#futurenp

I have addressed tattoos in some previous posts and I think my advice still stands. It is your body and you are more than welcome to get any tattoos. However, the medical field is a lot about appearances. We want nurses and doctors that look clean, professional, and competent. These are all snap judgments and unfortunately there is a generational gap and a cultural gap in how tattoos are perceived. I personally know amazing professionals that have meaningful and artistic tattoos and I think of them as personal artwork. However, if you were taking care of my grandmother or one of my more conservative friends/family members they may perceive these as unprofessional or concerning symbols of your personal judgment. It is truly a personal perception. Just be aware that these snap judgments are made and I would encourage you if you do not have a tattoo currently to strongly consider one that could be covered with a watch if necessary. Some hospitals may also have dress codes that directly forbid visible tattoos. There are sleeves and watches that you can use if you already have a visible tattoo and your facility forbids them.

Hello there, 

My name is Alysa (yes, with one ‘S’) and I’m currently working as an emergency department nurse in NYC. I’ve been a working night nurse for about two years and I have plans to move to a critical care unit. I am studying for my Emergency Nurse Certification and hopefully next year, my company will pay for my Trauma Certification courses. Last week I received good news that I was accepted into graduate school, so by 2022, I’ll be an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. Although I am making steps to further advance my career, I am still a novice nurse and I try to learn something new every shift. 

A little bit about my hospital:

I work in a tertiary hospital where we see on average, about 400 patients a day. We are a level one trauma unit, level two Pediatric trauma, Stroke Certified, and have a Cardiac Cath lab on site. The ER is divided into several sections, Critical/Trauma (STEMI, Strokes, Unresponsive, unstable GI bleeds, and traumatic falls, gunshots, and stabbings) Main (stable workups such as abdominal pain, psychiatric/behavioral care, cardiac workups, stable blood transfusions, etc., the bulk of patients we see end up here) Pediatrics/Urgent Care (all children up to 21 years old are seen in this area and outpatient services), and Holding/Observation area (admitted patients that do not have a bed upstairs and patient who need to stay overnight for early morning testing). All nurses take shifts into different sections, none of us are designated in a certain area (i.e. one shift I’ll work in pediatrics, next shift I’ll work in the holding area). Although we do not have a designated trauma team, we all are adept in holding our own during codes. Like all hospitals, there are issues that can be improved, such as adequate staffing, but I enjoy working with these ER nurses.