EC Paediatrics

Physical appearance impacts personal opinions of others. Extant research concludes that professional dress is positively associated with competence and more informal attire is correlated with compassion and approachability, but not necessarily competence. Academic instructors are also judged by students on their physical dress and appearance. Those who are dressed professionally are rated by their students as more competent, while the professor who dresses more informally is judged to be more compassionate, yet less competent. Other factors that impact physical appearance include weight, visible body piercings, tattoos, and evidence of smoking. There is limited research on how nursing students feel about nursing instructors who are obese, have tattoos or are smokers. It appears that nursing students may hold some of the same prejudices and biases about obesity, tattoos, and smoking that are present in the general public. The objective of this research study examined the impact of nursing instructor’s physical appearance on nursing students’ opinions towards the instructor’s competence. In Las Vegas, Nevada, 255 undergraduate RN nursing students in various semesters of their schooling were surveyed about how they judged an instructor’s competence and ability to be a role model based on their physical appearance. Results were mixed based on the age of the nursing student and each physical factor being surveyed including obesity, visible tattoos, facial piercings, and smoking status. The value of the study is for nursing instructors to gain insight into the impact of their physical appearance upon their own credibility with nursing students.

Keywords: Nursing Faculty; Image of Nursing; Instructor Effectiveness; Obese Professionals; Nurses Who Smoke; Nurses with Tattoos

1. Uttl B., et al. “Meta-Analysis of Faculty’s Teaching Effectiveness: Student Evaluation of Teaching Ratings and Student Learning Are Not Related”. Studies in Educational Evaluation 54 (2017): 22-42.
2. Lukavsky J., et al. “Perceptions of an Instructor: Dress and Students”. Characteristics, Perceptual and Motor Skills 81 (1995): 231-240.
3. Sebastian Oliver., et al. “Fitted: the impact of academics’ attire on students’ evaluations and intentions”. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education3 (2022): 390-410.
4. Wallace C and Wiggins MS. “The effects of teacher appearance on student performance, attitudes, and behaviors”. Journal of Education and Training Studies11 (2017): 40-48.
5. Brausch AM and Strupeck KE. “Exploring the impact of instructor dress on nursing students’ perception of instructor competence”. Nursing Education Perspectives5 (2017): 258-259.
6. Mangum S., et al. “First impressions of the nurse and nursing care”. Journal of Nursing Care Quality5 (1997): 39-47.
7. Willis N., et al. “Appearance of Nurses and Perceived Professionalism”. International Journal of Studies in Nursing3 (2018): 30.
8. Turner AM., et al. “Fiction Versus Reality: Nursing Image as Portrayed by Nursing Career Novels". OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing2 (2019).
9. Hatfield L., et al. “The professional appearance of registered nurses: An integrated review of peer-refereed studies”. The Journal of Nursing Administration2 (2013): 108-112.
10. Hoeve Y., et al. “The nursing profession: public image, self-concept, and professional identity. A Discussion Paper”. Journal of Advanced Nursing2 (2014): 295-309.
11. Tobin S. “How do you look?” American Nurse Today (2006): 38-39.
12. Takase M., et al. “Does public image of nursing matter?” Journal of Professional Nursing4 (2002):196-205.
13. Bringsén Å., et al. “Nursing staff’s experience of appearance issues in various nursing situations”. BMC Nursing1 (2021): 1-204.
14. Brown I and Thompson J. “Primary care nurses’ attitudes, beliefs, and own body size in relation to obesity management”. Journal of Advanced Nursing5 (2007): 535-543.
15. Matherly L and Gardner J. “Professionalism in nursing education: An integrative review”. Nurse Educator2 (2018): 82-87.
16. McGinity AS. “Re-visioning the image of nursing”. Nursing Outlook4 (2021): 526-527.
17. Laving A., et al. “The Impact of Instructor Attire on Student Perceptions of Faculty Credibility and Their Own Resultant Behavior”. American Journal of Business Education6 (2010).
18. Fennell R and Warne T. “A qualitative investigation into student nurses’ experiences of mentors’ appearance”. Journal of Clinical Nursing9-10 (2017): 1413-1421.
19. Jorgenson DO and Weidner AC. “Aesthetic concerns among nurse practitioner students”. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners7 (2017): 384-389.
20. Nurses keep healthy lead as most honest, ethical profession (2017).
21. Gordon S and Nelson S. “An end to angels”. American Journal of Nursing5 (2005): 62-69.
22. Kalisch P and Kalisch B. “Perspectives on improving nursing’s public image”. Nursing Education Perspectives1 (2005): 10-17.
23. “Patient satisfaction: expectations and experiences of nursing care”. Contemporary Nurse 9.3-4 (2000): 275-283.
24. Huston C. “The nursing profession’s historic struggle to increase its power base”. Chapter in Professional issue in nursing: Challenges and opportunities. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer (2017).
25. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult Obesity Facts (2020).
26. Puhl and Brownell K. “Bias, discrimination, and obesity”. Obesity Research12 (2001): 788-805.
27. Poag BJ. “Students’ Attitudes Toward Nursing Faculty Who Smoke”. Journal of Nursing Education (2007).
28. Mujika A., et al. “Health professionals’ personal behaviours hindering health promotion: A study of nurses who smoke”. Journal of Advanced Nursing11 (2017): 2633-2641.
29. Nease B., et al. “Patients' perceptions of care provided by nurses with visible tattoos”. Nursing Management3 (2021): 44-50.
30. Malouin RW. “Public Perceptions of Healthcare Professionals Who Smoke”. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice (2017).
31. Harris JA. “The Social Stigma of Smoking and Its Implications for Tobacco control”. Nicotine and Tobacco Research (2011).
32. Ghisi M. “Smoker Stereotypes and Implicit Anti-Smoker Bias Among Italian Nurses”. Journal of Advanced Nursing (2019).
33. Ferrari JR. “Social Stigma and Smoking: The Effect of Negative Social Labeling on Smoking Identity, Quitting Intentions, and Cessation Outcomes”. Journal of Health Psychology (2014).
34. Prochaska JJ., et al. “Stigma and Smoking: The consequences of Our Good Intentions”. Journal of Clinical Oncology (2018).
35. Johnson TJ. “Patients’ Attitudes and Expectations Regarding Health Care Providers Who Smoke”. Nicotine and Tobacco Research (2013).
36. Smith AL. “Public Attitudes Toward Health Care Providers Who Smoke: A Systematic Review”. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice (2018).
37. Gurvich TA. “Nursing Students’ Attitudes Toward Smoking Among Nursing Instructors and Peers”. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice (2014).
38. Stanek KM. “Nursing Students’ Attitudes Towards Faculty Who Smoke”. Journal of Nursing Education (2001).
39. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (AACN). Fact sheet: Enhancing diversity in the nursing workforce. 2^nd Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education (2019).
40. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS,). National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (2019).
41. Nurses for a Healthier tomorrow (NHT) (2011).