Former Marine with Tattoos/ Miami Metro

[Mateo_1387]

Mick, you seem like a quality person. I am not familiar with the Miami area, but I would imagine you could find a job, even with the tattoos. Most places will probably ask you to cover them up, and, if you are willing to do so, then I think you will find that things work out well for you.

Mobey makes a good point that visible tattoos are accepted more today than past years. As such, tattoos should not hold you back, much.

If you find that you are not required to cover up the tattoos, then remember, your demeanor, compassion, and show of respect will comfort your patients more than you scare them with tattoos. I have yet to hear of anyone complain about a tattoo being the reason they received poor service. People bitch about demeanor, disrespect, piss poor attitudes, and the like. Granted, you will probably be judged for your tattoos, but once people see the real qualities about you, the tattoos will mean less.

This is my personal philosophy....keeep in mind I LOVE body art, and have some (non-visible) myself. But I realized that this is not at all about freedom of expression. It is only part about getting accepted as a professional.

It is about medicine. Follow along with me here....

A key point of medicine is patient interaction. It is essential that we are able to subjectively assess our patients. If our patients fear or distrusts us...right or wrong....it interfears with our medical assessment and treatment.

And anything that erects as a barrier to our medical care must be mitigated.

Simple , huh?

Croaker, I follow your thinking, so please do not take this as an attack towards you. I completely understand that if one's goal is to be accepted, then certain things may help or hinder reaching that goal, reasons being right or wrong notwithstanding.

With that being said...

Tattoos along with respect, compassion, confidence, and demeanor are a much better combination to make patient's feel at ease than a combination of no visible tattoos along with showing no respect, no compassion, lack of confidence, and poor demeanor.

Its the folks that constantly interrupt patients, tell patients they are wrong, speak rudely to patients and family, tell patient's what they will and will not do, and the like that makes patient's feel uncomfortable, and scared.

Hell, I'm a young looking guy, and I have seen patients that take a double look at me. I always figure they are thinking 'Oh lord please help me, this young guy will not know what he is doing'. I cannot change that I am young looking, but what I can change is how they perceive me when I open my mouth and by how I treat them. I don't think its the fact that I'm young, or the fact that you may have tattoos which causes poor patient rapport and medical care, but rather how we handle ourselves on the scene.

Matt

[DwayneEMTP]

Hey Mick, Welcome to the City!

Bottom line here brother, 'specially after hearing the way that you represent yourself, is that you're a friggin' Marine! And the whole country loves the Marines.

You're art will not hinder you a bit I believe, as you'll go into most interviews starting out on the top of the list because of your military service. Many things may hinder you getting hired, a terrible driving record, arrests secondary to poor character, etc, but the art won't even touch the fact that you've served your county.

Covering tattoos is so common now that there are several skin colored options for covering sleeves. A new basic we hired has full sleeves yet I didn't have any idea for days, despite the fact that he wears short sleeved shirts. In fact I think, though I'm not sure, that even UnderArmour has a solution for it.

Move forward brother to whatever it is you choose to do...you won't be hindered by such things if you choose not to be.

Thank you for your service.

Dwayne

[TheOldMan]

Firstly, Thank you for your service to our country.

There has been an issue here in WV over a Deputy Sheriff having a tattoo. I posted a link, just some reading.

http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/529293.html

[HERBIE1]

First, thank you for serving our country.

Second, I would take a proactive approach to your body art. In an interview, I would say that you have quite a bit of art, and realize it may make patients, family, or other medical staff uncomfortable. Say you plan on covering them up as much as possible to prevent any potential problems.

Yes, freedom of expression is fine, and in a perfect wold it should not matter, but you also need to think about who your clientele may be. You could be the best provider in the world- compassionate, skilled, empathetic, caring- but some 80 year old grandma will still have preconceived notions about "guys with tats". We are supposed to make our patients more comfortable, not add to their stress, anxiety, or discomfort.

Now if you plan on working in an area filled with young 20 something's, body art and piercings wouldn't even warrant a second look, but you also cannot screen your patients. .

I think you have the right attitude.

Good luck with your job search.

[Reaver]

Pretty the world is evolving were tattoos "pg" are acceptable im a LEO and recently got tattoos on both of my forearms.

[Richard B the EMT]

My girlfriend, "Lady J" has 2 "tats" on her arm, which she voluntarily keeps covered with long sleeves when working as a teacher. She got them after she had been working for several years.

The only problem she had with them was not the schools: it was with me, as I felt that she shouldn't have gotten them. However, our love is stronger than that.

As already stated, check with the agencies you're thinking of applying to, re their stand or handling of tattooed personnel.

I'm still on a "Student Deferment" draft card, issued in the early 1970s, but mom and dad met during WW2 in the Army at Fort Knox, but please accept both my "Garry Owen" and "Semper Fi"!

[MickMarine]

I just want to thank everyone for their constructive criticism, ideas, view points, and nice words. I would like to have thanked you all individually. But, I don't want to jam up the post. I will be taking the EMT- B Course. And, I will eventually be a Paramedic. You all got me charged up and super motivated. Now, I'm ready to play. Thanks.

Sincerely- Mick