Tattoos in ems

[So. IL Medic]

I've commented on this before and will again here. It's absurd to compare tattoos and piercings as an excuse because one feels that should not be a reflection of his or hers outstanding patient care skills. With that mentality, let's just start wearing cutoff jeans, flip flops and wife beater t-shirts while on duty. I see plenty of people attired that way around town, so it should be okay for EMS crews as well. After all, that shouldn't have a bearing on ones so-called outstanding patient care standards?

Of the three emergency services (law enforcement, fire, EMS) EMS has lead the way in consistently lowering its professional appearance standard over the past decade. Fire services is a close second, especially fire services that have EMS. Law enforcement's professional appearance hasn't changed and still rises well above fire and EMS and their professional appearance commands respect. You don't see too many law officers with piercings sticking out of their head, visible tats or uniforms that lower their standard of professional appearance.

Patient skills should never be an excuse for presenting an unprofessional appearance and unfortunately many in the EMS industry fail to realize this costly mistake.

Well stated.

More and more services in my area have instituted a no show tattoo rule along with moving away from informal t-shirt or polo's to uniforms with badge/service identifiers and gee, we saw an improvement in relationships with the hospitals and the communities.

Professional appearance matters if you want to be treated as a professional.

 

[mycrofft]

Perception is important, but content is too.

The type of tattoo is important in that certain gangs and philosophies (e.g., white supremacists) you don't want to get involved with often carry characteristic tattoos, including under the hair on the scalp. Lion, our former Russian cop, can tell you hair raisng stories about tats! (Pun unintended). In fact, if law enforcement is notified about suspicious tats, it could help them protect the patient from potential attackers at ER or after. Lots of crude tatts would raise your index of suspicion for bloodborne disease in the patient, also.

I've seen people wearing tatts for childish rebellion cover them up and take out the piercings after a few months' gainful employment if they make it through probation, while other folks who just wear them continue to, no biggee.

 

[HNcorpsman]

do most EMS agencies give you the option to wear short or long sleeved shirts? my tats would not be visible if i had a long sleeve shirt, but they would with a short sleeve shirt.

 

[atropine]

Tats do not lower the indusrty standard, they can be hidden most of the time need be, how ever how do you hide the 300lb, 5'6 paramedic?, who by the has exceptional patient care, that is more of an issue than tatoo's are.

 

[HNcorpsman]

i was a little confused by your sentence

 

[medic417]

do most EMS agencies give you the option to wear short or long sleeved shirts? my tats would not be visible if i had a long sleeve shirt, but they would with a short sleeve shirt.

It is service by service. One service here only allows short sleeve uniform shirts, but allows long sleeve undershirts. If you have tats that are seen with short sleeves you have to wear a long sleeve undershirt.

 

[HNcorpsman]

haha, i think that would look a little ridiculous...

 

[medic417]

haha, i think that would look a little ridiculous...

I agree. Personally I would like a long sleeve uniform option even though I have no tats.

 

[Sasha]

How would it look ridiculous? Have you not heard of the layered look?

 

[medic417]

How would it look ridiculous? Have you not heard of the layered look?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9nJlXLF06k

 

[Ridryder911]

Just returned from a conference and one of the main discussion was this issue in regards to professionalism. The speaker had pics of a CHP that had a "sleeve" type tattoo and ironically gang member he was arresting had the similar type of designs and without the uniform both would had looked the same.

As the speaker described the CHP officer was actually in violation because the short sleeve and display of his tatt's. That he drew the attention away from the emphasis of his badge and uniform and placed upon himself.

The pendulum is swinging back, as more and more professional requirements that do not allow them to be in view. The shortage does make it easy to pick and choose on whom you want displaying your company's image.

As it was described the first 180 seconds is impression and then the rest is built upon trust; however one has make the first hurdle and that is usually done by the old "judging the book by its cover".

R/r 911

 

[thrilla82]

Tats do not lower the indusrty standard, they can be hidden most of the time need be, how ever how do you hide the 300lb, 5'6 paramedic?, who by the has exceptional patient care, that is more of an issue than tatoo's are.

now this is an intriguing point because it is quite true. i could not tell you how many times ive seen an extremely over weight FF/P step out the back of the rig. some can see this as a double standard. its easy to hide tat's but how do you hide the belly that folds the belt over? just curious on thoughts of this. why the double standard? i thought professionalism also means taking care of ones image, uniform, weight, hair style, ect....

 

[TransportJockey]

I have tats, but not one is visible. I had the common sense to place them appropriately, when I choose to get them. I for one look at a potential employee that has tats on the forearm and piercings in the face, as someone that does not make the best decisions in life.

That's the way my three tats are. I made sure to get them in places where they would be covered in my standard work gear.

 

[medic417]

Just returned from a conference and one of the main discussion was this issue in regards to professionalism. The speaker had pics of a CHP that had a "sleeve" type tattoo and ironically gang member he was arresting had the similar type of designs and without the uniform both would had looked the same.

As the speaker described the CHP officer was actually in violation because the short sleeve and display of his tatt's. That he drew the attention away from the emphasis of his badge and uniform and placed upon himself.

The pendulum is swinging back, as more and more professional requirements that do not allow them to be in view. The shortage does make it easy to pick and choose on whom you want displaying your company's image.

As it was described the first 180 seconds is impression and then the rest is built upon trust; however one has make the first hurdle and that is usually done by the old "judging the book by its cover".

R/r 911

Good information. Thanks.

 

[daedalus]

It is absurd to judge people by tattoos and piercing. It is typical conservative fear mongering at its worst and has absolutely zero to do with patient care ability or professionalism. To say that it is not professional to display body art is unfounded (show me a science that says so). A pierced and tatted paramedic can wear a uniform and have a college degree as anyone else can.

Welcome to the 21st century. There will be a day soon where it will be illegal to base hiring decisions or to discipline employees based on this, and I am a member of various organizations working to write the laws.

 

[medic417]

It is absurd to judge people by tattoos and piercing. It is typical conservative fear mongering at its worst and has absolutely zero to do with patient care ability or professionalism. To say that it is not professional to display body art is unfounded (show me a science that says so). A pierced and tatted paramedic can wear a uniform and have a degree as anyone else can.

Welcome to the 21st century. There will be a day soon where it will be illegal to base hiring decisions or to discipline employees based on this, and I am a member of various organizations working to write the laws.

Theres no way to know that is why you were not hired. Sorry unless laws are made to say X percent must be tattoo and piercing visible. Then we can start having to give bonus points on tests as they were written for people w/o tats etc.

 

[HNcorpsman]

sasha- c'mon know, i layered look? haha

deadalus- when i see someone with tattoos i judge them based on those tattoos, its not my decision, my brain just tells me "hey they have tattoos, therefore they are this type of person" its just human nature... helll i have tattoos... and personally if i owned a EMS service i would also probably not hire them if they had tattoos on their hand or neck or face/scalp... but if it is anywhere, where the tattoo could not be seen while wearing a long sleeved shirt i would allow it, but i would require them to wear a long sleeve shirt and keep the tattoo covered at all times.

 

[Sasha]

sasha- c'mon know, i layered look? haha

The layered look is cute. I often wear 3/4th sleeved black shirt(uniform is black pants) under my uniform shirt because I get cold easily in the hospitals. So wear long sleeves under your uniform and cover your tattoos!

 

[HNcorpsman]

its actually a decent idea, and i guess looking cute aint soo bad... haha...

 

[Sasha]

its actually a decent idea, and i guess looking cute aint soo bad... haha...

To me it's better than seeing a flaming skull, a naked woman, some chinese symbols that probably spell out "I'm cliche and lame" or some gang symbols.