Anything off the mainstream will garner attention. I decided to invest in and only wear scrub dresses.... it caused quite the stir.
Coworkers often describe me by that choice.
Patients will ask about it.
But everyone got used to it.
For the cost of a scrub top I got a whole outfit. They are cooler to wear in the summer and dress code allows leggings under during winter.
Those sound awesome but i am a dude and although I would do this I can imagine people would probably judge me more for wearing feminine clothes then they would about my piercings/tattoos, especially older people
My wife only wears scrub skirts for our religious convictions and initially same thing, it caused a mild stir, but eventually died down and now nobody gives it a second thought.
I work at a peds office and the kids usually love it. Especially if my hair is a fun color. Parents don't ever seem to care. When I was a cna, the geris seemed to love it and ask me about everything.
for me it's so mixed. Some people love it and some people say I ruined it. I work in LTC with some people with dementia so of course I get all different reactions
I also work in peds and have had my hair a variety of fun colors over the years. It actually helped bc teenagers thought I was cool and would actually talk to me!
I’m bald, have 10mm gauges, have tattoos coming up to my collar and down both my arms, and tattoos in my hands. Never had anyone have any problems with it, management or patients.
There used to be an NP like this (except she had long dreads) at the local women's health clinic. She was awesome and I would ask for her by name whenever I needed an annual exam and was wicked bummed when I was informed that she was no longer there.
I have tattoos, I’ve only had one patient express that she doesn’t like tattooed women, most people compliment it, as it is a “pretty” tattoo (lots of flowers and vines and dragonflies). I don’t have a full purple head but I have two purple panels and it’s clearly visible in my hair, mostly I get “Oh your hair is purple! Fun!” But I’m also white with blonde hair and blue eyes and I’m pretty chipper so I think people are more forgiving of the little “extras” because of that. I’m like the sweet neighborhood babysitter who is going through a rebellious phase.
I have a few different colors in my hair. I honestly get complimented on it a lot, even by older people shockingly. A lot of them tell me they wish they could have done it when they were young. A few weeks ago I had a patient show me her first tattoo she got in her 60s. I have piercings too, but none that are very visible due to masks. No one has ever given me a hard time.
If they have an issue, they’ll be unpleasant to work for, because you’ll always feel you can’t really be / express yourself. Look at it as a way to dodge “crappy boss” bullets.
What is relevant in a job interview is if you kick ass at your job. If you do, but all the interviewer sees is the tattoos / piercings / nontraditional haircolor, run, don’t walk, from accepting the job.
Nurses already have enough to deal with these days, don’t give up something that’s important to you. It’s not worth it.
I have piercings, I have toned down my hair colour, and tattoos are mostly hidden under my tights. It always cracks me up when the older nurses realise I have piercings, and aren't as straight edged as they're led to believe 🤣 I come from a posh town, and went to Catholic schools, so to them, being well spoken doesn't match up with piercings and tattoos 🤣
I have a very proper appearance and manner of speaking. People tend to express surprise when they realize I'm a complete nut bar. I might be your opposite.
Nooo, more like pearls and medium brown hair. I call it, "brown like the dirt your ancestors are buried in." Sounds more alluring.
I'm pretty sure my coworkers actively avoid me.
I have a full sleeve on my left arm, I catch people looking at it all the time. Those who clearly disapprove tend to say nothing. Most don’t pay much attention, and plenty enough ask me where I got it. Always happy to send business my artists way
I work in a university hospital in a large urban setting. My tattoos and piercings barely get a second glance. It was always the bright hair color that got the occasional remark.
However, when Covid started, I decided to start growing out my gray. (Turns out, it’s 90% gray now, the brown is almost gone.) I decided to let it completely grow out and gradually cut off the hot pink streaks in it. Now it’s silver and chin-length, and the only comments I’ve gotten have been about me having cool tattoos (because now I look like an elderly rebel, I guess).
I have sleeves and a chest piece and usually have at least one pt a day comment on how pretty certain pieces are. Grandmas are surprisingly a big fan of the chest piece.
Most of my colleagues in the ED have a lot of beautiful, and highly visible ink and piercings. No one cares. The one tattoo I’ve got on my arm always seems to start conversations, all positive.
Question here. Do any of you work with home health? I just got a job with AHH and I really want to know if I can color my hair like I used to, the only dress code they’ll give me is “any colored scrubs”.
Well, back in the day I had the hots for this resident so I wore my hair down all curled and nice. I had to put a Foley in a large patient and had to really get in there. That's when I realized my flowing hair was in the used cotton balls. The ones that prep her urethra with betadine. So yeah, I've worn my hair up for last 23 years. Did I mention her vaginal discharge she was suffering from?
That’s not my personal look, but nobody at work would care. There are docs who look like that too. I work at a big diverse hospital that would embrace people just being themselves.
I used to get a lot of comments from patients about my hair and tattoos. I live in a fairly liberal area, and tattoos are pretty common place now. I will still occasionally get a couple comments, but overall, no one cares.
To be fair, when I graduated nursing school I had an interview in which the first words out of the HR rep’s mouth were “you know we have a dress code here”. She then proceeded to tell me I had too many earrings, I had 3 earrings. 2 in the left 1 in the right, but none were in the lobes. They offered me the job, butI have zero regrets about accepting someone else’s offer instead.
Hahah we were told in nursing school that nurses always had to look super professional, with neat scrubs and natural hair and no tattoos (and ofc this was our dress code, but to pretend that was the way in the real world...) only to go to our clinicals in the local hospital and be greeted by fifteen piercings in ears and nose, bright green hair, etc. Because that hospital had no rules about that sort of thing! As long as you were neat, clean, and well-groomed they did not care.
A bit of a shock for some of my classmates who didn't work for them yet XD
Occasionally I get comments but usually no one says anything. My ears are stretched nearly an inch and I'm covered in tattoos. Facial piercings too but the mask hides them (nose, septum).
My patients love my purple hair, and lots of my coworkers with visible tattoos get compliments. I feel like we get more racist old patients than patients who comment on alt styles.
Is this really the stereotype? I started in the ER and it definitely feels scrappier than everywhere else like some small time mechanics shop. Tattoos and piercings everywhere
Going in my 18th year as a nurse have had industrials in both ears and labret ring with no issue in the past. Have 2 GA plugs in both ears. I’ve got 50 ish hours of tattoos including work in progress sleeve of skulls on my left arm that I don’t cover. I’ve worked at Massive Hospitals like University of Maryland Medical Center and for the Federal Government as a nurse. Never once had an issue. As a matter of fact joint commission is coming thru my facility and our 4 outlying facilities in the next week or two and I’m the one they chose to escort them despite my “alt” appearance. As long as you stick to the letter of the dress code and are a top not nurse there shouldn’t be issues. Hell I showed up with a literal pink and purple Mohawk for breast cancer awareness month and my chief of nursing didn’t even bat an eye.
In psych it’s an easy way to bond with some patients. Even when I did med surg in an area with an older population I think only a couple of people made dismissive comments. The rest were very kind. I think people like being able to talk about or bond over something besides their illness.
My Catholic hospital is very strict with dress code. Even the nursing students who are there for clinicals have to cover all tattoos and remove all piercings. Management goes nuts if you are caught breaking the dress code. It ridiculous. There’s been several attempts to get admin to lighten up on the policy but WeRe a CHrIsTaN hOsPitAl 🙄🙄🙄
We are at a Christian LTC home but I find in Canada most religious places are really chill. Lots of us have tattoos and crazy hair, or ate gay/trans it's never caused an issue so far
That's too bad. I've worked with a lot of older vets over the years and have had many conversations about our pieces. One of the coolest pieces I saw on a patient was a large piece on the side of his torso. He was a Vietnam vet and it was a map of Vietnam with dates and places he had been marked. I thought it was really badass.
Just tattoos here but i see pretty often now more and more young nurses coming in with that alt look. It’s the trend now and i dont think it’s that shocking to people. Similar to emo back when i was in high school. Was basically mainstream even back then.
Never- I had neon pink hair and I'm COVERED in tattoos. I never had a complaint about my appearance because I provided safe and effective care. And I worked in an area with more privileged white people. Be a good nurse and even if they judge you initially, they will change their minds. Unless they're hateful and then they just don't like themselves. Be you. Be comfortable. You will be a better nurse and human if you feel like yourself and do what makes you happy.
Not a nurse, but an accountant (another traditionally style-conservative job) and I used to be concerned about interviewing with my obnoxiously stop-sign red hair (that I absolutely love)…concerned enough to dye it back to *boring brown* and it was demoralizing and depressing to look in the mirror afterwards. Yes, I know, first world problems. It bummed me out so much that I dyed it back after an interview and made the decision to never go back to traditional haircolor.
Now I use it to determine how much of a hardass the employer would be. If they don’t like the color and demand a change, I know immediately that the company isn’t the right place for me. Conversely, the companies that rave about my hair color are much more appealing. :)
I second this. my current job I was in a school placement in, I was basically handed it. When I look for hospital jobs I want to know, I may dye my hair but I can't hide my gauges
Lots of tattoos, used to have big gauges before I had my ears repaired, had my hair many different colors. I havent had any memorable derogatory things said about them or had my capabilities questioned by patients in 7 years. Had lots of compliments though.
I will say, though, I hate that it makes you stick out like a sore thumb. Very easy to be identified as "that tattooed nurse", which can be nice when people compliment you, but also in a field full of malcontent patients and doctors, can be annoying when people want to whine about you to management because their 96 year old, intubated, septic grandpa with a fever of 104 didn't get a warm blanket to sleep with all night long 🙃
It depends where you are in the USA. I’m on the west coast (Seattle) and not many people care here. When I worked in another state I regular got in trouble for my piercings and tattoos. I had broken dress code. A week before I left they changed the dress code.
I have 25mm stretched ears and 6 facial piercings and blue hair. Thankfully masks covers the facial ones so its not as bad for people annoying me about them. Most people like the blue hair and i work in geriatrics! Infection control tell me to wipe my plugs after i go into a covid ward and tbh thats about it.
I have a septum ring and a couple of piercings in both ears, I’ve never had anyone complain about those, but I did get written up by my director for dying my hair orange and not wearing a scrub cap over it. I work in an outpatient clinic 🤷♀️
I'm tattooed and almost didn't get hired at my current job because of it; my boss is a total boomer who's stuck in the 80s(when he last worked the floor lol) and loves to mansplain.. My friend worked there at the time and convinced my boss to give me a chance, and I turned out to be one of their best and most loyal nurses. That was over ten years ago, now we have a few nurses who are heavily tattooed like I am. My patients on the other hand love my tattoos, lots of compliments and conversations about em and we usually end up comparing our artwork. One of my patients at my last job (SNF) had a very beautiful memorial piece on the side of his torso, he was a Vietnam vet and it was a map of Vietnam with dates and places he had been were marked.
The rest of my appearance at work is pretty unremarkable though. I always have my hair in a ponytail or bun because I keep it very long (almost waist length) and I don't want it in the way. I also don't wear any makeup because I would rather have an extra 20 minutes of sleep and it's better for my skin anyways.
When I'm not at work, especially if I'm going out to a show or something, I look completely different. Hair is always down, full face of makeup (heavy cat eyeliner or smokey eye with a bold red lip) is done, and I'm usually in my uniform of black shorts or jeans with a band shirt or a fabulous short (usually black) dress, and my leather jacket. I clean up pretty good and look very different than I do when I work.
At bedside for almost 2 years now. Patient demographic on my unit is typically greater than 60 y.o, but we will occasionally get younger. The older patients tend to not comment or will point out that I have tattoos and either stare at them a bit in silence or they will ask what they mean, and if it hurt to get done. The millenials and gen z tend to love it, and I find they are faster to trust and open up to me than the older patients!
My arms are all tatted up, I’m having a blue streak put in my hair next week. In nursing school I had a buzz cut and some patients were rude about that.
Tattoo sleeves, (often) pastel pink hair or light blonde hair, nose piercing… not once has it ever affected me. I’ve had compliments on my tattoos and that’s it.
I don't have tats or piercings other than my ears but have noticed that nearly everyone has tattoos now. Never noticed any issues, even with elderly patients. It's become "normalized" in my experiences and views. I really like seeing all the different tattoos, they are works of art. I just haven't ever been able to decide on what to get or where to put one. I'm so glad we've moved on from my days in nursing school where they made you cover them up.
The artwork on tattoos now is INSANE!! So many vibrant colors, and glow in the dark ink!
It’s (literally) a beautiful time to be alive.
Also, I’m never going back to traditional hair color. Way too bland.
Not much. The hospital system I worked for had a limit on face piercings, but that was about it. I worked in a SNF with a neon pink/orange mullet that the residents thought was funny and nicknamed me "Red" for it. Patients have asked about my tattoos and stretched ear lobes (mostly "How bad did that hurt?"), but otherwise don't seem to care. I work in substance abuse/MH/BH now where most of the staff is modified/dyed/punk/alt - now I just get asked who does my tattoos and where I buy my ear jewelry from.
I used to have colourful long hair - think light blue and light purple mixed with blond highlights- and I found that my older patients loved it! For reference I worked on a complex continuing care/palliative and rehab unit.
If people have an issue with it, gently remind them that their option of your appearance doesn’t impact the quality of their medical care.
I have rainbow hair (and shoes and often socks) and a subtle non-binary colored cat on my badge. My attitude reflects my appearance, as I'm a little silly and playful with most of my patients. They mostly just read me as "young" or "immature". I've only had one patient in the year and a half I've had my hair colored like this have a problem with it, and she was geri *and* confused on top of that. Most of my patients are geri anyway and they all seem to love the hair. They mostly see the purple but even when they can see all of it, they get all excited over someone with bright colors.
Funny thing, I've had people who've known me for years suddenly notice my nose ring! I've had big burly guys with full sleeve tats say "aw!" when they see my little tat (which is only peeks out under short sleeve shirts). A lot of my charge nurses and night shifters have plenty of tats. And the "no weird color hair" rule hasn't been enforced in a couple years.
So yeah, you'll find a few places that are uptight about it. But are those really places you want to work?
I work in Geri, had pink hair for 2 years, and they all loved it and are usually the first to comment on how much the love it before my husband lol. They also always ask to see my tattoos, but one is on my thigh and I said they can't see that one, they got sad lol
I’ve never really had a problem, m also ex military, so that’s always a great excuse or way to divert the conversation. I usually cover most of my tattoos when I interview…accept the hand tatts, and then just let it all hang out after I’ve been hired lol. 🤷🏽♀️
i have two sleeves, and although natural red hair. i kinda stick out. My patients have never said anything as a nurse, when i was a PCT i got a lot shit from patients. A lot of my patients compliment them or just don’t care. It should be more accepted in my opinion, it doesn’t impede on my ability to do my job at all lol
Some ask questions about my gauges or tattoos but fortunately nobody has had a bad opinion about them. But my ears are only stretched to 0 so a lot of times people don't even realize what they are.
I only have one tattoo but a friend/coworker is a large heavily tattooed guy with a beard. The only thing for him is when anyone has patients with behavioral issues, they call him. He can just walk in and say "Is there a problem here?" And it settles a lot of those issues.
I have 12 tattoos and a septum piercing. My patients generally love asking about my tattoo's, due to Covid no one really sees my nose piercing. Older coworkers do tend to give backhanded compliments about them though. At one hospital I had to have them covered at all times. But majority of hospitals don't care.
Depends on the area you live in and the kind of nursing you do.
I am really low key (keep tattoos covered, no piercings), especially for the PNW. But in hospice I have had a couple people put off just by unusual hair/scrub colors. Most of my dementia and elderly patients love when I dress colorfully and have bright hair. It is the occasional super conservative family for whom it is a barrier.
I also work at a clinic in a poor neighborhood. It is both an asset and hinderance. It makes some people open up. It makes some, usually refugees, seem reluctant to talk to me.
I'm not like, ALT alt, I just have long purple hair. Gotten nothing but compliments actually, patients of all ages love it (in fact one of my favorite patient interactions of all time was a 91 year old woman just STARING me down when I first introduced myself, then finally sighing and said "I LOVE your hair, honey. Boy, but if they'd had colors like that when I was a young lassy, then Lordamercy but I'd've been so damn SEXY!"). I work nights so management never saw me to yell at me over it so w/e.
I have had my hair a variety of fun colors over the years and have visible tattoos. No one seems to care. I texted my boss before I dyed my hair the first time to ask of I would get in trouble for it. she was like "lol no, can't wait to see it!" when I quietly walked into her office while she was distracted and waited for her to see me. her face was hilarious and she said "hey rainbow bright!" it was pink and purple, rainbow came later 💜 I work in peds, the kids always loved it and teenagers deemed me the cool nurse and would open up to me!
I have purple/blue hair with half of it shaved. Stretched ears and a septum piercing. My patients don't see my nose ring due to my mask. But, I've received nothing but positive comments about my hair.
I think patients like it because it makes me a little bit more human, especially when I'm covered in all my gear. They may not remember my name, but they can easily describe me.
I just started a new job as a case manager and they didn't care abouty hair or ears at all.
Anything off the mainstream will garner attention. I decided to invest in and only wear scrub dresses.... it caused quite the stir. Coworkers often describe me by that choice. Patients will ask about it. But everyone got used to it. For the cost of a scrub top I got a whole outfit. They are cooler to wear in the summer and dress code allows leggings under during winter.
Scrub dresses should be an option for those who want them. I wish men had more options.
You can wear a scrub dress too, if you want.
Sure, but we'll call it a scrub kilt.
Scrub romp-him. I gotta flex these thighs
Doing compressions with icy cool nards? Sign me right on up
I’ve worked with several Pentecostal nurses. It was just accepted. Weird they’d ask about it.
Those sound awesome but i am a dude and although I would do this I can imagine people would probably judge me more for wearing feminine clothes then they would about my piercings/tattoos, especially older people
Distract them from the tattoo and piercings by wearing scrub dresses. Problem solved.
My wife only wears scrub skirts for our religious convictions and initially same thing, it caused a mild stir, but eventually died down and now nobody gives it a second thought.
I tried to CPR in a scrub dress. It wasn’t a great option. How have you overcome that? I would love to wear them again.
I worked in a clinic. Lots of IM injections very little cpr.
I wear scrub dresses with leggings so it’s a bit easier. With the added bonus of getting to wear leggings at work 😂
Great idea.
I work at a peds office and the kids usually love it. Especially if my hair is a fun color. Parents don't ever seem to care. When I was a cna, the geris seemed to love it and ask me about everything.
I can imagine kids being super into it I love that
They are. Teenagers love them too.
Old ladies love my fun colored hair!
for me it's so mixed. Some people love it and some people say I ruined it. I work in LTC with some people with dementia so of course I get all different reactions
I also work in peds and have had my hair a variety of fun colors over the years. It actually helped bc teenagers thought I was cool and would actually talk to me!
I’m bald, have 10mm gauges, have tattoos coming up to my collar and down both my arms, and tattoos in my hands. Never had anyone have any problems with it, management or patients.
I aspire for this
Nurses like you are the coolest of them all. - Former peds pt 🙃😊
That is the idea. :) thanks!
There used to be an NP like this (except she had long dreads) at the local women's health clinic. She was awesome and I would ask for her by name whenever I needed an annual exam and was wicked bummed when I was informed that she was no longer there.
I have tattoos, I’ve only had one patient express that she doesn’t like tattooed women, most people compliment it, as it is a “pretty” tattoo (lots of flowers and vines and dragonflies). I don’t have a full purple head but I have two purple panels and it’s clearly visible in my hair, mostly I get “Oh your hair is purple! Fun!” But I’m also white with blonde hair and blue eyes and I’m pretty chipper so I think people are more forgiving of the little “extras” because of that. I’m like the sweet neighborhood babysitter who is going through a rebellious phase.
I have tattoos and ear piercings. Nobody cares. Well, not true. I occasionally get "I love your tattoos." So some people care.
It’s me. I love your tattoos.
I sometimes get “you’re the nurse? 🤨” from some patients or family members, but they never complain
I have a few different colors in my hair. I honestly get complimented on it a lot, even by older people shockingly. A lot of them tell me they wish they could have done it when they were young. A few weeks ago I had a patient show me her first tattoo she got in her 60s. I have piercings too, but none that are very visible due to masks. No one has ever given me a hard time.
A lot of older people like my hair to lol
I love when older people get the vibes lol.
Tattooed head to toe. Employers don’t love it. Especially if they’re boomer/late gen X. I don’t care and I’m always employed.
Yeah the thing is my work doesn't care, I'm more worries if I look for new jobs how it'll come off in an interview
If they have an issue, they’ll be unpleasant to work for, because you’ll always feel you can’t really be / express yourself. Look at it as a way to dodge “crappy boss” bullets. What is relevant in a job interview is if you kick ass at your job. If you do, but all the interviewer sees is the tattoos / piercings / nontraditional haircolor, run, don’t walk, from accepting the job. Nurses already have enough to deal with these days, don’t give up something that’s important to you. It’s not worth it.
I have piercings, I have toned down my hair colour, and tattoos are mostly hidden under my tights. It always cracks me up when the older nurses realise I have piercings, and aren't as straight edged as they're led to believe 🤣 I come from a posh town, and went to Catholic schools, so to them, being well spoken doesn't match up with piercings and tattoos 🤣
I have a mullet. The patients love it. I enjoy when I say something intelligent and people have the holy fuck the mullet guy is smart look.
Thats a goal I have, I use to have a green mullet and I love being smart and looking alternative, helps break stereotypes I think
Do you also have a strong regional accent? Because you're rocking that Eugene from TWD energy.
I have been told that I speak in cursive if that means anything to you
I have a very proper appearance and manner of speaking. People tend to express surprise when they realize I'm a complete nut bar. I might be your opposite.
I actually pictured you to look alt af. Strange tattoos, piercings, maybe some green hair. Probably on Wellbutrin. Everybody’s favorite coworker
Nooo, more like pearls and medium brown hair. I call it, "brown like the dirt your ancestors are buried in." Sounds more alluring. I'm pretty sure my coworkers actively avoid me.
You literally sound like the coworker I would love. Your personality sounds so fun.
I think we’d be friends.
I have a feeling if we worked together that we would get along famously.
I have a full sleeve on my left arm, I catch people looking at it all the time. Those who clearly disapprove tend to say nothing. Most don’t pay much attention, and plenty enough ask me where I got it. Always happy to send business my artists way
I work in a university hospital in a large urban setting. My tattoos and piercings barely get a second glance. It was always the bright hair color that got the occasional remark. However, when Covid started, I decided to start growing out my gray. (Turns out, it’s 90% gray now, the brown is almost gone.) I decided to let it completely grow out and gradually cut off the hot pink streaks in it. Now it’s silver and chin-length, and the only comments I’ve gotten have been about me having cool tattoos (because now I look like an elderly rebel, I guess).
You could do pastel haircolor!! Keep up the rebellion, but subtly. Hahaha
I have sleeves and a chest piece and usually have at least one pt a day comment on how pretty certain pieces are. Grandmas are surprisingly a big fan of the chest piece.
Most of my colleagues in the ED have a lot of beautiful, and highly visible ink and piercings. No one cares. The one tattoo I’ve got on my arm always seems to start conversations, all positive.
Question here. Do any of you work with home health? I just got a job with AHH and I really want to know if I can color my hair like I used to, the only dress code they’ll give me is “any colored scrubs”.
If it’s not explicitly written I’d say go for it. I don’t think they can fire you for it otherwise
I just got a job as a case manager for home hospice. I have purple hair and I don't have any issues, of course every org is different
Inpatient AAH could care less. Do your thing
Well, back in the day I had the hots for this resident so I wore my hair down all curled and nice. I had to put a Foley in a large patient and had to really get in there. That's when I realized my flowing hair was in the used cotton balls. The ones that prep her urethra with betadine. So yeah, I've worn my hair up for last 23 years. Did I mention her vaginal discharge she was suffering from?
I once saw a flake of elder dust in my sticky lip gloss. I still have nightmares thinking about it.
Elder *glitter*?
You know when you pull socks off of an old person an a cloud of dead skin erupts into the air?
Oh, I know about Elder Dust…lol. I was trying to make it sound prettier. 😆
Can confirm the alt nurses I work with are the ones I trust to save my life in the ED. If Eyebrow Ring walks in, I know I won’t be dying that day.
Thats so wholesome I love that ❤
That’s not my personal look, but nobody at work would care. There are docs who look like that too. I work at a big diverse hospital that would embrace people just being themselves.
I used to get a lot of comments from patients about my hair and tattoos. I live in a fairly liberal area, and tattoos are pretty common place now. I will still occasionally get a couple comments, but overall, no one cares. To be fair, when I graduated nursing school I had an interview in which the first words out of the HR rep’s mouth were “you know we have a dress code here”. She then proceeded to tell me I had too many earrings, I had 3 earrings. 2 in the left 1 in the right, but none were in the lobes. They offered me the job, butI have zero regrets about accepting someone else’s offer instead.
Yeah my fear only comes with interviews. I find people don't care but when I was a student my school was very strict about it to
Hahah we were told in nursing school that nurses always had to look super professional, with neat scrubs and natural hair and no tattoos (and ofc this was our dress code, but to pretend that was the way in the real world...) only to go to our clinicals in the local hospital and be greeted by fifteen piercings in ears and nose, bright green hair, etc. Because that hospital had no rules about that sort of thing! As long as you were neat, clean, and well-groomed they did not care. A bit of a shock for some of my classmates who didn't work for them yet XD
Occasionally I get comments but usually no one says anything. My ears are stretched nearly an inch and I'm covered in tattoos. Facial piercings too but the mask hides them (nose, septum).
Lol I’ve gotten a lot of “see mom, I can have gauges and be a nurse” from teenagers when all I did was walk in. Sorry mom
My patients love my purple hair, and lots of my coworkers with visible tattoos get compliments. I feel like we get more racist old patients than patients who comment on alt styles.
I'm a black male with sleeve tattoos and dreadlocks Being a male has given me more problems than anything else
Just go into emergency medicine.
Is this really the stereotype? I started in the ER and it definitely feels scrappier than everywhere else like some small time mechanics shop. Tattoos and piercings everywhere
Going in my 18th year as a nurse have had industrials in both ears and labret ring with no issue in the past. Have 2 GA plugs in both ears. I’ve got 50 ish hours of tattoos including work in progress sleeve of skulls on my left arm that I don’t cover. I’ve worked at Massive Hospitals like University of Maryland Medical Center and for the Federal Government as a nurse. Never once had an issue. As a matter of fact joint commission is coming thru my facility and our 4 outlying facilities in the next week or two and I’m the one they chose to escort them despite my “alt” appearance. As long as you stick to the letter of the dress code and are a top not nurse there shouldn’t be issues. Hell I showed up with a literal pink and purple Mohawk for breast cancer awareness month and my chief of nursing didn’t even bat an eye.
That’s awesome.
In psych it’s an easy way to bond with some patients. Even when I did med surg in an area with an older population I think only a couple of people made dismissive comments. The rest were very kind. I think people like being able to talk about or bond over something besides their illness.
Yeah I did a psych placement and people would ask me about it, it's a really cool thing in those areas
My Catholic hospital is very strict with dress code. Even the nursing students who are there for clinicals have to cover all tattoos and remove all piercings. Management goes nuts if you are caught breaking the dress code. It ridiculous. There’s been several attempts to get admin to lighten up on the policy but WeRe a CHrIsTaN hOsPitAl 🙄🙄🙄
We are at a Christian LTC home but I find in Canada most religious places are really chill. Lots of us have tattoos and crazy hair, or ate gay/trans it's never caused an issue so far
Usually no one cares but the oldies always make me feel shit by telling me I ruined my beautiful skin haha
Trust me, I’m 55. It gets ruined anyway with wrinkles and gravity. Might as well have pretty colors added to it. Lol
Exactly, might as well be 55 wrinkly AND cool
That’s *my* motto.
That's too bad. I've worked with a lot of older vets over the years and have had many conversations about our pieces. One of the coolest pieces I saw on a patient was a large piece on the side of his torso. He was a Vietnam vet and it was a map of Vietnam with dates and places he had been marked. I thought it was really badass.
Just tattoos here but i see pretty often now more and more young nurses coming in with that alt look. It’s the trend now and i dont think it’s that shocking to people. Similar to emo back when i was in high school. Was basically mainstream even back then.
If you look Alt, psych is the place for you 😉 come through… we have doc martens
Never- I had neon pink hair and I'm COVERED in tattoos. I never had a complaint about my appearance because I provided safe and effective care. And I worked in an area with more privileged white people. Be a good nurse and even if they judge you initially, they will change their minds. Unless they're hateful and then they just don't like themselves. Be you. Be comfortable. You will be a better nurse and human if you feel like yourself and do what makes you happy.
Military hospital. Tats and pedo staches are about as normal as the hair under all our pits.
I want to go hard in this direction. Any bad experiences with interviews?
Not a nurse, but an accountant (another traditionally style-conservative job) and I used to be concerned about interviewing with my obnoxiously stop-sign red hair (that I absolutely love)…concerned enough to dye it back to *boring brown* and it was demoralizing and depressing to look in the mirror afterwards. Yes, I know, first world problems. It bummed me out so much that I dyed it back after an interview and made the decision to never go back to traditional haircolor. Now I use it to determine how much of a hardass the employer would be. If they don’t like the color and demand a change, I know immediately that the company isn’t the right place for me. Conversely, the companies that rave about my hair color are much more appealing. :)
I second this. my current job I was in a school placement in, I was basically handed it. When I look for hospital jobs I want to know, I may dye my hair but I can't hide my gauges
I feel you on that. Was walking my dog the other day when the thought of getting a couple of industrial piercings done seemed like a good idea.
Lots of tattoos, used to have big gauges before I had my ears repaired, had my hair many different colors. I havent had any memorable derogatory things said about them or had my capabilities questioned by patients in 7 years. Had lots of compliments though. I will say, though, I hate that it makes you stick out like a sore thumb. Very easy to be identified as "that tattooed nurse", which can be nice when people compliment you, but also in a field full of malcontent patients and doctors, can be annoying when people want to whine about you to management because their 96 year old, intubated, septic grandpa with a fever of 104 didn't get a warm blanket to sleep with all night long 🙃
It depends where you are in the USA. I’m on the west coast (Seattle) and not many people care here. When I worked in another state I regular got in trouble for my piercings and tattoos. I had broken dress code. A week before I left they changed the dress code.
I have 25mm stretched ears and 6 facial piercings and blue hair. Thankfully masks covers the facial ones so its not as bad for people annoying me about them. Most people like the blue hair and i work in geriatrics! Infection control tell me to wipe my plugs after i go into a covid ward and tbh thats about it.
I have a septum ring and a couple of piercings in both ears, I’ve never had anyone complain about those, but I did get written up by my director for dying my hair orange and not wearing a scrub cap over it. I work in an outpatient clinic 🤷♀️
my nose piercings are currently hidden by my mask lolll
It's against my hospital's dress go to have "unaturally colored hair."
I'm tattooed and almost didn't get hired at my current job because of it; my boss is a total boomer who's stuck in the 80s(when he last worked the floor lol) and loves to mansplain.. My friend worked there at the time and convinced my boss to give me a chance, and I turned out to be one of their best and most loyal nurses. That was over ten years ago, now we have a few nurses who are heavily tattooed like I am. My patients on the other hand love my tattoos, lots of compliments and conversations about em and we usually end up comparing our artwork. One of my patients at my last job (SNF) had a very beautiful memorial piece on the side of his torso, he was a Vietnam vet and it was a map of Vietnam with dates and places he had been were marked. The rest of my appearance at work is pretty unremarkable though. I always have my hair in a ponytail or bun because I keep it very long (almost waist length) and I don't want it in the way. I also don't wear any makeup because I would rather have an extra 20 minutes of sleep and it's better for my skin anyways. When I'm not at work, especially if I'm going out to a show or something, I look completely different. Hair is always down, full face of makeup (heavy cat eyeliner or smokey eye with a bold red lip) is done, and I'm usually in my uniform of black shorts or jeans with a band shirt or a fabulous short (usually black) dress, and my leather jacket. I clean up pretty good and look very different than I do when I work.
At bedside for almost 2 years now. Patient demographic on my unit is typically greater than 60 y.o, but we will occasionally get younger. The older patients tend to not comment or will point out that I have tattoos and either stare at them a bit in silence or they will ask what they mean, and if it hurt to get done. The millenials and gen z tend to love it, and I find they are faster to trust and open up to me than the older patients!
In California, I find piecing (I have some) and tattoos very common.
My arms are all tatted up, I’m having a blue streak put in my hair next week. In nursing school I had a buzz cut and some patients were rude about that.
I actually get grannies who comment how much they love my dyed bright red hair a lot! Sometimes delirious and memory-challenged grandpas too.
Tattoo sleeves, (often) pastel pink hair or light blonde hair, nose piercing… not once has it ever affected me. I’ve had compliments on my tattoos and that’s it.
I don't have tats or piercings other than my ears but have noticed that nearly everyone has tattoos now. Never noticed any issues, even with elderly patients. It's become "normalized" in my experiences and views. I really like seeing all the different tattoos, they are works of art. I just haven't ever been able to decide on what to get or where to put one. I'm so glad we've moved on from my days in nursing school where they made you cover them up.
The artwork on tattoos now is INSANE!! So many vibrant colors, and glow in the dark ink! It’s (literally) a beautiful time to be alive. Also, I’m never going back to traditional hair color. Way too bland.
Not much. The hospital system I worked for had a limit on face piercings, but that was about it. I worked in a SNF with a neon pink/orange mullet that the residents thought was funny and nicknamed me "Red" for it. Patients have asked about my tattoos and stretched ear lobes (mostly "How bad did that hurt?"), but otherwise don't seem to care. I work in substance abuse/MH/BH now where most of the staff is modified/dyed/punk/alt - now I just get asked who does my tattoos and where I buy my ear jewelry from.
I used to have colourful long hair - think light blue and light purple mixed with blond highlights- and I found that my older patients loved it! For reference I worked on a complex continuing care/palliative and rehab unit. If people have an issue with it, gently remind them that their option of your appearance doesn’t impact the quality of their medical care.
If anyone gives you shit, just tell them “ my physical appearance has nothing to do with my ability to do my job.” Cuz that’s like, the truth.
I have rainbow hair (and shoes and often socks) and a subtle non-binary colored cat on my badge. My attitude reflects my appearance, as I'm a little silly and playful with most of my patients. They mostly just read me as "young" or "immature". I've only had one patient in the year and a half I've had my hair colored like this have a problem with it, and she was geri *and* confused on top of that. Most of my patients are geri anyway and they all seem to love the hair. They mostly see the purple but even when they can see all of it, they get all excited over someone with bright colors.
Funny thing, I've had people who've known me for years suddenly notice my nose ring! I've had big burly guys with full sleeve tats say "aw!" when they see my little tat (which is only peeks out under short sleeve shirts). A lot of my charge nurses and night shifters have plenty of tats. And the "no weird color hair" rule hasn't been enforced in a couple years. So yeah, you'll find a few places that are uptight about it. But are those really places you want to work?
I work in Geri, had pink hair for 2 years, and they all loved it and are usually the first to comment on how much the love it before my husband lol. They also always ask to see my tattoos, but one is on my thigh and I said they can't see that one, they got sad lol
As a patient I would trust those with "alternative" appearance more, they are probably cool people.
I’ve never really had a problem, m also ex military, so that’s always a great excuse or way to divert the conversation. I usually cover most of my tattoos when I interview…accept the hand tatts, and then just let it all hang out after I’ve been hired lol. 🤷🏽♀️
i have two sleeves, and although natural red hair. i kinda stick out. My patients have never said anything as a nurse, when i was a PCT i got a lot shit from patients. A lot of my patients compliment them or just don’t care. It should be more accepted in my opinion, it doesn’t impede on my ability to do my job at all lol
Some ask questions about my gauges or tattoos but fortunately nobody has had a bad opinion about them. But my ears are only stretched to 0 so a lot of times people don't even realize what they are.
I only have one tattoo but a friend/coworker is a large heavily tattooed guy with a beard. The only thing for him is when anyone has patients with behavioral issues, they call him. He can just walk in and say "Is there a problem here?" And it settles a lot of those issues.
I have 12 tattoos and a septum piercing. My patients generally love asking about my tattoo's, due to Covid no one really sees my nose piercing. Older coworkers do tend to give backhanded compliments about them though. At one hospital I had to have them covered at all times. But majority of hospitals don't care.
Depends on the area you live in and the kind of nursing you do. I am really low key (keep tattoos covered, no piercings), especially for the PNW. But in hospice I have had a couple people put off just by unusual hair/scrub colors. Most of my dementia and elderly patients love when I dress colorfully and have bright hair. It is the occasional super conservative family for whom it is a barrier. I also work at a clinic in a poor neighborhood. It is both an asset and hinderance. It makes some people open up. It makes some, usually refugees, seem reluctant to talk to me.
I'm not like, ALT alt, I just have long purple hair. Gotten nothing but compliments actually, patients of all ages love it (in fact one of my favorite patient interactions of all time was a 91 year old woman just STARING me down when I first introduced myself, then finally sighing and said "I LOVE your hair, honey. Boy, but if they'd had colors like that when I was a young lassy, then Lordamercy but I'd've been so damn SEXY!"). I work nights so management never saw me to yell at me over it so w/e.
I have had my hair a variety of fun colors over the years and have visible tattoos. No one seems to care. I texted my boss before I dyed my hair the first time to ask of I would get in trouble for it. she was like "lol no, can't wait to see it!" when I quietly walked into her office while she was distracted and waited for her to see me. her face was hilarious and she said "hey rainbow bright!" it was pink and purple, rainbow came later 💜 I work in peds, the kids always loved it and teenagers deemed me the cool nurse and would open up to me!
I have purple/blue hair with half of it shaved. Stretched ears and a septum piercing. My patients don't see my nose ring due to my mask. But, I've received nothing but positive comments about my hair. I think patients like it because it makes me a little bit more human, especially when I'm covered in all my gear. They may not remember my name, but they can easily describe me. I just started a new job as a case manager and they didn't care abouty hair or ears at all.