Tattoos in ems

[HotelCo]

Well, I better put in my $.02 on the original topic, before this thread gets locked.

I have no problems with tattoos in EMS, as long as they are covered. If they can't be covered, sorry... I wouldn't hire you.

 

[HNcorpsman]

good stuff... i agree

 

[Sasha]

Im waiting on someone to come back with a study or a comparison of the cheeseburger to the Big Mac tand how one is safer than the other... and than for someone to say I dont know anything about McDonalds to make those comments.

I actually eat at McDonalds at least once a week.

 

[Ridryder911]

Im waiting on someone to come back with a study or a comparison of the cheeseburger to the Big Mac tand how one is safer than the other... and than for someone to say I dont know anything about McDonalds to make those comments.

Unfortunately, even those in the professional level at McDonald's have a higher education than most Paramedics... Definitely the ugly head of lack of education is popping through. Lack of microbiology and understanding the difference in disease processes is quite evident. Having a tattoo is irrelevant in this discussion. I could care less if their back was one ink blot.. just where the public can see. Remember, you are not representing yourself, your representing the company.

It is a shame though to read posts, especially those posted in a healthcare forum that demonstrates ignorance on public health, vaccines and just even basic bio hazard and transmission of general public diseases. Really, it's embarrassing that our profession lacks so much general knowledge and education in basic health care.

R/r 911

 

[Smash]

Well, I better put in my $.02 on the original topic, before this thread gets locked.

I have no problems with tattoos in EMS, as long as they are covered. If they can't be covered, sorry... I wouldn't hire you.

Ok, hypothetical time. You are running your service and need to hire a new medic. You get 2 applicants: me and another medic.

The other medic is a nice cleancut young man with no tattoos, 21 years old and fresh out of medic school.

I am... older than that, have 11 years as a medic, a Bachelors degree in Health Science, a Masters in education, a Masters in epidemiology and work part time for a highly regarded university teaching in nursing and paramedicine courses. I also have a tattoo of a bird on the inside of my wrist that can't be covered up.

Who would you prefer to hire?

 

[HotelCo]

Ok, hypothetical time. You are running your service and need to hire a new medic. You get 2 applicants: me and another medic.

The other medic is a nice cleancut young man with no tattoos, 21 years old and fresh out of medic school.

I am... older than that, have 11 years as a medic, a Bachelors degree in Health Science, a Masters in education, a Masters in epidemiology and work part time for a highly regarded university teaching in nursing and paramedicine courses. I also have a tattoo of a bird on the inside of my wrist that can't be covered up.

Who would you prefer to hire?

That tattoo can be hidden. Wearing a watch or wearing a long sleeve shirt should cover that up. I was referring more to the face/neck tattoos and whatever other places you can think of that can't be covered.

 

[Sasha]

That tattoo can be hidden. Wearing a watch or wearing a long sleeve shirt should cover that up. I was referring more to the face/neck tattoos and whatever other places you can think of that can't be covered.

Or a sweatband or bandaid on the wrist.

 

[medic417]

Ok, hypothetical time. You are running your service and need to hire a new medic. You get 2 applicants: me and another medic.

The other medic is a nice cleancut young man with no tattoos, 21 years old and fresh out of medic school.

I am... older than that, have 11 years as a medic, a Bachelors degree in Health Science, a Masters in education, a Masters in epidemiology and work part time for a highly regarded university teaching in nursing and paramedicine courses. I also have a tattoo of a bird on the inside of my wrist that can't be covered up.

Who would you prefer to hire?

Number 1 inside wrist it could be covered, but to feed your argument here goes.

I'd hire the new medic. No bad habits to break. Would still understand more to be learned. Showed respect by showing up clean cut.

 

[Smash]

Number 1 inside wrist it could be covered, but to feed your argument here goes.

I'd hire the new medic. No bad habits to break. Would still understand more to be learned. Showed respect by showing up clean cut.

Oooooookay...

Aside from the fact that I never said that I wasn't showing up cleancut (in fact I always wear a suit and tie to interviews of any sort), and ignoring the spurious argument that the new medic would understand that more is to be learned (and believe me, that is not often the case!) and the equally absurd argument that I have 'bad habits' to break... and ignoring your sig that clearly holds education to be paramount...

You would prefer to take an essentially uneducated and defintiely unexperienced young man than the experienced medic with more degrees and advanced degrees than most people in this industry will ever hold, simply because of a tattoo.

So essentially, image is more important than having medics on the street who not only know what to do, but how and why to do it and also how to pass that knowledge on to other EMTs.

Fair enough.

I have to say I am increasingly hapy to work for the service I do that values knowledge, ability, experience, attitude and so forth more than whether their medics have some art on them.

 

[DrankTheKoolaid]

re

Just me personally, I rather have a boring life than no life or to later have Kaposi's sarcoma, or have to take interferon injections and have s/s of severe flu for weeks and see your liver slowly disintegrate.. yeah, call me boring..

R/r 911

As someone that has a full back piece and both chest guards completed as i work on my traditional Japanese body suit i really have to say this.

It's beats being old and lying around dying of nothing, were all going to go sometimes so we might as well live life the way we want to as we don't get another chance at it.

 

[ResTech]

Rid... I was mainly instigating 3/4 of this entire thread! chill out... where has the "lack of education" been shown in this thread? I been poking fun cause half of you are so freak'n (cant say the word of choice) uptight its ridiculous.

 

[medic417]

Rid... I was mainly instigating 3/4 of this entire thread! chill out... where has the "lack of education" been shown in this thread? I been poking fun cause half of you are so freak'n (cant say the word of choice) uptight its ridiculous.

 

[Shishkabob]

Here's something I find funny.


People of my generation were raised to tolerate all differences. We were taught this *usually* from our parents.


But now that we're exiting college and entering the workforce, having somewhat practiced tolerance for 20+ years, we are being un-tolerated by the very same people who taught it to us when we enter the workforce, citing some things as "unprofessional".



People my age really don't care too much about certain things. If someone has a piercing, male or female, so be it. Yes, there are lines (if you get picked up by a magnet... too much), but we don't instantly say "UNPROFESSIONAL for a guy to have a tongue ring!". Yes, you should remove piercings when going to an interview, but the mere fact that a guy has one on his face, or a girl has more then her ears, should not be an instant disqualification in the "professional" arena.


Tattoos? Yea, there are exception. I don't want to see Casper the friendly ghost saying "Up yours". But I don't look down on someone who's helping me in Best Buy because they have a tribal on their wrist. Yea, it could be covered, but again, to instantly remove them from the running for a job is stupid, so long as the tattoo isn't inappropriate.







My experience? I had ear pierced in 5th grade, took it out in 6th, and have never gotten a tattoo, but I hire people that do.

 

[marineman]

You're right, I don't mind the guy at best buy having a tattoo however there's a difference in who I'll trust to pick out my TV and who I'll trust my life with. I don't think best buy and EMS are really striving for the same level of professionalism (or should be, right now best buy is probably more professional). I personally have no problem with a well thought out meaningful tattoo however I am not your patient. Many of our patients are much older and were raised in a generation where that was unacceptable. It's not about what you view as acceptable or what you think should be viewed as acceptable it's about the opinion of your patient.

Actually I have a tattoo myself however I have it somewhere that is covered while I'm in uniform.

 

[Shishkabob]

Actually I have a tattoo myself however I have it somewhere that is covered while I'm in uniform.

Lower back?

 

[HNcorpsman]

not cool... but it was funny

 

[Seaglass]

And that makes it every more dangerous. Read a little about the number of kids killed due to mistaken identity. Be glad you don't live in a city or work in a busy ED where you will see patients from many parts of that city become a patient or fatality due to gang violence. In the 30 years I've worked as a Paramedic (and RRT), I can't even begin to tell you the number of dead gang members or mistaken gang members under the age of 18 I have seen over the years.

Urban high school graduate here. I don't need to read about gang violence; I've seen plenty. Not all of the places I've lived and worked have been rural or safe...

And yeah, a friend of mine got hep C after a tattoo. She and her friend shared a needle in some sort of bizarre 'blood sisters' thing. Any reputable tattoo place would never allow that. None of the inked people I know who went to places that use fresh needles and autoclaves got anything. Screening is always a good idea, but it's quite possible to get a tattoo at a place where the risk of infection is very low.