Tattoo's and School

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Dec 5, 2009

Depends on your school policy but most likely you will.

anon695 · Dec 5, 2009

Check with your school for what the policy is. My school has a "no visible tattoo" policy at clinicals, so I guess people must cover them up somehow (I don't have any tattoos myself so it wasn't an issue for me)

nursingstudent221 · Dec 5, 2009

ok thank you thats what i thought!

Kringe38 · Dec 6, 2009

We're supposed to have "no visible tattoos." Funny thing I've noticed is that a fair number of females in my class have a tattoo on the back of the neck and long hair must be up in a ponytail, so you can see the tattoo a little bit but nobody says anything. There's a guy in our class who has tattoos on a significant portion of both arms and I have no idea what he uses to cover all of that up! That would be a lot of cover-up makeup.

SkiingCait, BSN, RN · Dec 6, 2009

We're supposed to have "no visible tattoos." Funny thing I've noticed is that a fair number of females in my class have a tattoo on the back of the neck and long hair must be up in a ponytail, so you can see the tattoo a little bit but nobody says anything.

In my program, all visible tattoos must be covered up too. In the case of tattoos on the back of the neck, women have to have their hair up and put a large band-aid over the tattoo (All I can think is OUCH when pulling that off!!)

Nepenthe Sea · Dec 6, 2009

I wear a long-sleeve tee under my polos to keep mine covered. I know a girl who just graduated that had to wear a long-sleeve tee and a large band-aid on her wrist to keep covered. I am always cold in the hospital anyway, so I don't mind having to wear an extra shirt.

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Dec 6, 2009

I wear a longsleeve t-shirt under my scrubs and have a pretty large watch that doesn't really cover it but distracts the eye when i forget myself and push my sleeves up. It's too big for a bandaid, but so far my method hasn't gotten me in any trouble.

Kringe38 · Dec 7, 2009

I wear a long-sleeve tee under my polos to keep mine covered. I know a girl who just graduated that had to wear a long-sleeve tee and a large band-aid on her wrist to keep covered. I am always cold in the hospital anyway, so I don't mind having to wear an extra shirt.

They don't let us wear long sleeves so I don't know what that poor guy in my class does.

Never thought of band-aids. They haven't made the neck-tattoo girls wear them in my class that I know of. However, my clinical instructor was pretty lenient...I think some of the others are stricter and I don't know what they might have ordered the students to do to get those tattoos covered.

May2011Grad · Dec 8, 2009

Check with your school. I have a tattoo on my left wrist and I was told that it was fine especially because I am right handed but not to get any more that will be visible. Just ask.

lainith · Dec 10, 2009

We are not supposed to have visible tattoos. I have one on my inner wrist and I cover it with two bandages. I have forgotten many times (I don't always remember I have it) and no one has ever said anything. I am the only person in my class who has a tattoo that is visible so I don't know what anyone else would have to do. Usually if you ask your clinical instructor they will tell you what they expect. Good luck!

PsychRNMsz · Dec 10, 2009

One of the girls in my clinical group just got points taken away from her over all grade because her tattoo on her bicep had become exposed while the instructor was passing meds with her. This is the same instructor who gave full points to the girl who had 4 inches of bare skin and back fat showing every week. But you know, her tattoo was not showing