Imagine a hospital in which all nurses and doctors exhibit professionalism, beauty, splendor, and awe among colleagues and patients. A place where the people taking care of you appear greater than human, larger than life, infallible figures, portraying an image that captures total trust and total confidence from those nearby. What a wonderful place that would be. But alas, we have work ahead of us.
This thread is designed to discuss the importance of impressions in nursing. While many nurses take pride in appearing beautiful or handsome, many walk in to work with a case of the feck-its when it comes to appearance. Unfortunately I feel that nurses are much worse than doctors in this arena. Where I work the majority of female doctors wear their hair down, liberally apply makeup, wear form fitting clothing, and hard soled shoes. They try to appear as beautiful as they can. Likewise, the male doctors come in with tailored clothing that had been ironed, they have well-oiled hair, nice watches, and other things reminiscent of the show "General Hospital."
Meanwhile, in the ICU I've worked in, we've got a female nurse with a buzz cut, one woman wearing a pirate-like black eye patch, nurses with baggy wrinkled scrubs, nurses wearing those ugly skechers shapeups, everyone wearing their hair up or back in a plain boring pony tail instead of letting it flow, men or even women with untrimmed or unneatly trimmed facial hair and people exhibiting other drab or and in my humble opinion, embarrassing features. I feel like no other college educated profession dresses down as much as nurses do and it bothers me.
What do you think of nurses and the images they portray in the professional setting? Use this thread to talk about what you like or dislike, what you think should change and what shouldn't.
I will admit to a tiny issue with people who show up to work in the medical field with direct patient care who have long flowing hair and gobs of mascara and eyeshadow and lip-liner and lipstick and darkly painted eyebrows and long polished fingernails.
One of the reasons I stopped watching any of those medical shows like NY Med . . . the women for the most part would have perfectly coiffed hair and makeup for the cameras. Every once in awhile, you'd see someone put their hair in pony tail in the midst of an emergency but then they'd interview them after the event and the hair was down and flowing.
Those ugly Sketched rockers... are the only things that save my back and feet from wanting to take all three pain pills in the world. So I don't really care how ugly they are. . They are functional for some of us.
Yes the glamorous world of nursing! lol I wear my very long hair in a pony, I'd rather not have poo in it! I wear minimal make up, so when I am gowned and gloved I don't lose a lash or two in a patient's wound, I have clean, crisp well ironed uniforms.I was taught by professionals who inspected my clinical uniforms, and trust me, heavy makeup and hair down was an automatic SEND HOME! So I am sorry if you look at my natural red hair with a few grays, or my natural makeup, but as so many of us behind that plain exterior lies the heart and soul of nursing-strong, brave and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
I have no such grandiose illusions. I'm a regular staff nurse in a cardiothoracic ICU. I'm in my late 20s. I don't consider myself to be either extraordinary or terrible. I do my job as best as I can, which varies depending on my mood and energy level on any given day. I'm also a recovering addict and alcoholic in a monitoring program. Does this sound glamorous to you?
You may be in a monitoring program but you are not on recovery if you are getting high off Whip-its even if it's at home - Sobriety is 24/7. Those of us who work it know. I am curious if you have shared the whole whip-its thing in the rooms or with your nurse support group? The first step to true recovery is being totally honest with ourselves.
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
What are whip its? And huffing?
reverse order - Huffing is inhaling chemical fumes in order to get high. It can be almost anything : Paint thinner, hairspray, sharpie or marker ink, helium, or Nitrous from compressed foods. It is not joke and has serious health consequences for many - When I worked psych I met several young people with bright futures who suffered permanent brain injury while engaging in this harmless pas time.
Whip-its is breathing the nitrous from a can of whip cream thus the term Whip-its. Again not a joke.
The thing is, we can respect the fact that you are in a program, OP. However, when you start a thread dictating to nurses how professionalism should look, your credibility is shot.
Professionalism is not "well oiled, flowing hair and make up."
Furthermore, it seems very unprofessional and almost cruel to ask members who are in recovery if they use mind altering substances. That is extremely unprofessional, and just poor taste.
What can possibly be gained, except stirring the pot?
Since this is the internet and none of you really know what I look like...welcome to Fantasy Island, Nurse Edition. I quit my job as a Victoria's Secret model to become a nurse because, well....it's my DREEEEEEEAAAAAMMMMM!
mamagui
434 Posts
EXACTLY