[tommycher]

[/IMG][/color][/size][/font][size=7][IMG] I also wore acrylics for years, wanted pretty nails, mine have always been weak and easily broken. But, when I got a fungal infection under one nail, and the nail tech wanted to put on a new fake nail and cover it with acrylic, I was grossed out. This was before nursing school. I took off all the "fakeness", started putting cream on my nails daily, and buffing them while I watch TV at night, and I have felt so liberated from the cost and fakeness of it all. I am so proud of my clean nails, I would never resort to being fake again.

[BittyBabyGrower]

Like Gompers, we see some kids that have infections rates...and usually those moms have fake nails! We had one mom that refused to take hers off and her kids had pseudomonas and staph and other heebie jeebies. Finally she decided to take them off and the kid eventually became infection free!

We had a run of post op infections and it was found that the one peds OR nurse had arcrylics. Just takes one.

[JoniL&DRN]

Well I don't know about anyone else but after reading this thread I took my nails right off! I was going to do it anyway for nursing school but I honestly thought that the reasoning behind the rule there was just due to the scratching factor. After hearing all this bacteria discussion I won't risk it... no thanks!

Despite all the flaming that had gone on here .. it has been informative.

[urbancowgirl]

If research shows that fake nails are implicated in spreading deadly infections to our patients, why would anyone who has taken Flo's hippocratic oath of safety choose to wear them? If you are spreading the infections to your patients, what makes you think that your kids and family at home are safe? I don't even wear my scrubs past the garage, let alone even consider wearing fake nails that pick up coolymung everywhere that I go!!! I wear my natural nails a little long, just past the ends of my fingers. I notice crap under them every day, not to mention what might be under my cuticles.
Irregardlesss, the point is evidence based practice and evidence shows that fake nails spread disease!!!

PS, if you have weak nails and want stronger ones, try using a horse hoof product. Horses hooves are made of the same proteins our nails are made of and healthy hooves is paramount to healthy horses. This is not a joke. Drug stores sell a product called 'Hoofmaker'. It is a lotion and if you spread it on your cuticles, you WILL get rock hard nails!!!

[cannoli]

Originally Posted by urbancowgirl

If research shows that fake nails are implicated in spreading deadly infections to our patients, why would anyone who has taken Flo's hippocratic oath of safety choose to wear them? If you are spreading the infections to your patients, what makes you think that your kids and family at home are safe? I don't even wear my scrubs past the garage, let alone even consider wearing fake nails that pick up coolymung everywhere that I go!!! I wear my natural nails a little long, just past the ends of my fingers. I notice crap under them every day, not to mention what might be under my cuticles.
Irregardlesss, the point is evidence based practice and evidence shows that fake nails spread disease!!!

PS, if you have weak nails and want stronger ones, try using a horse hoof product. Horses hooves are made of the same proteins our nails are made of and healthy hooves is paramount to healthy horses. This is not a joke. Drug stores sell a product called 'Hoofmaker'. It is a lotion and if you spread it on your cuticles, you WILL get rock hard nails!!!

I have never worn fake nails, and I have also never taken any kind of oath, Flo's hippocratic or otherwise.

[Marie_LPN, RN]

The horse hoof stuff didn't work for me, but then again, doing 5 minutes scrubs in betadine 8 times a day, then stuffing my hands in rubber gloves doesn't help.

But my nails are clean, dry, short, and bare.

[profjanmc]

I loved my pretty nails, but the evidence had to win. I now have extra money for a massage! ;-)

[jkaee]

Another argument regarding fake nails, that has nothing to do with "cleanliness"....

Just today during report, a nurse who has acrylics was reporting that when she was trying to give a hospice pt. a med rectally (since she could not take anything po), the pill kept on getting stuck in her nail every time she inserted it. So, how many times did she stick her long nailed finger up this poor, dying womans bum? She finally had the aide do it (which is a WHOLE other issue.......yikes!)

I have been a pianist my whole life, so I've never had long nails, and the few times I decided to spluge and get my nails done I've always taken them off within the week because they drive me nuts. Thanks to everyone who posted links to the studies done on this, I never realized that it was that dangerous. I just don't see how one can adequately wipe a poopy bum (their own or anothers) with such long nails, but since I've never really had them, I can't really comment. But I tend to agree with the research on this one.....off with their nails, I say!