Demetrius Burns

Vaccine Mandates for Nurses: Where Major U.S. Healthcare Systems Stand

Dec 07 2021

As COVID-19 continues to devastate the lives of millions of people around the world, many healthcare systems in the United States have chosen to mandate vaccines for their nurses and other staff.

Hospitals opting for mandates argue that the vaccines provide the best path to keeping their employees and patients safe amid new spikes in COVID-19 hospitalizations. In other cases, their decision appears to come down to how mandates will affect staffing shortages – a major challenge currently plaguing many health systems.

In early November, 2021, the Biden administration issued an emergency regulation requiring COVID-19 vaccination of all healthcare workers in the country by December 6, 2021. However, this requirement has been legally contested by many states, so the future of this federal mandate remains unclear.

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Vaccine mandate status at U.S. health care systems

DISCLOSURE: COVID-19 vaccination policy is a rapidly evolving topic. We’ve done our best to collect up-to-date information here for some of the largest healthcare systems, but we cannot guarantee accuracy. Contact your employer, local healthcare provider, or local government to be certain of their guidelines.

State	Hospital or Health System	Vaccine Mandate Status	Deadline	Source Link
Mississippi	Forrest General Hospital	Not required		source
Nebraska	Bryan Medical Center	Required	Not listed	source
Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS)	Required	Sept. 21, 2021	source
Pennsylvania	Jefferson University Hospitals	Required	Oct. 15, 2021	source
Pennsylvania	Lancaster General Hospital	Required	Sept 1, 2021	source
Pennsylvania	Lehigh Valley Hospital	Required	Nov. 12, 2021	source
Illinois	Northwestern Memorial Hospital	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Florida	AdventHealth-Orlando	No (paused)	N/A	source
Wisconsin	Advocate Aurora Health	Required	Oct. 15, 2021	source
Arkansas	Arkansas Children’s Hospital	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
Missouri	Ascension St. Louis	Required	Nov. 12, 2021	source
North Carolina	Atrium Health	Required	Nov 30	source
Arizona	Banner Boswell Medical Center	Required	Nov. 1, 2021	source
Texas	Baylor Scott & White Health	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Ohio	Bon Secours Mercy Health	Not required	N/A	source
Colorado	CommonSpirit Health	Required	Nov. 1, 2021	source
Tennessee	HCA Healthcare	Not required	N/A	source
Tennessee	LifePoint Health	Required	Dec. 6, 2021	source
Oklahoma	Mercy Health	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
Washington	Providence Healthcare	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
Illinois	Rush University Medical Center	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Illinois	University of Chicago Medical Center	Required		source
Illinois	Loyola University Medical Center	Required	Sept. 21, 2021	source
Georgia	Emory University Hospital	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Georgia	Emory St. Joseph's Hospital	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Georgia	Piedmont Atlanta Hospital	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Georgia	Northside Hospital Atlanta	Not required	N/A	source
Georgia	Emory University Hospital Midtown	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
South Carolina	MUSC Health-University Medical Center	Required	June 30, 2021	source
South Carolina	McLeod Regional Medical Center	Required	Jan. 4, 2022	source
South Carolina	Spartanburg Medical Center	Required	Jan. 4, 2022	source
South Carolina	Lexington Medical Center	No (paused)	N/A	source
Alabama	University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital	No (paused)	N/A	source
Alabama	Ascension St. Vincent's Birmingham	Not required	N/A	source
Alabama	Ascension Providence Hospital-Mobile	Required	Nov. 12, 2021	source
Alaska	Alaska Native Medical Center	Required	Oct. 15, 2021	source
Alaska	Providence Alaska Medical Center	Required	Oct. 18, 2021	source
Alaska	Alaska Regional Hospital	Not required	N/A	source
Alaska	Bartlett Regional Hospital	Required	Dec. 15, 2021	source
Arizona	Mayo Clinic-Phoenix	Required	Jan. 3, 2022	source
Arizona	Banner-University Medical Center Phoenix	Required	Nov. 1, 2021	source
Arkansas	Washington Regional Medical Center	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Arkansas	UAMS Medical Center	Required	Jan. 4, 2022	source
California	UCLA Medical Center	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
California	Cedars-Sinai Medical Center	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
California	UCSF Medical Center	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
California	Stanford Health Care-Stanford Hospital	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
California	Keck Medical Center of USC	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
Colorado	UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital	Required	Oct. 1. 2021	source
Colorado	UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Colorado	SCL Health St. Joseph Hospital	Required	Nov. 1, 2021	source
Colorado	UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital	Required	Oct. 21, 2021	source
Connecticut	Yale New Haven Hospital	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Connecticut	Hartford Hospital	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
Connecticut	Bridgeport Hospital	Required	Sept. 27, 2021	source
Delaware	ChristianaCare Hospitals	Required	Sept. 21. 2021	source
Delaware	Bayhealth Kent General Hospital	No (paused)	N/A	source
Delaware	Beebe Healthcare-Lewes	No (paused)	N/A	source
District of Columbia	BridgePoint Hospital-Capitol Hill	Required		source
District of Columbia	BridgePoint Hospital-National Harbor	Required		source
District of Columbia	Children's National Hospital	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
District of Columbia	Georgia Washington University Hospital	Required		source
Florida	Mayo-Clinic - Jacksonville	Required	Sept. 17, 2021	source
Florida	UF Health Shands Hospital	Required	Dec. 8, 2021	source
Florida	Tampa General Hospital	Required		source
Florida	Cleveland Clinic-Weston	No (paused)	N/A	source
Hawaii	Queen's Medical Center	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Hawaii	Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
Idaho	St. Luke's Regional Medical Center	Required	Sept. 1, 2021	source
Indiana	Indiana University Health Medical Center	Required	Sept. 1, 2021	source
Indiana	Deaconess Hospital	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Indiana	Ascension St. Vincent Hospital	Required	Nov. 12, 2021	source
Indiana	Community Hospital of Anderson and Madison County	Required	Sept. 15, 2021	source
Indiana	Franciscan Health Indianapolis	Required	Jan. 4, 2022	source
Iowa	University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics	On hold		source
Iowa	MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center	Required	Nov. 12, 2021	source
Iowa	UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's Hospital	Required	Nov. 1, 2021	source
Iowa	UnityPoint Health-Iowa Methodist Medical Center	Required		source
Iowa	Mercy Medical Center-Cedar Rapids	Required	Nov. 15, 2021	source
Kansas	University of Kansas Hospital	Required	Dec. 1, 2021	source
Kansas	Stormont Vail Hospital	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Kansas	Advent Health Shawnee Mission	Suspended		source
Kentucky	St. Elizabeth Healthcare Edgewood -Covington Hospitals	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Kentucky	Baptist Health Lexington	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Kentucky	Baptist Health Louisville	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Kentucky	Norton Healthcare	Required	Sept. 15, 2021	source
Louisiana	Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center	Paused		source
Louisiana	Abbeville General Hospital	Required	Jan. 4, 2022	source
Maine	Maine Medical Center	Required	Oct. 29, 2021	source
Maine	Eastern Maine Medical Center	Required	Oct. 29, 2021	source
Maine	Acadia Hospital	Required	Oct. 29, 2021	source
Maine	Aroostook Medical Center	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Maine	Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center	Required	Oct 29, 2021	source
Maryland	Johns Hopkins Hospital	Required	Sept. 1, 2021	source
Maryland	University of Maryland Medical Center	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Maryland	University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Maryland	Greater Baltimore Medical Center	Required	Sept. 2021	source
Maryland	MedStar Union Memorial Hospital	Required	Nov. 1, 2021	source
Massachusetts	Massachusetts General Hospital-Brigham	Required	Nov. 5, 2021	source
Massacusetts	Brigham and Women's Hospital	Required	Nov. 5, 2021	source
Massachusetts	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Massachusetts	Lahey Hospital and Medical Center	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Massachusetts	Baystate Medical Center	Required	Oct. 2021	source
Michigan	Beaumont Hospital-Royal Oak	Required	Oct. 18, 2021	source
Michigan	University of Michigan Health-Ann Arbor	Required	Feb. 4, 2022	source
Michigan	Beaumont Hospital - Troy	Required	Oct. 18, 2021	source
Michigan	Spectrum Health-Butterworth and Blodgett Campuses	Required with exemptions		source
Minnesota	Mayo Clinic	Required	Jan. 3, 2022	source
Minnesota	CentraCare-St. Cloud Hospital	Required	Dec. 15, 2021	source
Minnesota	Essentia Health-St. Mary's Medical Center	Required	Oct. 1, 2021 - 1st dose; Nov. 1, 2021 - 2nd dose	source
Minnesota	Mercy Hospital-Coon Rapids	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Mississippi	Mississippi Baptist Medical Center	Required	Nov. 1, 2021	source
Mississippi	North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo	Required	Jan. 4, 2022 - 2nd dose	source
Mississippi	St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital	Required	Not given	source
Missouri	Barnes-Jewish Hospital	Required	Sept. 15, 2021	source
Missouri	St. Luke's Hospital of Kansas City	Required	Oct. 30, 2021	source
Missouri	Mercy Hospital St. Louis	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
Missouri	Missouri Baptist Medical Center	Required	Sept. 15, 2021	source
Missouri	St. Luke's Hospital-Chesterfield	Required	Aug. 13, 2021	source
Montana	St. Patrick Hospital	Not required		source
Montana	Advanced Care Hospital of Montana	Not required		source
Montana	Barrett Hospital and Healthcare	Not required		source
Montana	Beartooth Billings Clinic	Not required		source
Montana	Benefis Health System-Great Falls	Not required		source
Nebraska	Nebraska Medicine-Nebraska Medical Center	Required	Not listed	source
Nebraska	Nebraska Methodist Hospital	Required	Not listed	source
Nebraska	Annie Jeffrey Memorial County Health Center	Required	Not listed	source
Nebraska	Antelope Memorial Hospital	Required	Not listed	source

See something that needs correcting? Want to add your employer to the list? Help us stay up-to-date by filling out this form (anonymous).

Does Incredible Health require nurses to be vaccinated?

Incredible Health does not currently request the vaccine status of nurses on our platform. However, nurses should understand that our partnering hospitals, including some listed above, often do require vaccination. Nurses must abide by these policies upon accepting a position with that employer.

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Best Colleges for Nursing Students in Pennsylvania

Dec 01 2021

Nursing Degrees & Schools / Best Schools Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is home to a lot of historical sites and was one of the first colonies. Given that, there are many historical and prestigious schools in the state for nurses to attend. Many nurses have a hard time determining what school to choose when searching. In this post we will provide information to help a nurse make the best decision.

Many of the registered nurses in Pennsylvania want to advance their careers by going back to school to obtain a higher degree. There are many different options for nurses to choose from when it comes to nursing degree types.

Some of the more common degree types are:

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN)
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

However, there are also accelerated degree programs and bridge programs offered to nurse students that can greatly reduce the amount of time spent in school.

Pennsylvania has many options for nurses seeking to advance their careers. Fortunately, we have created a list of the best nursing schools in the state to help make it easier.

In this post we will explore the following:

Our ranking methodology
Top nursing programs in California
Map of schools
How to choose the right nursing program

Our ranking methodology

To capture the best schools in each state, we applied a rigorous formula, isolating five variables that were weighted equally:

Graduation rate
NCLEX pass rate
CCNE accreditation
Programs offered
Tuition costs (based on in-state tuition, attending the maximum number of credits; mandatory fees not included)

Pennsylvania’s top nursing programs

University of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State University
Drexel University
Desales University

1. University of Pennsylvania – Score 86

NCLEX pass rate: 91.11%

Tuition per year: $54,642

The University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, PA and is one of the most prestigious Ivy League in the nation. With approximately 23,000 students enrolled for the Fall 2021 semester, it’s a medium-sized campus. Additionally, the school boasts one of the best graduation rates in the country at 95%, which is impressive considering the school’s size. The undergraduate nursing program is ranked #1 in the nation and the #1 nursing program in the world.

The school offers the following programs for nursing students:

BSN
MSN
DNP for Nurse Anesthetics
PhD
MSN to PhD

2. Pennsylvania State University – Score 74

NCLEX pass rate: 92.42%

Tuition per year: $18,898

Pennsylvania State University is located in Centre County, PA. The school is ranked 57th among national universities according to the U.S. News & World Report best colleges ranking. Their nursing school is ranked 20th by the same publication. The school has about 75,000 students, which allows its staff access to ample research. Now, some students may worry that it’s a bit too big for their taste, and that’s totally acceptable. However, the research component might offset worries about the size.

The school offers the following programs for nursing students:

3. Drexel University – Score 68

NCLEX pass rate: 97.54%

Tuition per year: $54,766

Drexel University is a private research university located in Philadelphia, PA. The school has about 24,000 total students enrolled so it’s a medium-sized school. It incorporated free indoor and outdoor wi-fi for students. The nursing program uses state-of-the-art technology and allows students to have a variety of academic options. Additionally, the school has raised about $2.9 million in external research funds.

The school offers the following programs for nursing students:

4. Desales University – Score 64

NCLEX pass rate: 85.71%

Tuition per year: $39,500

Desales University is a private Catholic university located in Center Valley, PA. The school has a medium-sized student population. Despite the small size, the school offers nurses a wide variety of classes to take. Additionally, the school allows students to take clinicals in the region at very respectable institutions.

Degrees offered:

How to choose the right nursing program

Choosing the right nursing program may feel stressful. The good news is that we’ve provided several factors for you to consider to help make your decision easier. When choosing a school, some of the factors you should consider are location, tuition, NCLEX scores, and programs offered.

Location

This is a major factor for a lot of nursing students when choosing a program to attend. Most nursing programs don’t have online components, so you must select a program that you can easily commute to. The worst thing would be to choose a program that becomes a burden to you simply because it’s too far from your house.

Tuition

Let’s face it: paying for school can be a huge barrier for students. Also, many nurses end up absorbing a massive amount of student debt from their years of college. Additionally, some nurses transition into the field after spending years in another specialty or having another degree from which they’ve already accumulated student debt.

Finding a school that’s both affordable and reputable can seem challenging. Fortunately, you don’t have to jeopardize quality over price. Several of the schools we analyzed were both affordable and highly respected.

NCLEX scores

One of the most critical measures of a nursing program’s credibility is its NCLEX pass rates. The NCLEX test is an examination that measures a potential registered nurse’s aptitude. A good NCLEX pass rate for a school is anything in the 90th percentile and above.

Programs offered

The programs offered at the particular school you want to go to is critically important. You need to make sure that the school you are applying to has the program that you need. There are many different nursing programs offered at various schools. The principal baseline program offered at most universities is the BSN program. However, every person has different needs, and choosing the right program depends on the career track you are interested in.

Graduation Rate

The last factor that you should consider when choosing a nursing program is the graduation rate. A higher graduation rate indicates that the school graduates first-year students within 4-6 years at a greater rate than other schools. Knowing that your school has a proven track record of graduating students on time is crucial.

We retrieved our data from the following locations:

University webpages
The state board of registered nursing if applicable (for example, Pennsylvania Board of Registered Nursing)
The U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing
U.S. News Best Colleges

To calculate the scores for the respective schools, we took the lowest-scoring school from each individual metric, assigned it a 1 and gave the highest score a 10. We then were able to create brackets within that range to place each college in.

After coming up with a score for each school out of ten for their respective metric, we added them up and multiplied them by two to come up with a score out of 100.

Workplace Violence in Healthcare

Oct 12 2021

Workplace violence should never have to characterize anyone’s job experience. Sadly, nurses experience workplace violence to a greater degree than in other fields. According to a 2018 Bureau of Labor Statistics fact sheet on healthcare workplace violence, healthcare workers and social service industries are five times as likely to experience workplace violence than other workers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only amplified this issue for nurses. National Nurses United surveyed 15,000 registered nurses across the country and found that 20% of RN respondents reported increased violence during the pandemic. Fortunately, there have recently been measures to reduce the number of violent incidents.

In this post, we will explore the following:

How does workplace violence manifest itself in the healthcare community?
What are some of the causes of workplace violence?
What’s being done to combat workplace violence?
What are healthcare institutions doing?
What can nurses do to combat workplace violence?

How does workplace violence manifest itself in the healthcare community?

According to a report on violence against healthcare workers by The American Journal of Managed Care, nurses experience workplace violence more than other healthcare workers. The report indicated that 82% of U.S. nurses had been assaulted at one point during their careers. Of that number, 73% believed that the assault was just part of the job.

In a study by the National Institute of Health, the four main types of abuse faced by nurses on the job are:

Shouting or yelling (60% by patients, 35.8% by visitors)
Swearing (53.5% by patients, 24.9% by visitors)
Grabbing (37.8% by patients, 1.1% by visitors)
Scratching or kicking (27.4% by patients, 0.8% by visitors)

Workplace violence happens between co-workers as well. Earlier this year, there was an incident where a nursing assistant in Philadelphia shot and killed another nursing assistant.

In many ways, there’s an epidemic of violence within the healthcare community that’s only increasing. According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, nearly 7 out of 10 emergency physicians believe that emergency department violence is rising.

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What are some of the causes of workplace violence?

Workplace violence stems from a variety of factors. One of the primary reasons why workplace violence happens in the first place comes down to the setting. Hospitals are filled with sickness, pain, and death, which can trigger intense emotions. They may not usually be aggressive, but hospitals become a conduit for their rage.

Given the added stressors of COVID-19, it’s easy to imagine why workplace violence has only risen in recent years.

Another factor for workplace violence occurs when patients are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This can disorient the patient and make them behave in dangerous ways they otherwise might not.

Many patients with dementia can also become violent due to confusion. These aren’t all the causes of workplace violence but are some of the more prevalent causes.

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What’s being done to combat workplace violence?

With the surge of workplace violence, it’s imperative for new policies to be introduced and passed in order to curb these incidents. Efforts have been made with federal and state legislation along with healthcare facilities and nurses.

What kind of federal legislation has been enacted?

With the passing of HR 1195, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, there’s hope for healthcare workers. The bill would employ the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to create a national standard for healthcare and social service employers to develop and incorporate a workplace violence prevention plan.

The law will mandate minimum requirements for the workplace prevention plan. Some of these plans include staffing for patient care and security, violence incident logs, and protection for employees to report workplace violence to their employer and law enforcement.

This bill, which was introduced with bipartisan support, waits in the U.S. Senate for approval.

What kind of state legislation has been enacted?

There are a few states that have attempted to address the epidemic of workplace violence in nursing head-on. For example, Washington, Oregon, California, and Illinois have required public sector employers to design workplace violence prevention programs. Additionally, in Arizona, Ohio, North Carolina, and Florida, there are steep penalties for individuals who assault healthcare workers.

The American Nurses Association’s Workplace Violence webpage has a list that explains what different states have done to protect healthcare workers. For example, some states allow healthcare workers to only use first names on identification badges.

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What are healthcare institutions doing?

Many hospitals have taken steps to reduce workplace violence. However, there is a lot that needs to happen for effective change. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses has issued a statement outlining what hospitals should do to address the issue.

The statement reads as follows:

Educate staff on how to recognize the potential for violence, employ de-escalation techniques, and seek assistance to prevent or respond to violence.

Establish a clear and consistent reporting structure for workplace violence, with specific policies and procedures on reporting violent incidents to law enforcement.

Encourage employees to press charges against persons who assault healthcare workers and support staff who do. Many states have established laws with enhanced penalties for these offenses.

Provide resources and support programs for employees to help them cope with violent incidents.

Evaluate staffing and patient classification systems that could increase or reduce the risk of violence.

Ensure the presence of sufficient security systems, including alarms, emergency response, and available security personnel.

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What can nurses do to combat workplace violence?

The primary way that nurses can deter workplace violence is by reporting. There’s a lot of underreporting that takes place within the field, which leads to more violence. Healthcare workers need to speak up so that violence doesn’t affect other workers. Additionally, nurses can alert their nurse leaders and administration to the following risk factors identified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration:

A lack of training on workplace violence
Understaffing
Providing notice for patients with a history of violence
Inadequate security and mental health personnel
Poorly lit corridors, parking lots, rooms, and other areas
Working alone in a facility or patient’s home
Lack of means of emergency communication

Altogether, nurses should not have to worry about workplace violence when they come to work. The perception that violence is commonplace and is “part of the job description” needs to change. Though much progress has been made, there’s a long way to go in order to help nurses feel safe at work.

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Nonprofit vs. For-profit Hospitals

Sep 21 2021

The two main types of hospitals in the United States are nonprofit and for-profit hospitals. According to the American Hospital Association, 23.9% of community hospitals are for-profit, and 76% are nonprofit.

Nonprofit hospitals are exempt from paying federal income or state and local property taxes. Typically they are owned and affiliated with religious institutions, and the government considers them charities.

On the other hand, for-profit hospitals are owned by investors and do have to pay taxes affiliated with owning a business.

Beyond their tax status, there are other differences between these two types of hospitals that influence decision-making processes and policies of the hospital.

In this article, we will explore the differences in:

Cost
Patients served
Variety of services

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Cost

On average, for-profit hospitals cost more than nonprofit hospitals by about 19%. The reasons for this are varied. However, one of the contributing factors is the difference in technology. For-profit hospitals invest much more in medical technology than nonprofit hospitals. This likely accounts for some of the higher prices.

Patients served

Contrary to what one might think, for-profit hospitals are mainly located in areas with under or uninsured patients, while nonprofit hospitals tend to be situated in wealthier regions. This may be because nonprofit hospitals have to provide uncompensated care. That is, nonprofit hospitals have to write off large debts owed by patients and take on any patient regardless of their ability to pay.

Variety of services

Another difference between nonprofit and for-profit facilities is the range of services offered. Nonprofit hospitals often have to provide drug treatment programs along with psychiatric care. Alternatively, for-profit hospitals tend to invest in facilities that treat expensive conditions such as cardiac issues.

Closing thoughts

The purpose of this article is not to persuade you in any way regarding the best hospital for you to work at or receive care from. There are good nonprofit hospitals and bad nonprofit hospitals, and the same holds true with for-profit hospitals. Although there are differences between nonprofit and for-profit hospitals, the quality of care and the general environment offered by these hospitals are often very similar.

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Can Nurses Have Tattoos and Nose Piercings?

Aug 21 2021

Tattoos and nose piercings formerly symbolized youth rebellion, angst, and even criminal background. Now, there are grandmas with tattoos.

According to a Harris Poll, almost half of millennials and more than a third of Generation X’s population have at least one tattoo.

Therefore, the question isn’t whether nurses have tattoos and piercings. It’s whether they should cover them up.

For years, men rarely walked the hospital corridors in scrubs as nurses. We saw how that changed. Now, will nurses begin to openly show their–literal–colors and piercings within healthcare facilities?

Keep reading for a deeper dig into the subject.

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What Medical Professionals and Patients Say About Tattoos and Piercings

A recent Medscape poll of medical professionals discovered that almost 60% think it’s OK for clinicians to have tattoos. That said, over 60% believe there should be restrictions and 41% believed that tattoos should be covered up by work attire.

Most patients have a mental image of how a nurse should look. According to surveys, patients indicated that they felt nose and lip piercings were affiliated with lower competence and trustworthiness ratings by both patients and medical colleagues.

Regarding tattoos, patients rated tattooed healthcare providers lower than untattooed providers.

However, two things about that data: first, the researchers asked the participants how they felt about these clinicians based on photos. Also, these responses generally reflect regional bias.

In another study, patients received direct medical care from clinicians with tattoos or piercings. Of the participants surveyed, ratings were unaffected by body art.

Additionally, a study of patient preferences at 10 academic medical centers discovered that patients preferred formal physician attire. However, regional differences made a difference. Southerners preferred formal attire over northeasterners.

Potential Benefits Nurses Displaying Body Art

Given the data, it’s hard to come to a definitive conclusion about body art. That said, there are definite benefits and drawbacks to displaying body art as a nurse.

Builds a bridge: When nurses display body art, it can help their patients relate to them. It shows that they are individuals and might put the patient more at ease with the nurse. Given that many patients have tattoos, it could help to have nurses who look like them.
Breaks down stereotypes: As mentioned, many stereotypes exist for people who display tattoos or piercings. By allowing nurses to display tattoos openly, it helps remove the stereotype.
Children sometimes are drawn to tattoos: Often, when children come to hospitals, they are scared and anxious. Seeing a nurse with tattoos and piercings might quiet their anxiety and help divert their attention away from the immediate issue.

Drawbacks to Nurses Having Tattoos and Nose Piercings

Assumed criminal background: As mentioned, years ago, people associated tattoos and piercings with criminals. These days that has changed. However, there are still a lot of people out there who make those associations.
Unhygienic: Some people may look at tattoos and piercings as dirty. Though modern tattooing and piercing are sanitary, people may view them in another light altogether.
Offensive: Some patients might find themselves offended by the presence or nature of the tattoo. For example, if the tattoo displays any nudity or vulgar statements, it could have a negative impact on patients. If you have an offensive tattoo or something that could be perceived that way, it’s best practice to try and conceal it as best you can.

Are There Rules Regarding Tattoos and Piercings?

Currently, body art policies are up to nursing schools and hospitals. Some facilities make you cover up your tattoos with long-sleeved shirts and remove piercings altogether.

Other institutions may allow tattoos, but only on specific areas of the body.

Nursing schools tend to be less lenient when it comes to body art.

What’s Best Practice?

If you’re a nurse considering getting body art, consider the following: location, size and content. For example, when it comes to getting a new tattoo, it’s important to get one that isn’t too large and can’t be covered up if necessary by scrubs.

Additionally, it’s important to pick a location that isn’t too distracting for staff and patients. Places like your face, neck, and hand are potentially bad locations to place a tattoo.

Last, make sure that you get a tattoo that isn’t vulgar or offensive in anyway.

If you already have a tattoo or piercings, consult your nursing school or hospital’s policies to understand better what you should do.

There’s a lot of gray areas when it comes to whether or not nurses can have nose piercings or tattoos. However, things are starting to change, and the pendulum is swinging as the populations’ norms adapt, so do the nursing populations norms and standards.

If you are a nurse with tattoos and a stellar resume, looking to re-locate to a more accepting facility, sign up here!

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Demetrius Burns

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Vaccine mandate status at U.S. health care systems

Does Incredible Health require nurses to be vaccinated?

Get job matches in your area + answers to all your nursing career questions

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Our ranking methodology

1. University of Pennsylvania – Score 86

2. Pennsylvania State University – Score 74

3. Drexel University – Score 68

4. Desales University – Score 64

How to choose the right nursing program

Location

Tuition

NCLEX scores

Programs offered

Graduation Rate

We retrieved our data from the following locations:

How does workplace violence manifest itself in the healthcare community?

What are some of the causes of workplace violence?

What’s being done to combat workplace violence?

What kind of federal legislation has been enacted?

What kind of state legislation has been enacted?

What are healthcare institutions doing?

What can nurses do to combat workplace violence?

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Cost

Patients served

Variety of services

Closing thoughts

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What Medical Professionals and Patients Say About Tattoos and Piercings

Potential Benefits Nurses Displaying Body Art

Drawbacks to Nurses Having Tattoos and Nose Piercings

Are There Rules Regarding Tattoos and Piercings?

What’s Best Practice?

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