Tattoos!

AJJKRN · Jul 30, 2015

Geez. I think it's insane to fire perfectly good and safe nurses for something like that.

I do too but our opinions weren't taken into consideration just like when they decided nurses and techs were to wear specific colored scrubs.

It also wasn't just nurses, it was any staff. Some staff/ nurses had been there 20+ years. Even though it blows, my company is an awesome place to work (even with our issues) and is one of the biggest employer's in the area. A decent amount of staff drive two hours or more one way to get a chance to work there.

I chalk it up to being one of the perks of being a Magnet facility :sarcastic: I'm proud to be a Magnet facility but I'm not proud of all the extra politics that Magnet added.

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Jul 30, 2015

Full disclosure, I have none, nada, zip! But that's just me. At least half the staff I work with has at least one visible tattoo, never been a problem.

Alisonisayoshi, LVN · Jul 30, 2015

I have several visible. My school didn't make me cover my forearm as it's a medical alert tattoo, but the rest were kept covered.

With a new employer I go to the interview covered, but ask their tattoo policy in the interview. I usually show my arm to them and ask if it would need to be covered. I did a lot of interviews before landing a job, all but one were fine with my tattoos. If an employer asked me to cover, I'd be fine with it. Not every pt or employer views it as art. I'm respectful of their viewpoint and do as I'm asked in the workplace.

Adele_Michal7, ASN, RN · Jul 30, 2015

Another reason I love the west coast. One of my hospitals here recently changed their dress code so only offensive tattoos had to be covered, which was kind of officially allowing what everyone did anyway. My other hospital, a religious organization, still technically says you're supposed to cover them, but I don't know anyone who does.
I invite anyone who's got tats that are hard to cover to come to the west coast, where we worry more about your skills than your skin art. :)

Current West Coast nurse here- former East Coast nurse. The difference is truly night and day. :)

Farawyn · Jul 30, 2015

Another reason I love the west coast. One of my hospitals here recently changed their dress code so only offensive tattoos had to be covered, which was kind of officially allowing what everyone did anyway. My other hospital, a religious organization, still technically says you're supposed to cover them, but I don't know anyone who does.
I invite anyone who's got tats that are hard to cover to come to the west coast, where we worry more about your skills than your skin art. :)

Dude. East Coast is the same but better.

NY allows tats. No problemo.

Tex. · Jul 30, 2015

I only had to cover the one on my wrist for clinicals when I was in NS (except for when I was in the ICU, because my prof at that time said band aids are disgusting and carry germs..."take that thing off...it's worse than the tattoo showing!")

RedInScrubs, ASN, RN · Jul 30, 2015

I have two very large forearm tattoos, one is an EKG line with music notes and a treble clef, the other is a quote. My employers haven't cared about them, so I haven't bothered covering them since nursing school.

BertG77 · Jul 30, 2015

I have sleeves on both arms and due to my professionalism and general demeanor my instructors have often told me they forget I have them, even when I'm always in a t shirt. Part of that professionalism is exhibited by my wearing long sleeved undershirt beneath my school scrubs at clinical and at work as a CNA in a local hospital. I wish tattoos were more generally excepted and not so stigmatized, but they are.

standardprecautions · Jul 30, 2015

I have one. How society views tattoos have changed dramatically over the past years, and if an employer wouldn't choose you for a job because you have one, then you just saved yourself from working in a discriminatory place.

DowntheRiver · Jul 30, 2015

No tattoos. I would like at least one, but I never can make up my mind about what I want. I'd say approx. 60% of people at my job have tattoos. Mostly covered up, but some of them just can't be covered. I work in Urgent Care, and the majority of people don't seem to care, except a little old lady who makes a snide or snarky comment every now and then. Like I said, I don't have tattoos, but I do put funky colors in my hair and that seems to bother a lot of people.

windsurfer8, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2015

What do you mean "how common"? Like what percentage of nurses have tattoos? are you talking exposed tattoos on the neck? Are you talking on hands? Wrists?

I know nurses with tattoos. It doesn't really help if you plan to go into management or head nurse positions. Being professional is really important. I have been a nurse 10 years and one thing I have discovered (in my experience...this is anecdotal evidence)...looking and acting professional goes a LONG way. Many patents are dying and there is nothing that will change that. What matters to many families is seeing their love ones treated professionally and with dignity. I avoid words like "hun" "sweetie" etc. I always say Sir or Ma'am unless directed differently. I wear one color scrubs. I keep my hair clean and short. No mohawks and no scrubs with winnie the pooh. No tattoos.

That all said there are awesome nurses that do it different than me. I am not saying I am right and they are wrong. I am saying I have found good results with being as professional as possible.

I would avoid neck, wrist, and hand tattoos. However you might be fine with them and no one will care. I can only say I what I have seen and observed.

Farawyn · Jul 30, 2015

I only had to cover the one on my wrist for clinicals when I was in NS (except for when I was in the ICU, because my prof at that time said band aids are disgusting and carry germs..."take that thing off...it's worse than the tattoo showing!")

I love wrist tattoos, especially on girls.

What are you, Tex?