Young Looking Nurses

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Ok this is something that has been on my mind for a little while now. I am 19 and am going to be starting nursing school in fall next year. Ive always been told that I look really young, I get that I look 12 alot :crying2:. It also doesnt help that im like 5 foot nothing! So my question is, how do you think this will affect the way patients look at me? Im really afraid that they wont trust my capabilities because I look so young. Have any of you ever had to deal with this? Feel free to share your experiences! Thanks

Specializes in PeriOperative.

I still get the, "...um, how old are you...you don't look old enough to be my nurse..." comments.

My typical response is, "OMG, you are my new best friend! That is just too sweet of you! Just last week, Dr. M in plastics was suggesting I come in for botox, and I've been feeling so self conscious!"

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I have always looked young for my age. Once I started to develop confidence as a nurse as carried outwardly people stopped questioning if I "was old enough to be doing this"

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Specializes in General adult inpatient psychiatry.

During my last shift, I had a few patients get together and tell me that I looked 14 in my Bambi scrubs and doe eyes that came with me wearing contact lenses. I've had lay people say that I look 18 or 19, but never that young! I'm 23. The only make-up I wear is lightly tinted lip gloss but I'm going to start wearing some eyeliner and stronger make-up, as well as more solid sets of scrubs. I managed to convince them of my age by telling them to add the age that people are when they graduate high school with the number of years it takes to graduate with a Bachelor's degree, but they were still skeptical. My co-workers assured me that it was a compliment, but I still took it to heart. I was caught off guard and they didn't say it because I wasn't professional in my attitude, but simply based on my looks.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I've been there just a few years ago. I became a RN when I have 19 and enter the ICU at 22, that's possible here in my country Peru, we study 5 years to become a RN and then 2 more for specialty so do the math, the thing abouth youth is sometimes difficult because you need to fight not only against your patient's lack of confidence but also your colleages insecurity so be brave, study hard and demonstrate your knowledge if you have doubts ask first, answer with confidence, soon you will be see as the young brilliant nurse of the floor Good Luck!! :)

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Specializes in babysitting.
Ok this is something that has been on my mind for a little while now. I am 19 and am going to be starting nursing school in fall next year. Ive always been told that I look really young, I get that I look 12 alot :crying2:. It also doesnt help that im like 5 foot nothing! So my question is, how do you think this will affect the way patients look at me? Im really afraid that they wont trust my capabilities because I look so young. Have any of you ever had to deal with this? Feel free to share your experiences! Thanks

the only people that will be looking at you (if you are a female) are the other nurses making sure you don't talk to the object of their desires on the job. other than that, you are worrying about nothing at all. hospital workers have seen everything under the sun, it will not shock them to see you there that looks young.

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the only people that will be looking at you (if you are a female) are the other nurses making sure you don't talk to the object of their desires on the job. other than that, you are worrying about nothing at all. hospital workers have seen everything under the sun, it will not shock them to see you there that looks young.

She's worried about how her patients view her, not other hospital workers.

If you are confident, your patient will be confident in you. I am petite and look very young, too. Many health care professionals have the same problem - especially the interns! I often get asked how old I am and how long I've been a nurse. They are usually surprised by the answer. Everyone seems to equate age with experience. Just because the next nurse is in her 40s doesn't mean she's not a new nurse.

My advice is to act very professional, always. Stand up straight. Speak clearly and try to lower your voice a bit if you tend to have a squeaky voice. Personally, I don't wear scrubs with patterns because cute as they are, they just make me look younger. I also always wear a little bit of make up.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, OR, HH,Case Management.

LOL, I am 28 and I look like I'm 12. I get carded at the movies, and obviously bars, etc. Hopefully one day I will appreciate it, but I hate it now, esp as a nurse. I always introduce myself as so and so, RN, and I tell them how long I have been an RN. That usually shuts them up. Just be confident and be all business. Try not to use young people slang, though I tend to say "stuff" a lot, but I think that's ok.

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Specializes in ER.
Just so you know, that implies that the OP and every other young person on here contributing to this thread is a bimbo too...

tongue in cheek, tongue in cheek.

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Specializes in ER.

All of these posts about everyone saying they look so young... wouldn't it be funny for someone to post "hey, I just had a patient say to me, wow, you're ONLY 25? I thought for sure you were a lot older...."

THAT would be funny.

Haaa!!! I'm a bit punchy from night shift and few hours sleep..... :lol2:

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Specializes in ER.
LOL, I am 28 and I look like I'm 12. I get carded at the movies, and obviously bars, etc. Hopefully one day I will appreciate it, but I hate it now, esp as a nurse. I always introduce myself as so and so, RN, and I tell them how long I have been an RN. That usually shuts them up. Just be confident and be all business. Try not to use young people slang, though I tend to say "stuff" a lot, but I think that's ok.

I never see it as an insult or anything more than a passing comment when a patient states how young looking I am... why hate what you have now? Think back to older pictures of yourself when you remembered how you wish you had different hair, different weight distribution, etc.... things are always not as bad as you thought they were and now you wish you had appreciated those things that you had back then.

I do find it a bit frustrating to have VERY young looking residents (and I mean fresh outta high school looking) question ME, based on their inexperience? or my looking younger than some of the more well worn nurses I work with.... I've been a nurse at least since you were in high school. Gimme a break! Judge on SKILL, not looks.

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Specializes in NICU.
tongue in cheek, tongue in cheek.

Meee too.

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I'm a 21 year old male who deals with this situation every day. I'm young, but I look even younger than I am. At both of my jobs, I get comments like "I didn't know 15 year olds could become nurses." "Can you even see rated R movies?!" "You look like a child!". You just deal with it. Lol. I just laugh with them and say things like "I know, I hear that ALL the time." Just smile and go on with your day. The positive side is that I have gotten a lot of respect. Comments like "You are such a kind, caring young man." and "I think it's great that someone your age is doing something so great." Either way, you find the good.

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