This week on our weekly tweetchat, we will be asking the paramedic community of Twitter to answer the following question:
“How important is your appearance when carrying out your job?”
It’s a contentious issue, and some of you may feel that your personal appearance has no bearing whatsoever on your ability to carry out your duties; you are of course highly-skilled, highly-trained professionals.
But a sense of personal style is important to all of us, and many of us choose to express our individuality with facial hair, piercings makeup, funky hairstyles and tattoos.
Have any of you ever felt that your personal appearance has led to members of the public reacting to you in a certain way - either good or bad? Perhaps their reaction has impacted on your ability to do your job? Have you ever been the victim of abuse because of your appearance, or witnessed it happening to your colleagues?
Do you feel that as ambassadors for the NHS and healthcare profession, ambulance staff ought to return to their ‘military roots’ and their appearance should reflect this. Or maybe your bosses have their own code and company policy which you have to adhere to.
Whatever your personal story or experiences, we would love to hear from you on this subject. We are hoping to generate a lively discussion, so as always, all views - controversial or otherwise - are welcome.
Join us on Thursday night - 8pm BST - for a chat and don’t be shy - send us your pics too! #MedChat