The Blue Hair Nurse

Published

  1. Should nurses be allowed to use fantasy hair colors (green, purple, blue, pink) to work?

    • 15
      Heck no! It's not formal
    • 8
      Meh, if the works well... why bother?
    • 31
      Oh Yeah!!!! We have the right to do what we want with our hair!

26 members have participated

A friend and ex coworker posted on facebook about how much she has been criticized by her superiors at the hospital for her new hairdo... She decided to get a new hair color: blue... Unconventional color in the conservative nursing system in Panama where nurses wear nice caps, white uniforms, and long white stockings.

Although I truly believe in the right of expression of every human being, nurses have to take care of their image and honor. Hair color has to do nothing with skills, clinical judgement, decision making, and teaching...But credibility.

Any thoughts about hairdos and the use of fantasy hair colors by nurses???? Any thoughts???

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

In nursing school, the rules were very strict. In the particular setting I was hired into, the policies were much more lenient. While working I had a trendy red pixie cut.

But I dyed my hair back natural and grew my hair into a more conservative bob for my return to school and clinicals, because I knew many nursing settings were conservative.

I think it's a safer bet to fall into line with the policies and culture of your employer.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice.

LOL! I thought this was about an "old lady blue rinse" versus new, young, cute nurse.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

I work with a nurse that has her hair dyed bright red with a blond section and a bright blue stripe. It doesn't take away from the fact that she's a dynamite nurse. I wouldn't question her credibility because of it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatric and emergency nursing.

I think one should conform to an employer's dress guidelines for the sake of not causing a brouhaha, but if my nurse had proven herself to be smart, safe, and a good patient advocate, I wouldn't care if she was pink with purple polka dots with a bright green Mohawk. Personally, I would have my hair cotton candy blue and pink if I could, but my employer and the military sort of frown on that kind of thing :(

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

I agree hair color has nothing to do with how great a nurse is, however to be on the safe side you should abide by your hospital/employer dress code.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hair color has nothing to do with one's skills as a nurse BUT the hospital did not hire just a nurse, they hired an employee.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Trying to remember the last time I saw a professional person in another field (law, medicine, etc) who had her hair dyed a freakish color (or combination of colors)....hmm.....nope, can't say that I have.

Thinking back to the last time I saw a nurse manager or DON with multi-colored freaky hair....nope, drawing a blank. Probably because it hasn't yet happened.

I'd have no thoughts about a freakish looking person's skill level; I cannot know if they are skilled or not. But while hair color doesn't denote ability to perform a task......if you're doing something outlandish to your personal appearance---the presentation you make to face patients----when you know the reaction isn't going to be favorable, I'd have serious doubts about your judgment.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Personally, I like dressing up as Bozo the Clown for my job as an ER nurse. It's how I express myself and has nothing to do with my skills or knowledge.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

I don't think that the color of your hair has anything to do with your nursing judgement. Mine is a lovely shade of grey and brown. I don't dye mine. Does this mean my nursing judgement is excellent? I don't think the two are related.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I don't think that the color of your hair has anything to do with your nursing judgement. Mine is a lovely shade of grey and brown. I don't dye mine. Does this mean my nursing judgement is excellent? I don't think the two are related.

NOT dying one's hair purple and orange doesn't denote that one has excellent skills, any more than DOING it means someone has awful skills. As I said, I don't think one has anything to do with the other when it comes to ability/skills. And NOT dying one's hair freakish colors doesn't mean you have excellent judgment. It DOES mean that you are at least on the side of "benefit of the doubt", rather than having done something stupid that erases that doubt.

I do think there's a reasonable question about someone's ability to judge a situation, make good determinations, based on what they look like. Example? If someone hasn't yet figured out that she looks like Bozo the Clown to the family who is hoping for a medical professional to show up (and she knows she is working in an area where looking like Bozo the Clown is NOT going to be viewed as being professional), then that person is perhaps also going to make other poor judgments as well.

Someone's hair turning grey, naturally? So what. Blonde/red/Brown dyed color growing out, roots are growing in the natural color? So what.

Intentionally dying one's hair to resemble a rodeo clown (in a geographic area known to be conservative) does speak to one's ability to judge a situation well. And failing at it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

I guess it depends on where you are. Nobody thinks there is anything strange about my coworker's red, blond and blue do.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion