'd hold off if I were you.

All the best.

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Specializes in ICU Stepdown.

Don't get a wrist tattoo and get a retainer for your nose if you still plan on getting it. I think you should take the Monroe out. You can't have any of that being a nurse, so why would you think it's acceptable while you're training to be a nurse? Yes, all schools are different but think about what's realistic.

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Specializes in ICU.

We were told in orientation no piercings, no visible tattoos. This is about professionalism and how you will be perceived by the elderly. These are the people you will be working with and since you will be a student, they need to be completely comfortable with you. I'm sure there are other ways you can do meaningful things for yourself other than tattoos and piercings.

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At my school, we were only allowed to have 1 pair of earrings. No other piercings were allowed. As for tattoos, they had to be covered. Depending which wrist you get your tattoo on, you could cover it with your watch. That's what I do with the one on my left wrist. I have two other tattoos that can't be covered by scrubs on my right are and I bought a sleeve for those.

As for your future as a nurse, I just accepted a position in a Medical ICU and the policy of the place I will be working says as long as the tattoos aren't offensive, you don't have to cover them! Will I cover them anyway, probably, but it's nice to know that I don't have to!

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Yes I've heard tattoos aren't a big deal as long as they aren't offensive or what not and I could also just wear long sleeves I guess. I really don't want to take out my Monroe. I mean let it close up. Could I wear a retainer with that also? And another thing is I have dark purple hair. Would they make me change it? I read that they don't care about your hair color I read a comment that one girl knew a nurse with all different colored hair like a rainbow and they didn't care so I'm not too worried but still wondering.

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Specializes in ICU Stepdown.

Nursing school might not care so much about hair color, but you should probably wear a retainer in lieu of any piercing jewelry. Just get prepared for the real world because not a lot of employers are lenient about dress code, including body modifications and hair color. Patients and employers alike may be conservative and it's the difference between working in an environment you may potentially dislike versus somewhere that has a certain level of professionalism to uphold.

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Specializes in Cardiac Stepdown, PCU.

There is a difference from being a Nurse that is employed at a job, and being a nursing student. The standards and requirements are high when you're a student. And the strict dress code won't apply to most of your theory classes, just your clinical's and possibly the lab portion of your program.

You might be able to wear a retainer for your piercing, but I want to say I doubt it. I know in my program it wouldn't be accepted. As far as I remember the retainers are just clear plastic pieces right? That would end up giving the illusion of a hole in your skin wouldn't it? Whenever I see a piercing with a retainer I generally wonder what the point is because either the piercing is still obvious, or there's a gaping hole in someone skin. You'd likely have to cover it with a bandage, and since it's on your face the clinical site might not permit. A bandage on your face doesn't look good when you're in healthcare and wanting to perform assessments and give people meds.

You're hair, in my program, won't be accepted. We're limited to the "normal" spectrum of hair colors. They made a point to tell a few girl's at orientation that their kool-aid red and another's purple locks would not be allowed on clinical sites.

Again, this all depends on your program... however, these are fairly universal requirements. Seriously, I would postpone your piercing and your tattoo for 2 years. Or until you are out of your program. As for the one you already have you might have to simply let it close and have it redone later.

If you can, see if you can call and talk to someone in the program? An adviser, another student, even the secretary might just know this information for you.

Nursing Associate Degree in Michigan | Baker College

I found this link for you. I am not sure which campus you're going for, but the addendum under the nursing program handbook have dress codes in them. Here is the one for Allen Park.

Baker College of Allen Park Addendums

I. DRESS CODE

All nursing students are expected to project a professional image. Unless otherwise specified, the following guidelines must be adhered to during all clinical practicum experiences and/ or on campus experiences. If a nursing students reports for clinical practice or skills lab, and is not in keeping with the dress code, the student will be sent home from clinical or skills lab and this will be recorded as a missed clinical day. If the student reports to the classroom and is not in keeping with dress code, the student will be given a written student referral form for noncompliance to dress code.

v All students will wear white scrubs/uniforms and white lab coats with the Baker patch on the left breast pocket of each. All items of uniform clothing must be neat, clean and pressed. In settings where scrubs are not appropriate, street clothes may be worn. The attire required for each setting will be clearly communicated to students prior to clinical experiences.

v White scrubs/uniforms and white lab coats will be worn for skills lab and clinical practice.

v Failure to comply with dress code will result in a student referral form to the Director of Nursing.

v A name tag identifying the wearer’s title and status as a Baker College nursing student is worn at all times.

v Shoes: White, rubber-soled shoes that are clean and in good repair are required. Clogs, sandals, and open-toed shoes are not acceptable.

v Hose: white hose with uniform dress or white socks with uniform pants or scrub pants.

v Hair and Nails: Hair must be neat, clean and off the collar with no loose ends that hang forward. Beards, sideburns, and mustaches must be neat and trimmed. Large decorative hairpieces or ornaments are not acceptable. Nails must be neatly trimmed to a length that will not interfere with safe hygienic nursing care and at the discretion of the Director of Nursing. Acrylic nails are not acceptable in any clinical settings. Nail polish must be clear.

v Jewelry: Small post earrings that do not dangle, a wedding band and a plain second hand watch may be worn. To ensure safety and proper hygiene, other jewelry is not permitted.

v Body piercing jewelry or decorations that are visible are not acceptable.

v Tattoos must be covered

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First let me say that I LOVE my tattoos and my piercings...

BUT...

My nose ring comes out before I get out of my car at work and doesn't go back in until I am back in the driver seat after my shift. It will be the same once the clinical portion of school starts. If you want to get your nose pierced I would suggest doing it during a summer break so it can heal totally before you go back and you don't have to worry about a retainer.

All of my tattoos are covered by my scrubs. My next will be a half sleeve but I've already decided to mark where my scrub sleeve stops and make sure the tattoo stops well above that. I am so hot natured that there is no way I could wear long sleeves while working/in clinicals.

As far as work goes, generally the more urban the hospital, the more lax they are on body modification. I hope to work at the largest hospital in our state after I am a nurse (Atlanta area) and they may let me show my piercings. But I will not wear them until after I've interviewed and established that policy AND the general mood of the unit are okay with them. My nose ring, tongue ring, and industrial piercing are cute as heck, but they aren't worth a career that I want so bad.

I would wait on the tattoo or have it put somewhere that's covered by scrubs.

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Specializes in ICU/ Surgery/ Nursing Education.

The program I went through wouldn't allow any of this. You would have to cover the tattoo and the piercing with some type of bandage. The hair wouldn't be allowed at all. They were pretty strict about this.

Personally this wouldn't bother me, but as a student you are trying to portray your professionalism as well as represent your school. Being recently through the hiring process, I would bet that being a new nurse looking for a job would be real difficult with the hair, piercings, and tattoos. Once you are on the job I bet it would be more acceptable.

Good luck.

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Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.

Seriously, NO NO NO. At worst this will not be allowed, at best it will be highly frowned upon and you will be tagged as "that" student. I don't personally care about tattoos and piercing and I have a few rather large tattoos myself. But in a professional setting, you don't want to show too much "personality" since it will affect your ability to gain employment at a reputable place. There are a few facilities that don't mind fun hair colors or body modification, but they are few and far between. Just because you "heard a rumor" about a friend of a friend who is a nurse who works with someone with a (insert body mod of choice here) does not mean it is ok. Especially as a student. You are a direct reflection of the school. The nurses who get to have colored hair and fun shoes and all that have earned it. They have already graduated, passed NCLEX, and have experience. You are a newbie (as am I), and have not earned it yet. For now you need keep normal hair color and style, no visible tattoos or piercings beside one in each ear, and DEFINATELY NO MONROE. It doesn't matter about our personal opinion on facial piercings or how your knowledge (when you get some) should be all that matters. What matters is that their are many people who will seek medical care who do not like things outside of the "normal" for appearance.

Also, remember that each clinical rotation is a job interview. Most employers don't look too fondly on potential employees who care more about their personal love of modification over their professional appearance. Plus, your instructors and clinical instructors are possible professional references to be used later. They won't want their name associated with a person who doesn't look the part.

Basically, you will probably be required to change your hair and remove your piercings, and if you aren't, it will severely impact your ability to gain a job later. As much as you LOVE your Monroe, take it out now and get used to how you look without it, do not get the nose piercing, and work on removing the purple from your hair.

Also consider, why are you asking an international nursing forum about a specific dress requirement for your school. A) You didn't take the initiative to look on the school website or call an advisor to ask and that should have been your first stop. Or B) you did look on the website or called an advisor and didn't like the answer and now are looking for justification or some glimmer of hope that you can go against the policy and have your mods anyway. Google image professional appearance. It will not be littered with people covered in tattoos and piercings.

GL in nursing school. How you look on the outside does not predict the type of nurse you will be or how good you will be at it, but in the professional world, it does leave people with a less than stellar first impression of you. Sorry about being so blunt about it, but its the truth and you need to be prepared for it.

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