Tattoos/Piercings in the workplace?

Nurses Professionalism

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I haven't seen a thread like this so I thought it would be interesting to see everybody's opinion.

What do you guys think about tattoos and/or piercings in the work place? I know it's deemed "unprofessional", but let's be honest, everyone has different thoughts about it.

Do you have any policies for it at your job?

I'm just curious. I have a tiny lip ring that can't even be noticed unless someone is dead in front of my face. I know I'll most likely have to take it out before I start nursing school-which is fine with me. As for tattoos, I only have one which can be easily covered so I'm not worried about that at all.

Do any of you have any tattoos/piercings? If so, where are they?

I am one of those people who has always thought tattoos are just trashy. It was the way I was raised and of course it isn't true of the person who has them necessarily but it does say something about their personality and their tendency to go against the "rules" and to me the medical field is the most trusted and people would expect a more professional and "rule obeying" type of caregiver, but its just a personal opinion. Seems the older generation of most has the same opinion as I do, but obviously as the generations shift it will be more approved of. Just my opinion though!

I have 2 tattoos, one on my ankle and the other on my hip, both easily hidden. I had a nose ring, a small stud, and had to take it out for school. I was totally bummed, I really miss it. I'm contemplating more ink, but will make sure they are still easily hidden.

At the hospital I just got a job at, I've seen nurses with similar small nose rings, doesn't seem like they care too much about enforcing a conservative dress code.

As a patient, I wouldn't mind if my nurse/dr. or whatever had visible tattoos, but extreme stuff would be off putting... if a nurse or dr had lots big tattoos on their neck, face, hands, large stretched ear piercings, lots of facial piercings or neon pink hair I'd have to wonder about them.... Being all over the top seems immature and impulsive, not qualities I want in someone who is supposed to be taking care of me.

"Older generation" here (50) lol. Have a nose ring, belly ring and multiple ear piercings. I do take the nose ring out if I'm interviewing for a job. I think it also depends on the area you live in. When I went down to S. Carolina, I notice I was the exception. Here in upstate NY I see many like me. If I was in nursing school or my job required it, the nose ring would be out. I wear it at work and have never had anyone say anything. I personally like tattos, but would not get any myself.

Specializes in MDS/ UR.

Tattoos are old hat now. Just about everyone has one. I suspect pierces will be follow the same road. The good thing about pierces seems to be they can be easily undone as opposed to tats.

Specializes in Med-Surg.

I work at an inpatient mental health facility (a crisis stablization facility) - not a medical facility. As far as I can tell (been here for 3 months) there is not a strict policy on piercings/tattoos. However, I have not seen anyone with crazy tattoos on their face or piercings such as eyebrow or lip. A few employees have small little nose studs but that is about it.

As for me personally I have a tattoo on the side of my neck (more so behind my ear than on my neck neck) which is concealed if I wear my hair down. I also have a nautical star on my right arm right above my antecubital and also the Dragon smaug from The Hobbit on my right wrist which is about 5 inches in length. No probems.

I have only worked at one facility (FHHD) where the boss had a problem with my wrist tattoo (the dragon). I didn't have the star then and always wore my hair down. At another facility I was simply told "be careful about my tattoos" and that was that.

As long as they are not offensive to employees and/or clients/patients (nor against the rules) I do not have a problem with them or think any less of anyone who has them.

It really matters what you have & where u work!! I have a half sleeve portrait of my brother who passed in a car accident with sun rays and water at the bottom. It doesn't pass my elbow but with scrub tops you can see the water. I got it after i was employed & they knew I was doing it they never told me anything about it. These were older staff members on a military base.

At work many ppl are curious & ask me what it is since only the ocean waves are visible. I sometimes feel weird because I don't expect ppl to ask, by the way I work peds so lil more weird when it's the parents in front of their kids lol

But I get asked about it everywhere I go. I get ppl stopping to ask who he is? Or just to touch it because of luck or something idk. It doesn't bother me it gives me a reason to tell ppl about him. But it's weird cuz it's ppl I would never think would ask about it. Like older ppl while I eat breakfast with my family. Or the teachers at my kids school lol. But tats are becoming more common.

I never minded ppl with tattoos in any profession as long as they are decent, to me it's an expression, usually with meaning now if you have a teardrop on your face that's different, I'm not even looking at you lol

But when I start school I will have to where a lab coat since the bottom part is visible. I know this cuz the advisor told me when she asked what was connected to the water that was sticking out of my short sleeve shirt during my application process lol

Specializes in ICU.

The dress code where I work is no visible tattoos and limit of two piercings per earlobe and no piercings anywhere else visible. I don't personally have a problem with it. I've never worked anywhere that ever allowed visible tattoos or piercings other than ears, so it's nothing new to me. I'm always wondering where people have worked before that allowed tats/piercings - I've worked a variety of low level customer service jobs, and I've never been able to have one. Lots of people I've worked with have had them, but they just have to be in places that are covered up by the uniform.

I've personally always wondered about people who get ones that are difficult to hide, such as on the hands, neck, or face. I certainly don't think any less of them, and I think it's cool that they do their own thing, but I just have to wonder if they're totally ignorant about what they need to do to get a job or if they're just okay with most employment doors being closed in their face before they even get to interview. I know the economy hasn't always been this bad, but I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize my employment prospects for any reason. At least where I live, if you want to work in Hot Topic, sing in a rock band, or work construction you probably won't have a problem with hard to hide tats, but if you want a respectable job you're SOL and I don't get why people would deliberately put themselves in that position. Then again, I don't have millionaire parents so I don't have the option to be a bum if no one hires me. Maybe if I did I would have a different perspective. ;)

Specializes in ED.

No visible tattoos or piercings at my job. I still wear my nose ring here and there as I work nights, but I usually take it out for work. Never had a pt complain about it, just management. Something about infection control, like my nose ring is going to fall into an open wound or something. Go figure.

Specializes in NICU.

I have a small nose ring and a few piercings in my ears, but I think extreme facial piercings look unprofessional personally. A nurse at one of my placements bad huge stretched ears and it just looked really trashy...she didnt look professional at all. tattoos on the other hand...i have 3, 2 of which are on. my arms and visible...never had a negative comment about them...in fact I get complimented and asked about them by patients and other staff daily. old men seem to love them...lol. I want many more...but i also want to look professional. I know that my tatts have no bearing on how professional or good of a nurse I am, but I don't want to look unprofessional to other staff and physicians etc....especially concerning career advancement. we'll see...it really depends on your facility.

Specializes in Med/Surg & Hospice & Dialysis.

I have 4 tats. Only one is visible when in scrubs. It is on my left wrist, I can hide it with a watch. I've had tons of pts want to touch it and ask if is real.

I've also had a tiny nose ring, that fell out when I was washing my face and I just never replaced it. I would have the same pts a couple days in a row before they would notice it.

We had a good discussion in nursing school today about this actually. Perhaps the question should not be "what can you get away with at work?" but rather "how should professional nurses look at work?" If we want to be treated as "professionals" that we equate ourselves to in our minds, how should we present ourselves? I know our professor was playing devil's advocate but he made some good points. Are we professionals, like doctors, engineers, teachers, lawyers and other "degreed" people, or are we more like laborers that punch a time clock (which most nurses do)? How do people view nurses? How do we want people to view us? Should nurse practitioners be any different from a nurse with an ADN? I am not taking a particular stance on this, just trying to stir up conversation, particularly from the experienced nurses.

It depends a lot on the culture of the area you work. I live and work on the west coast and body modifications have become part of the culture here. I live in an especially liberal area, and there are people in every profession covered in tattoos. Lawyers, doctors, nurses, secretaries, mayors, etc...

I cover my tattoos for job interviews, but unless I wear long sleeves, they are visible while I'm working. Not a peep out of management yet unless it's a compliment. It's no longer something attributed to just the underbelly of society.

This likely would not be the case in more conservative areas of the country.

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