Nurses and tattoos

Ceolcailin

Can nurses in ireland have visible tattoos? Even if they are small?

salacious crumb

I know some nurses that have, but they wouldn't be visible.

I also know a guy who had a job as a hospital porter in St. James' for one day, and the matron told him not to come back because of his tattoos, granted one arm is sleeved.

dinorebel

Nurses and tattoos hmmm sounds like a certain type of late night film.

Ceolcailin

No but seriously. I have a small music note on the inside of my wrist. Could i be a nurse? Or do they prohibit any kind of tattoos regardless of size. Its not like its anything offensive and like its no where near as big as a sleeve

P_1

Nothing legally against them but that doesn't mean a shítbag of a boss won't give you grief about it. Plenty of tattooed folk about in medicine

PickledLime

salacious crumb wrote: »

I know some nurses that have, but they wouldn't be visible.

I also know a guy who had a job as a hospital porter in St. James' for one day, and the matron told him not to come back because of his tattoos, granted one arm is sleeved.

That kind of ****e is ridiculous, it's the 21st century :mad:

Ceolcailin

I know. I absolutely hate the stigma attached with tattoos.

Hellrazer

PickledLime wrote: »

That kind of ****e is ridiculous, it's the 21st century :mad:

Doesn't matter whether its **** or not..its the truth.

Im sleeved.Does it affect my ability to do my job?

Visible tattoos will ruin your chance of getting a job.

The amount of young lads I see these days with their necks tattooed is scary.Some of them are still in school / college.Their chances in an interview are severely lowered with these tattoos.

Its going to be a long long time before employers get over the stigma attached to visible ink.

Ceolcailin

But its tiny and its on the inside of my wrist. A watch covers it. Im a really academic person and do well in exams so will the fact that i have this tattoo really affect my ability to get a job??? It seems ludicrous that it should....

Hellrazer

Ceolcailin wrote: »

But its tiny and its on the inside of my wrist. A watch covers it. Im a really academic person and do well in exams so will the fact that i have this tattoo really affect my ability to get a job??? It seems ludicrous that it should....

You could be Stephen Hawkings with a tattoo and still be discriminated against.

Just cover it in work and you`ll be grand.

Atavan-Halen

It really depends on the employer. Some won't have a problem, others will. I'd just cover it up for any interviews anyway.

P_1

Aye cover it up for the interview. Something that small shouldn't be a problem but you don't want to be giving them any rope to hang you with.

Princess Peach

Maybe ask someone who works in a hospital, or has even been on placement in one? Nurses often have strict uniforms and you won't be wearing a watch in work so it may be harder to cover up than you think.

allym

Because of infection control there's a "bare below the elbow" policy in the vast majority of clinical settings, which would mean you couldn't have a watch on or even any makeup to cover it up. I personally don't know any nurses or medical professionals with visible tattoos (several have ones that are hidden). That's not to say that it's not allowed, I've just never seen anyone with any.

Ceolcailin

Okay thanks for the help!

Adiboo

I've seen nurses in old folks homes with tattoos on their wrists. Perhaps hospitals are more strict though.

FoxyVixen

Wear a wrist band saying that you need it for support. Otherwise wear long sleeves to the interview and you're sound. Then it's all on you to woo them into hiring you

salacious crumb

PickledLime wrote: »

That kind of ****e is ridiculous, it's the 21st century :mad:

Indeed. This happened in the 20th century though, still I was appalled by it.

salacious crumb

Hellrazer wrote: »

Doesn't matter whether its **** or not..its the truth.

Im sleeved.Does it affect my ability to do my job?

Visible tattoos will ruin your chance of getting a job.

The amount of young lads I see these days with their necks tattooed is scary.Some of them are still in school / college.Their chances in an interview are severely lowered with these tattoos.

Its going to be a long long time before employers get over the stigma attached to visible ink.

In fairness, I work for a pretty big organisation and wear tshirts to work every day and never had any problems, some comments, but no problems :pac:

I do tend to stick on a shirt if I have to go to meetings though, but that's just me trying to look more professional.

dodderangler

When I was 16 I had to wear a long sleeve shirt in tescos because with short sleeve my band on my bicep showed slightly.
Nowadays I'm seeing more and more people in jobs with tattoos now and I don't see why its a problem for anywhere.
I do understand that in a hospital nurses and doctors have to show some sort of decorum ( think that's the word)
It's ridiculous though but you have to remember Years and years ago like the 80s early 90s tattoos were shown on thugs alot more than nowadays. So I guess its a trust thing especially with the elderly.
My gf is studying to be a nurse and she has no tattoos yet but she's going to be hiding it when she does get one.

bodice ripper

The wrist is a stupid place to get a first (or second, third) tattoo.

dodderangler

bodice ripper wrote: »

The wrist is a stupid place to get a first (or second, third) tattoo.

It seems to be a place to get a tattoo that means alot.
My mate got one there for his kid. Got the autism symbol. And people get kids names etc

Grab All Association

dinorebel wrote: »

Nurses and tattoos hmmm sounds like a certain type of late night film.

Or a big turn on for a butch lesbian

bodice ripper

dodderangler wrote: »

It seems to be a place to get a tattoo that means alot.

means alot of hassles with employers and regret and aging poorly, sure.

Piriz

Hi OP,

dont worry about it...it will not be seen during an interview and will not bother anyone at work (especially as it is so small) remember nurses and other health care professionals see tattoos on their patients all the time and as such are very used to them...

The Princess Bride

I used to work as a senior staff nurse in a busy unit.Believe me, those days of matrons disciplining their nurses are long, long gone.
A junior nurse once apologised to me coming on duty.She'd forgotten to remove her facial piercing.
I told her unless it was gonna affect the way she cared for her patients, to leave it in.TBH, I hadn't even noticed it.
Not everyone would think like me, however.

I believe that the public has always expected a certain standard of appearance from their nurse, and always will.
Having tattoos shouldn't affect anyone's ability to gain employment.
The truth, however, is that in some areas of employment, it most certainly does.

(Signed- the nurse with the secret tattoo, that her patients will never see. )

thebostoncrab

A close friend of mine works as a psychiatric nurse, she has a tattoo on her wrist and has had no problems with it and her work as far as Im aware

Bum Bum

Snip.

johnayo

Bum Bum wrote: »

Snip.

Yeah Right. You're having a laugh.

Hellrazer

Bum Bum banned!!!!

Killer_banana

I think, as with a lot of fields of employment, it depends on your employer. In most areas of employment the stigma surrounding tattoos is lessening a bit (bar the hospitality industry but that's a whole other conversation) but it does really depend on who you work for. I'd say ask as many nurses as you can to get a general consensus. I can imagine a small wrist tattoo might be alright. A sleeve definitely wouldn't.

tfak85

Hi OP,

I am a midwife and I have palm sized tattoos on the inside of both my wrists. I wore a long sleeved dress to my interview before I started my studies and only once one of my clinical tutors asked me about covering them up. I told her I had no problem doing so, if they could provide me with a clean way to do so - as said already on here there is a bare below the elbow policy and it cannot be done.

I have also got a half sleeve and my new uniforms allow it to peep out but no-one has commented. I've found that the people I look after say nothing unless it's positive, I've never had an issue.

A few other girls in my class had small inner wrist tattoos and I've met newer students with tattoos on their forearms.

Don't worry about it. Do well in your exams and look forward to an exciting career in nursing.

king909

I wouldnt worry one bit about a small tattoo on your wrist. Im a student nurse and a significant number of my classmates have such tattoos or ones on the back of there neck. None have ever had an issue about their tattoos and have never been asked to hide them.

Those in charge of nurses pay more attention to nail polish and excessive amounts of makeup then the odd visible tattoo.

Im a final year student in a big dublin hospital and have spent another 7 years working in a different large dublin hospital. I dont have any visible tattoos myself but i have talked to 100s of nurses with tattoos and none have ever had any issue.

Long answer short you can of course be a nurse with a tattoo. but for your own good id stick away from getting a sleeve done

jms2013

Work in social care sector and have never had an issue being tattooed and I'm half covered. If you want it,go for it.

Laydee

I've worked with many nurses who have tattoos. They feel it is a conversation starter with their patients moreso than anything else. You don't need to attend an interview to get into nursing either and you can always cover it up for any interview you have when you qualify with a suit jacket etc. Best of luck.

ElishaR86

I'm a final year student and I have a tattoo on the inside of my wrist. I also have a large tattoo on my shoulder blade that can be seen through my tunic. Never had anything said about either. A lot of nurses I've seen have visible tattoos and nearly all the porters in the hospital where I work are covered in tattoos. They don't care as long as you can do your job.