Tattoos in the workplace

[MAH82]

The hospital I work at has a policy of no tattoos at work. Any tattoos that you do have must be covered up by clothing. I was wondering what other policies are out there. Are tattoos allowed? Is it enforced where you work? Do you like/hate the policy and how would you change it if you could?

[malamud69, BSN, RN]

I'll be sure to pass your thoughts along to my father in law about the radiation targeting tattoos that helped save his life from Hodgkin's disease in his late 30s so he could finish raising his boys and know his grandchildren.

Obviously you are making an outrageous stretch to my intention

[Red Kryptonite]

Obviously you are making an outrageous stretch to my intention

Nope. You said

All tattoos are terrible in all circumstances.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

We are trained and educated to not look at the exterior of someone and judge them be it tattoos, facial hair, makeup, hair style, religion. We should all preach what we practice and in my opinion that extends to body ink. (Face tattoos excluded.)

In following your description of what it takes to not judge people by their appearance, why do you exclude face tattoos? Using your own logic, there should be no exception for this.

If the exception is because you personally find it to be 'going too far', what's to keep someone else from believing the sleeve tattoos are 'too far'? Or that outlandish makeup or hairstyle (you mentioned makeup and hair, so I am too) is going 'too far'? And who defines 'outlandish'?

Just providing some food for thought :)

[popmode77]

They aren't allowed (must be covered if possible) but it isn't enforced. I'd rather wear short sleeves than pass along infections from patient to patient with long sleeved shirts.

I never said anything about wearing long sleeves and infection.. I said it's an extra barrier between my skin and any body fluids. Following universal precautions should prevent the spread of infection regardless of what I'm wearing. Anyone who wears long sleeves in place of following these precautions is not very smart. I'm actually more worried about my shoes and pants rubbing against the beds and spreading anything than I am my arms, to be honest. Also, that's exactly why I bring an extra set of clothes with me every day. If anything does splatter on me (which is more than likely to happen against the 80% of my body that is covered with scrubs) then I can change.

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

A sleeve is when the tattoo covers the whole arm from wrist to shoulder or maybe just part way but you get the idea.

Uhhh no, I knew that. Someone said their coworkers wear tattoo sleeves to cover up their tattoos. That's what I'd never heard of. I'm guessing it's this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004DBT544/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1417538773&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX200_QL40

[dah doh, BSN, RN]

To SistrMoon: sorry for late reply. Working as usual ?...

Yes it is similar to your Amazon pic. The ones I've seen actually cover the whole arm (armpit to wrist or armpit to forearm). The color is usually black (maybe because that is a male color preference?) When they wear 2 (1 on each arm), it looks like an undershirt. It's when they only wear 1 that it's obvious. I've asked several of my co-workers who use the tattoo sleeves why they use them and most of them reply that it's because they don't want to constantly answer questions from patients or family members about their tattoos.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

To SistrMoon: sorry for late reply. Working as usual ...

Yes it is similar to your Amazon pic. The ones I've seen actually cover the whole arm (armpit to wrist or armpit to forearm). The color is usually black (maybe because that is a male color preference?) When they wear 2 (1 on each arm), it looks like an undershirt. It's when they only wear 1 that it's obvious. I've asked several of my co-workers who use the tattoo sleeves why they use them and most of them reply that it's because they don't want to constantly answer questions from patients or family members about their tattoos.

We had a nurse told he needed to cover his full sleeve tattoo. So, he bought one of the cover up sleeves- that looked like it was tattooed! Since his tattoos were technically covered, management couldn't do anything about it at the time. However, within the year the facility dress code was updated to state that tattoos had to be covered with a solid color garment, whether long sleeved shirt or a tattoo cover sleeve. Coincidence? I think not!

[been there,done it]

[QuiltDog]

That will haunt my dreams!!

[GrannyRRT]

I am amused by the way some use the words art and culture. Any great artist will tell you art is a form of expression which can change as the artist's life changes. This is why there are galleries full of art from an artist's life and not just one canvas or statue. Culture comes in many forms and is represented t/o the world in many ways. Prisons and gangs have extensive representation of culture through their tattoos which detail affiliation, accomplishments (including murder) and position of leadership. There are cultures and tribes which tattoo their women as a form of ownership or slavery. The WWII vets with military tattoos were treated with respect and a free beer. Vietnam vets sporting a military tattoo in public were treated as baby burners and discriminated against in the work place. Mike Tyson tried to explain his tattoos but just ended up offending the cultures and tribes in New Zealand and Africa.

This is not the first generation which has wanted to "express" themselves at work. Read the words to the 1970 song "Signs". "Long haired freaky people need not apply". Policies were written directed at this and eventually compromises were made to reflect hair styles of both men and women. In the 1980s employers had to be specific listing the color of hair dye banned and the style (Mohawk, mullet). Today the "skin head" look for men is cool where as a few years ago it would be associated with skin head racists. But, that look still has that meaning when racial riots are an issue. Sun tans in the 1970s were fashionable but today someone who tans to excess would be a freak. Excessive plastic surgery is also like excessive tattoos. Look at the remarks toward Joan Rivers even in death. I also bet some here, with tattoos, will have some negative opinions about how others have changed their bodies or even about the 70 year old man with long gray hair flowing past his shoulders.

Ever head of the phrase "timeless beauty"? This refers to the men and women who can pull off a trendy fashion in any generation which can be age appropriate but yet youthful. Imagine Betty White with sleeves of tattoos? Or Tina Turner and Sophia Loren? With the exception of a few cosmetic enhancements, their overall canvas is clear for the artist to express their mood and generation without leaving a permanent trace.

I bet some here pushing for tattoos in the workplace are white all American. Would the same acceptance be given those of different color or race? Like it or not but the events of Ferguson extended to every major city and attitudes on all sides are hard to change. Profiling by gangs, police and the public exists. 911 also heavily influenced a decade of attitudes. How many nurses are allowed to continue wearing their traditional dress if vastly different from the accepted scrub type attire? How many are allowed to fully cover their faces except for their eyes on the job in a US hospital? Even Starbucks has a dress code especially for some tattoos.

There are probably a lot of young parents who are trying to keep their kids from falling under the influence of the Justin Biebers and Miley Cyruses or gangstas. Then, a nurse or teacher shows up covered in tattoos and making the statement of how cool is that. Pop can also be a culture. But, tattoo Barbie has fallen out of pop and is just on some collectors' shelves.

What happens when your child is embarrassed by your tattoos? What if they don't want you around them in public or near their friends because your tattoos are so yesterday. I recently saw this in a mall where young parents with the large gauge loops in their ear lobes were being pointed out by a group of young people with laughter. The couple's young kids were in tears. Kids can be cruel and nothing is off limits. I see the embarrassed looks now when I do an EKG on an older (40s) person with tattoos and one of their grown children happens to be in the room (with consent) and the tattoos are more visible. No matter how you taught your kids about your values, acceptance by their peers will trump.

Also, until you can fully accept others for who they are and how they have chosen their lives to be lived, don't believe you are entitled to acceptance for everything you do. Very few people can say they are in acceptance of all behavior.