piercings and tattoos

[Aidey]

I'm saying that a fully healed tattoo doesn't pose a risk to the patient like a ring with many crevices does. What is "professional" is a societal construct, while how many bacteria are growing somewhere is concrete.

I see nurses, doctors, other EMS providers, FFs and police officers wearing religious jewelry all the time, so maybe restrictions on it here aren't as strict as they are in other places. Where I used to live the nursing union did squawk loudly when one of the hospitals started requiring that all jewelry be removed. The argument was that it violated the religious rights of some of the nurses because of some of the specifics of their religions (it's a long story; has to do with the religions intrepretation of what a misisonary is or something like that).

I've also been told by a little old lady that it was entierly improper for me to be running around in pants doing men's work, so you never know what is going to set off a patient. I believe it was the first time I was ever really "tsk"ed at. She also spent the whole transport telling me that my place was at home tending children and taking care of my husband. (I'm not married, have no kids btw).

Anyway, the point is that there are many other fields that work with people as closely as EMS providers do that are not as strict as many people think we need to be. Although I'm starting to think that some of the variances are influenced by location in the US and differences in the norm between the areas.

 

[BossyCow]

My issues have nothing to do with "Is ink bad" or "Are tats and piercings a sign of moral turpitude"... My issue is and always has been the attitude of the one wearing it. Too many accompany their body art with a chip on their shoulder the size of Texas. Seriously, I could give a rat's patootie how you choose to decorate yourself. But, when the defense of your decoration takes precedence over your job, and the feelings/sensitivities of others then I really have to question your priorities.

To say that this is the same thing as rascism (a tired argument that has been presented before) is ridiculous. They are not the same, we do not choose our ethnicity. Our racial history is something we are born with, tats and piercings are a choice. Would you be so quick to defend the guy who shows up on calls with a ratty T-shirt, holes in his jeans, unshaven, with bad breath? We all set standards.... by different criteria, but the standards have been set.

Personally I do not believe that EMS is the place to groundbreak social mores. You are fortunate enough to have found an employer who is willing to accept your attitude and your appearance. Many will not. If it is so important to you to be an activist for social change, then realize that this activism will make you less employable in the general public. Further clarification is available in any college level sociology class.

 

[BruceD]

I'm thankful that my service would never allow someone with this narrow minded intolerant view of people to end up in ANY kind of supervisory position. We're big on competence, not appearance.

Such a tired old cliche, when will "narrow minded" & "intolerant" end up in the same stack with calling someone a "nazi" and show that you have already lost your argument a la Godwin's Law

Just because someone disagrees with you does not necessarily mean they are narrow minded nor intolerant, perhaps they have already fully examined the issue to their satisfaction and arrived at an educated decision that they are comfortable with? Maybe, just maybe, they've even found facts that you yourself have not considered, but if you are unwilling to consider this possibility, you are just narrow minded and intolerant of others' beliefs and decisions.

If you want your ems service to look like Dawg bounty hunter or the Car Repo show on Court TV, that is fine and dandy. However, everything I read on this forum seems to indicate a common desire for EMS to become a profession and to gain the respect "that we deserve". For that, there will have to be hard choices, much education, and even some sacrifice. Respect is earned. It is not awarded or given or gifted.

I don't have any problems with body art / piercings, but if it interferes with how a patient interacts with me, it's gotta go.

 

[Ridryder911]

Just remember, for every one that has a tattoo there are two that don't I can hire.

 

[VentMedic]

I'm saying that a fully healed tattoo doesn't pose a risk to the patient like a ring with many crevices does. What is "professional" is a societal construct, while how many bacteria are growing somewhere is concrete.

You have missed the point. Hospitals and EMS do not just cater to those who like to see tatoos. Thus, they must be covered which is also displayed in the pictures of the physician and LEO in RielHalfbreed's post. Unfortunately in the the specialty areas that I mentioned, long sleeves are not allowed unless they are part of a sterile gown for special procedure. I seriously doubt a hospital will put out the cost of one gown per worker for each baby they touch in a shift.

Even wedding rings may be required to be removed for scrubbing between patients and are pinned on the inside of a pocket.

I see nurses, doctors, other EMS providers, FFs and police officers wearing religious jewelry all the time, so maybe restrictions on it here aren't as strict as they are in other places. Where I used to live the nursing union did squawk loudly when one of the hospitals started requiring that all jewelry be removed. The argument was that it violated the religious rights of some of the nurses because of some of the specifics of their religions (it's a long story; has to do with the religions interpretation of what a misisonary is or something like that).

Do you work in an OR, PICU, NICU, SICU or any other specialized area in the hospital? You have made very general comments labeling many medical professionals as you want them to fit in to your own world.

Yes, the nursing unions may have squawked but what they found was those professionals they represent also squawked back in defense of patient care and preserving the image of the profession. It is not unusual for a union to not necessarily have the best interests of the majority of those who pay union dues but must represent a few which is also why it is difficult to get rid of those who don't belong in the profession, tatoos or not.

Healthcare is full of compromises. You either abide by the rules of professionalism of your company and do what is best with the patient in mind or find a place where you can have it your way. If you do not understand why the rules are in place, then maybe you do need to seek other employment.

Healthcare professionals, including doctors, must learn to work with their beliefs and put the patient's needs first and that may also include the special beliefs of the patient. This includes Catholic, Jewish and Jehovah's Witnesses as well as the KKK and Aryan nation.

A doctor who is a Jehovah's Witness and cannot refrain from imposing his/her beliefs about accepting blood on the patient probably won't be working in a trauma center.

Those who are members of the KKK and Aryan nation probably would not consider San Francisco, Miami or NYC to be ideal work environments unless they can put their patient's needs first regardless of their societal or even religious beliefs.

Again, future EMS providers should be introduced to the concept of professional healthcare before they even enter the classroom. Thus it won't be such a surprise when they enter the working world.

 

[rescuepoppy]

While I do have three tattoos they are all on my shoulder so not visible with my shirt on. I do not feel that visible tattoos are professional looking in any health care field. This is due to the fact that I have had some people comment on the fact they give the impression that the wearer does not respect their bodies. While I don't agree with this you can not change the way some people feel. We are going into peoples homes and seeing them at times when they or some one they love are in distress if we have done things to our bodies that they don't like and in turn causes them more distress then we are not doing the best job of taking care of them that we can. I have treated many patients who have tattoos and have found that comment on their ink can at times be a good way to put these patients at ease. However in the case of patients that are opposed to them they can have a negative effect. So while I agree with a person's rights to express their self as they see fit I can also see a services right to hire workers that give off the image they want to have. Having tattoos and piercings is a matter of choice to us as individuals, but who they want to have working for them is a matter of choice for companies.

 

[karaya]

Noticing RielHalfBreed's avatar, it's no wonder why he is so passionate about tattoos.

 

[Aidey]

Vent I think we are comparing two groups that really can't be accurately compared. I have no doubt you are right that many of the specialized wards in hospitals have blanket bans on jewelry and such, but those areas are also much more controlled than your average field profession.

People are picking on EMS in this thread, saying we are unprofessional because we tolerate tattoos and piercings and other professions don't. My point is that I have seen other professionals that are non-EMS sporting the same things. Obviously some segments of these other professions also tolerate these things, or else they are just as unprofessional as we are.

 

[WarDance]

I believe that in order for EMS to be accepted into the medical field there should be more strict rules about appearence. EMS professionals need to look professional. It helps instill confidence in patients. For that reason I believe that jewelry should be minimized, tattoos shouldn't be seen, and hair should be kept neat.

 

[VentMedic]

People are picking on EMS in this thread, saying we are unprofessional because we tolerate tattoos and piercings and other professions don't. My point is that I have seen other professionals that are non-EMS sporting the same things. Obviously some segments of these other professions also tolerate these things, or else they are just as unprofessional as we are.

EMS already has many things to pick on such as low education standards, ease of entry and just hire a warm body mentality. Poor dress and grooming habits just add to the list.

Of course there are other professions that tolerate tattoos but just not that easy to find in the healthcare professions.

And yes there are medical professionals who have tattoos but the majority of them do not flaunt them in the patient care areas. You might also ask these healthcare workers what jobs they may have had to pass up or settle for because of their tattoos.

Trying to justify your own behavior by the actions of a few when there are millions in the healthcare professions who don't approve of that behavior is not a worthy argument.

Visible tattoos and excessive jewelry have not be allowed in any EMS or Flight service that I have been associated with in the past 30 years. If these things had been visibly tolerated, I probably would not have been associated with that service. I also adhere to a high standard of professionalism and prefer to work for agencies that have similar high standards.

 

[Aidey]

I'm not talking about excessive decoration, I was talking about the blanket bans on everything. I agree that excessive anything probably isn't appropriate, but I'm also not a fan of the blanket bans when they are purely in the interest of no offending anyone (because you are never going to be able to please everyone, see my earlier examples on religion etc). I haven't seen anyone with anything that could be considered excessive, but I have seen several nurses in the EDs here that have upper ear piercings, small nose studs and even one or two with an eye brow piercing.

 

[BossyCow]

People are picking on EMS in this thread, saying we are unprofessional because we tolerate tattoos and piercings and other professions don't. My point is that I have seen other professionals that are non-EMS sporting the same things. Obviously some segments of these other professions also tolerate these things, or else they are just as unprofessional as we are.

I don't think anyone is equating tolerance with unprofessionalism. But, putting your desire to make a personal statement with your appearance first does imply a certain amount of egoism when it takes on more importance than the comfort of those you work with or for.

Different workplaces vary in the amount of formality required. Some places allow jeans, others require a suit. Still others uniforms or protective equipment. A workplace has the right to determine its standards and how it chooses to present itself to the public. As long as it is done within legal guidelines. For example, how many ugly waitresses do you see at Hooters?

If you choose to place an extreme appearance as a high priority, you will limit your hireability. Period.

 

[VentMedic]

but I have seen several nurses in the EDs here that have upper ear piercings, small nose studs and even one or two with an eye brow piercing.

Maybe the ED was not their first choice of an area to work. Maybe they made that decision after not being allowed to work in other patient care areas if it meant giving up their body jewelry. It just depends on how bad you want a job and what sacrifices you are willing to make. Unfortunately, tattoos are permanent unless you go through an expensive removal process. If you are getting a tattoo only to make a statement you believe in now, think about it carefully. Someday you may want a position that might require one to dress and groom to a different standard. Do you really believe the hospital will premote the nurses you keep referring to? Do you think they will make nurse manager or education coordinator unless they give up the extra body jewelry?