Tattoos and Nursing

[nursingsister]

I thought long sleeves weren't considered hygienic? That's what I have been told by faculty.

[copperrose]

If a hospital policy says cover the tattoo, cover the tatoo. Personally I think it depends on the tatoo (professional or hand done, location, what it is a picture of etc) and where you work. Many of the 50+ set (I'm that age too) do not like tattoos and think they are very inappropriate on anyone of any age. To me if you are in Peds or Maternal/Child, there wouldn't be a problem if it is professionally done and say a cartoon charecter, a well done flower,something related to your ethnic heritage or something like that (for example:I know 2 women who have tattoos of charecters, one is Mickey Mouse, one is Tweety Bird) I once worked with an orderly who had a past that included biker gangs and violence. He had several homemade tattos of skull and crossbones and swastikas. He did his best to cover these but it's hard to not roll up your sleeves to clean a pt. after a BM even if you've got swastikas on both wrists. He eventually moved to another dept in the hospital where his tattoos didn't cause a problem.

Back in the 80's nurses went through the issue of multiple piercings (in both ears and elsewhere) This is why hospitals started making policies about these things.

priority- Check the hospital policy and follow that, and go from there.

[lisathern]

My tattoos have been gateways to patient care at times. I have 3 tattoos--one on my leg, arm, and shoulder. I was a psych nurse for 8 years and am now a hospice nurse. While in the acute care psych setting, I would often get the "tough guy" with tattoos that wouldn't open up. I would start talking about his tattoos and then mention mine and he would find we would have something in common. This would be a gateway to more serious topics. As a hospice nurse, sometimes my tattoo on my arm will show. (It's a celtic turtle). Patients are interested in it and enjoy talking about things other than their illness. I believe if a tattoo is not offensive, there is nothing wrong with it showing. However, I do believe when choosing to have a tattoo, it's always wise to consider subject matter, and placement so that it is not distracting.

[LauraFY1989]

I have two tattoos but they are in places that are easy to cover up, 1 on my ankle and the other on my ribs. I plan to get one more on my back after I graduate. Even tho I do wish I could get a tat in a very visible area, it would be distracting and a little intimidating if I was a patient and my nurse had a sleeve or some big tat on his/her arm. I'm all for tats but not big visible ones if your a nurse. Nurses are held to a certain standard, isnt that part of why we want to be a nurse, for that respect. If it was a little on on your neck or arm then I would be fine with that.

[nursingsister]

What about other "strange appearances"? What is commonly accepted as professional, and what not? It is clear that the appearance of nurses has changed drastically over the past 100 years or so - how would we react to a nurse from 1909 walking into the ward? (of course, the training has also changed quite a bit, but suppose she had all the knowledge of today's nurse)
Is it professional to wear a skirt instead of scrub pants, or does it inevitably make you unprofessional, dumb, or backward in other nurses' and peoples eyes?

Which alternatives/deviations/adaptations are usually accepted by organisations, and which not?
How far can one go as a student, and does it at all differ from how far a qualified nurse can go?
How must one go about asking for such concessions? What would be key arguments to use, and which arguments are definitely not appropriate?

For example:
Tattoos
Skirt vs pants
Long sleeves
Head coverings (women / men / religious reasons etc)
Extravagant hairdo's
Makeup
Etc etc

[yunknurse]

If a hospital policy says cover the tattoo, cover the tatoo. Personally I think it depends on the tatoo (professional or hand done, location, what it is a picture of etc) and where you work. Many of the 50+ set (I'm that age too) do not like tattoos and think they are very inappropriate on anyone of any age. To me if you are in Peds or Maternal/Child, there wouldn't be a problem if it is professionally done and say a cartoon charecter, a well done flower,something related to your ethnic heritage or something like that (for example:I know 2 women who have tattoos of charecters, one is Mickey Mouse, one is Tweety Bird) I once worked with an orderly who had a past that included biker gangs and violence. He had several homemade tattos of skull and crossbones and swastikas. He did his best to cover these but it's hard to not roll up your sleeves to clean a pt. after a BM even if you've got swastikas on both wrists. He eventually moved to another dept in the hospital where his tattoos didn't cause a problem.

Back in the 80's nurses went through the issue of multiple piercings (in both ears and elsewhere) This is why hospitals started making policies about these things.

priority- Check the hospital policy and follow that, and go from there.

I'm 54 and like mucha have a full backpiece and multiple tattoos.
I guess you can never tell a book my by it's cover (at least when it's covered)

[Nurse_T]

this is so funny. When I was a kid, only bikers, sailors and hookers had tattoos. Follow the dress code where ever you work. And keep those tramp stamps covered too! Nobody wants to see your butt crack art. If I had a dime for every...........

[reesern1963]

this is so funny. When I was a kid, only bikers, sailors and hookers had tattoos. Follow the dress code where ever you work. And keep those tramp stamps covered too! Nobody wants to see your butt crack art. If I had a dime for every...........

I like your style, T! "Tramp stamp," LOL! I wish I would have said that first!

[OBNurseJeanne]

this is so funny. When I was a kid, only bikers, sailors and hookers had tattoos. Follow the dress code where ever you work. And keep those tramp stamps covered too! Nobody wants to see your butt crack art. If I had a dime for every...........

As an L&D nurse I too have seen tramp stamps in the damndest places!!!

[copperrose]

I've seen some very nice tatoos and some very bad ones. Saw a big guy at a concert once with this steer skull and indian feathers tatoo'ed on his bicep. It was so well done that the feathers looked almost real. It was also in colors of pale yellow, brown and lt blue. (not your usual tat colors)It was truly a work of art. My nephew is an artist and he has this full legnth tattoo of an Oregon pine tree down his back. He drew a picture of a tree and then took it to the tattoo place. It's not something I would do but it is a personal choice and if it's done well it can really express who a person "is" .

"T" the phrase "tramp stamp is popular here in TX" Some of the "cowgirls" have them with fancy curly Q's around their waist. "Trailer Trash Stamp" or "Hillbilly White Trash stamp" doesn't have the same ring to it as "tramp stamp" but some of the same people are involved. All I can say aboiut tat's, is the same thing I say about breast implants. You need to think about 30-40 years from now. Is the tat in a place that will sag or bag and make it look funny? I've seen the consequences of leaking breast implants and I don't want to have pendulous breasts with little rocks in the bottom in 40 years. I've seen bad tats that were sagging, faded and looked nothing near as good as they did 30 years ago. The quality of the ink and the skill of the person have much improved in 30-40 years but all I can say is think about the consequences before you put anything permanent in or on your body. Just my opinion.

[Sierraxx3]

That's not the point. Are you able to explain why this was wrong? (And not because the family was upset.)

The more I read, the more frightened I become when I think about who will be taking care of my parents and me in years to come. Is there anyone in the new generation of nursing with a sense of decency?

I am not even close to becoming a nurse yet, but I can assure you if that is what I choose to do with my life it will be because I actually care about people and want to make a difference, even if it is small.

I also have quite a few friends my age who are very 'decent' even though they are not pursuing nursing.

Yes, most young people are crude these days. Obviously, not all though.

About tattoos, I wanted one for a long time but have refrained for reasons dealing with professionalism.
I know someone who has a tattoo that covers most of the back of her neck, and she is intending on becoming a nurse. If you can't cover it easily do they always require it be removed?

[erinurse07]

I have 1 tattoo on each wrist. It's usually not noticed but if it is patients just ask what it means. They usually just open up a conversation. I have been a nurse for 2yrs and noone has ever had a problem with it yet. I did wear long sleeves to interviews though.

[blaxi4]

I am an LPN and will soon be graduating from an RN program- in my last class "Leadership and Management" I was somewhat offended when the issue of tattoos came up. Our instructor was against any body markings and stated that nurses should NOT get tattoos. Well personally I have a few tattoos, some before I became a nurse. I dont think that having tattoos has an affect on compassionate nusring care, provided the individual is discreet in covering them up. Lastly, her attitude made me sick especially when she was seen smoking!! I think she should have put some of that negative energy regarding tattoos toward a smoking cessation class!!!
Being a pancreatic cancer survivor and breast cancer supporter, my next tattoo will be a ribbon, intertwined purple and pink!!!!

[bubbatheartist]

I don't believe that tattoos impair anyone's professional appearance, as long as they are professionally put together. I am a tattoo artist myself, and I am going through my pre-req's for nursing school, so guess who has a lot of tattoos? My mother inspired me to go into nursing, and as a RN for 30+ years, she doesn't seem to think anything bad about tattoos, (not just because i'm her son) and i don't think anyone else should either. if my tattoos offend you, i will simply ask another nurse to cover your issues. it's that easy, and it's 2010, not 1910, you've got doctors with full sleeves and CEOs and all sorts of professionals with large tattoos that are visible. we as a people need to open our eyes and minds and realize that tattoos are going to continue to grow into all professions, medical included. tattoos can also be a point of interest with a patient as aforementioned. c'mon guys, lighten up.

[Gona_bea_nurse]

Can't wait to get out of basic so I can get a few. Roses, one my for my grandmother, another my mother as they both grew roses, one on both lower legs witha ribbon. In loving memory and with love.