What constitutes "professional appearance" these days?

Jaade · Dec 22, 2012

My hospital is fairly conservative. No more than two earrings in each ear, no other visible piercings allowed. Staff members aren't supposed to wear big earrings, and I think people who do are dumb. No visible tattoos. No crazy hair or makeup, though it is not a rule to have hair up, I wear mine up. Undershirts must be white or match uniform (royal blue or white for nurses, ceil blue for CNAs), same for jackets. Short, real nails. Solid white, brown or black shoes, no holes or mesh. It may seem a little extreme in some cases but I'd rather be perceived as a professional.

FMF Corpsman, MSN, RN · Dec 22, 2012

Basically what it comes down to is, if a nurse doesn’t care enough about his or her own appearance to dress appropriately for a professional setting, what guarantee is there that they will care enough about their patient to give them the care they deserve and quite honestly, are paying a small fortune for. I have seen Nurse’s come into work looking as if they are getting ready to work on the street. Some of them, if they had worked on the Cardiac Unit, could have given the old men a coronary right then and there. Tight fitting uniforms with enough cleavage showing to work in a Playboy Club and makeup that would put Tammie Faye Baker to shame. A lot of you probably don’t know who she is, but she was a TV Evangelist wife who put her makeup on with a trowel. GOOGLE her for kicks and you’ll see what I mean. Professionalism is key, and it is imperative when you are working with the public to maintain that sense of professionalism. Neatly coifed hair, nails neatly trimmed with maybe a French manicure. Even if you have piercings, nothing says you have to fill all of the holes while you are at work, and a nice smile, even if you feel like crap. It's likely don’t feel worse than your patient does.

Veronica_B12 · Dec 24, 2012

Don't have tatoos, but as long as they aren't unprofessional who cares? You could have the most starched, hair in a tight bun, ironed nurse and they could be an incompetent a$$hole. I agree you need to look professional, but outward asthetics don't equal good nurse, good nurse equals good nurse.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Dec 24, 2012

Basically what it comes down to is, if a nurse doesn't care enough about his or her own appearance to dress appropriately for a professional setting, what guarantee is there that they will care enough about their patient to give them the care they deserve and quite honestly, are paying a small fortune for. I have seen Nurse's come into work looking as if they are getting ready to work on the street. Some of them, if they had worked on the Cardiac Unit, could have given the old men a coronary right then and there. Tight fitting uniforms with enough cleavage showing to work in a Playboy Club and makeup that would put Tammie Faye Baker to shame. A lot of you probably don't know who she is, but she was a TV Evangelist wife who put her makeup on with a trowel. GOOGLE her for kicks and you'll see what I mean. Professionalism is key, and it is imperative when you are working with the public to maintain that sense of professionalism. Neatly coifed hair, nails neatly trimmed with maybe a French manicure. Even if you have piercings, nothing says you have to fill all of the holes while you are at work, and a nice smile, even if you feel like crap. It's likely don't feel worse than your patient does.

There is no indication that a nurse who doesn't adhere to the hospital's dress code won't care properly for her/his patients. You and the OP are rivals for "Most Judgemental"!

I agree that fake nails, fake lashes, ill-fitting uniforms, too much make-up and too many tattoos and piercings look unprofessional. But these days, my idea of too much make-up and too many tattoos and piercings may differ widely from yours, from the norm, from the hospital dress code.

As for feeling worse than my patient . . . they get to take drugs. I don't. I'm sure that I feel much worse than my patients do many days.

itsmejuli · Dec 24, 2012

Nice to see you back Ruby....I can't remember the last time I saw you post.

FMF Corpsman, MSN, RN · Dec 28, 2012

There is no indication that a nurse who doesn't adhere to the hospital's dress code won't care properly for her/his patients. You and the OP are rivals for "Most Judgemental"!
I agree that fake nails, fake lashes, ill-fitting uniforms, too much make-up and too many tattoos and piercings look unprofessional. But these days, my idea of too much make-up and too many tattoos and piercings may differ widely from yours, from the norm, from the hospital dress code.
As for feeling worse than my patient . . . they get to take drugs. I don't. I'm sure that I feel much worse than my patients do many days.

Ruby I don't know if you misread my post or just chose to interpret it the way you wanted too, but I never said a Nurses manner of dress would necessarily effect their care, I simply queried what guaranties there might be, so I don't believe I was being judgmental at all, but if I was, please pardon me, I come from a much different generation, than is currently manning the front. When I was still working, I am retired and have been for a while, dress codes were strictly enforced, and it hadn't been that long since females were still required to wear their Nursing caps, so things were quite different. You didn't have nurses with the claws of death, now I understand they are considered a fashion statement. Before, ID, Infectious Diseases would have been all over you and stood there while you cut them off. Long nails harbor bacteria and all sorts of nasty little things that even a ten minute hand scrub will not remove, and your chances of penetrating a glove during a sterile procedure are 99.99% guarantied unless you are triple or quadruple gloved, and then your effectiveness is diminished because of loss of sensation and dexterity. At any rate, dress codes are still in effect and the Hospital does still sign your paycheck. Those who dance around the dress code and other hospital regs cause me to question what other regs do they dance around and if they dance around hospital regs are they just as will to dance around the law? Go ahead and call me judgmental if you like, but I live my life by certain standards. I have to get up each day and look in the mirror, if I don't like the person looking back at me, then I have to find out why and make the appropriate changes. If my own ethical motives are not in line, then I am totally out of whack and my moral compass needs to be righted. I have to live with myself first and with others, (back then including my staff and patients), second. So yes, I am, was a stickler for the law, rules and regulations etc. and I sometimes believe others should set their own standards a little higher than they do. Call it a flaw if you will, that I believe others may not live up to their own potential in many cases, and I think it's a terrible waste. Okay, I admit it, I am a bit judgmental, but I'm old, and we're usually expected to be, so beat me. Oh, and if you are still working in the Units and are feeling worse than your patients, you need to call in.

KJoRN81, RN · Dec 30, 2012

I am 31, I have multiple piercings/tattoos, none of which are visible (or allowed) when I am at my clinic site. However, when I go to work (I work at a nationally-renowned Magnet hospital), I wear my nose piercing, tongue piercing, and ear piercings. They have very lax dress codes here, & you know why? Because this hospital is rated among the best, & they know that if someone is going to be offended & leave, they have one or two other patients to step in & take their spots!

However, I am also old-fashioned in that I think one should look professional & polished as possible. One does not need pounds of makeup/hairspray, nor does one need to flash their piercings & tattoos about. Unfortunately, there are still a great deal of people out there who look down upon tattoos AND the people who have them. Like it or lump it. When I finish school & get a job (if I ever do! LOL), I plan on looking as "normal" as possible until I have established what kind of facility I'm working in, the average patient age, etc. I don't want to be treated badly or looked down upon because of my personal choices. Like I said, I am old-fashioned, & I can definitely understand the elderly's viewpoint on such matters.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Dec 30, 2012

Ruby I don't know if you misread my post or just chose to interpret it the way you wanted too, but I never said a Nurses manner of dress would necessarily effect their care, I simply queried what guaranties there might be, so I don't believe I was being judgmental at all, but if I was, please pardon me, I come from a much different generation, than is currently manning the front. When I was still working, I am retired and have been for a while, dress codes were strictly enforced, and it hadn't been that long since females were still required to wear their Nursing caps, so things were quite different. You didn't have nurses with the claws of death, now I understand they are considered a fashion statement. Before, ID, Infectious Diseases would have been all over you and stood there while you cut them off. Long nails harbor bacteria and all sorts of nasty little things that even a ten minute hand scrub will not remove, and your chances of penetrating a glove during a sterile procedure are 99.99% guarantied unless you are triple or quadruple gloved, and then your effectiveness is diminished because of loss of sensation and dexterity. At any rate, dress codes are still in effect and the Hospital does still sign your paycheck. Those who dance around the dress code and other hospital regs cause me to question what other regs do they dance around and if they dance around hospital regs are they just as will to dance around the law? Go ahead and call me judgmental if you like, but I live my life by certain standards. I have to get up each day and look in the mirror, if I don't like the person looking back at me, then I have to find out why and make the appropriate changes. If my own ethical motives are not in line, then I am totally out of whack and my moral compass needs to be righted. I have to live with myself first and with others, (back then including my staff and patients), second. So yes, I am, was a stickler for the law, rules and regulations etc. and I sometimes believe others should set their own standards a little higher than they do. Call it a flaw if you will, that I believe others may not live up to their own potential in many cases, and I think it's a terrible waste. Okay, I admit it, I am a bit judgmental, but Im old, and were usually expected to be, so beat me. Oh, and if you are still working in the Units and are feeling worse than your patients, you need to call in.

FMF Corpsman, I am from the younger generation and salute you!!!! I read your post, smiling. We have a duty, due to our license, to uphold INTEGRITY in our profession, so I cut my nails, and keep my girls in and keep my make up-if I can even remember to put it on lol-to minimum or none and one set of studs...some that are creative, like roses, flowers...harmless though.

I have seen a pretty good empathetic nurse get pushed out a facility because in her "past life" she was a tattoo artist. She looked neat, always wire a jacket when she worked on the floor...until one day, she had to take it off during a prolonged intervention. That sent off a firestorm.

FMF Corpsman, MSN, RN · Dec 31, 2012

LadyFree28, Thank you for your comments and your salute. I am the last one put someone down for tattoo's, my screen name is FMF Corpsman that means I am US Navy and Marine Corp thru and thru, I would seriously doubt you could find many of us from my era without tattoo's. They were a right of passage, usually the first tattoo obtained on the first liberty, mine was anyway. I simply say professional needs to act and dress with a sense of decorum while on duty. If that means wearing long sleeves to cover excessive tattoo's so be it. If that means removing studs and rings then so be it, I simply feel a person needs to carry themselves as a professional while they are working in a professional capacity. If they can't manage that for 8 or 12 hours perhaps they need to go work somewhere else, where the deportment they wish to portray is more appropriate. They may actually make more money there. lol.

FMF Corpsman, MSN, RN · Jan 1, 2013

FMF Corpsman, I am from the younger generation and salute you!!!! I read your post, smiling. We have a duty, due to our license, to uphold INTEGRITY in our profession, so I cut my nails, and keep my girls in and keep my make up-if I can even remember to put it on lol-to minimum or none and one set of studs...some that are creative, like roses, flowers...harmless though.
I have seen a pretty good empathetic nurse get pushed out a facility because in her "past life" she was a tattoo artist. She looked neat, always wire a jacket when she worked on the floor...until one day, she had to take it off during a prolonged intervention. That sent off a firestorm.

LadyFree28, First off please allow me to apologize for not commenting on your own professionalism in my previous post, I started to, then went off in an entirely different direction, and completely forgot about it, so I am sorry. Your professionalism is what sets a good example for others in our field as well as those students you see every day. The professional nurse gives these eager minds someone to emulate and strive to be when they graduate from school. If they were to simply encounter slouchy appearing staff with little interest in their work, it reflects in their grades back at school, and it is also clearly indicated in their clinicals, as they tend to pick up on the poor work habits of the floor staff they are assigned to follow. Sadly enough, these nurse's poor habits can ruin the futures of a generation of nurses. So please, you keep going as you are and I'm certain you have a great career ahead of you.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jan 2, 2013

LadyFree28, First off please allow me to apologize for not commenting on your own professionalism in my previous post, I started to, then went off in an entirely different direction, and completely forgot about it, so I am sorry. Your professionalism is what sets a good example for others in our field as well as those students you see every day. The professional nurse gives these eager minds someone to emulate and strive to be when they graduate from school. If they were to simply encounter slouchy appearing staff with little interest in their work, it reflects in their grades back at school, and it is also clearly indicated in their clinicals, as they tend to pick up on the poor work habits of the floor staff they are assigned to follow. Sadly enough, these nurses poor habits can ruin the futures of a generation of nurses. So please, you keep going as you are and I'm certain you have a great career ahead of you.

Why thank you FMF Corpsman...you, and many others have paved the way for me. I'll gladly carry the torch!

Zombi RN · Mar 25, 2013

I have never had an elderly patient complain about my tattoos in six years of patient care. In fact, it's most commonly my elderly patients who like them! It is so disheartening to see how extremely judgemental people are in the field of nursing -- where I am pretty sure school teaches you not to judge others on their appearance....

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask nursing's standards of "professional" to change with times. Long hair down, fake nails, and tight-fitting uniforms are one thing, but tattoos are something else entirely. As long as what's there is not racist or otherwise offensive, it should not be a problem.

Shame on you all who have a problem with what people's bodies look like.