Fake Nails

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I was talking to a friend of mine that is a LPN in LTC and she asked me if I wanted to go to get my nails done and I told her I couldn't because of school and she then sort of snickered and said that its was silly that they dont allow you to have them in school because every nurse she knows has them:icon_roll

I was just curious if you have them or the other nurses in your unit do.

TIA :)

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER.

They made us stop wearing them about 5 years ago. Anyone with direct pt contact cannot have artificial nails or even long natural nails. I work in a hospital.

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Specializes in IMCU.

What about doctors? I have seen some very suspicious nails on doctors.

We aren't allowed nail polish either.

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Specializes in ER.

Nope, no fake nails in my unit. Can you say hello staph infection? Also, if the tools used during a manicure aren't sterilized correctly that is a major risk for infection.

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I haven't had my nails done in yearsssssss since I got a infection(minor) from getting mine done so I have been scared since. At 1st I tried to play it off as just a sore cuticle but realized pretty quickly it wasnt that :( I keep my nails really short and polish free I will say once in a while I do miss how they look though

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ick ick ick! Think of all the germs that get stuck underneath the acrylic! eeew. Those nurses are taking home things like MRSA, acetinobacteria (don't think i spelled that correctly), and VRE. Yuck.

I haven't noticed fake nails where I work (I work PRN at two major hospitals). Hospital policy is if a manager sees you with long nails or fake nails, they'll greet you with a nail clipper. If you refuse, you go home. It is a mattero f infection control. Even if you wash your hands and wear gloves on every pt., you are going to get germs trapped under long nails.

It is selfish of those nurses to have fake nails. they should be less concerned about beauty, and more concerned about not spreading the germs between pts.

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no fake nails allowed where I work if you have direct patient contact

nail polish is allowed as long as it is not chipped

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Local hospital system here banned them. A nurse was spreading bacteria and 'supposedly' they cultivated a bacteria from a sample between here nails and the acrylic that is found primarily in dog feces.

Fact or Fiction? Disgusting either way.

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Specializes in IMCU.
Nope, no fake nails in my unit. Can you say hello staph infection? Also, if the tools used during a manicure aren't sterilized correctly that is a major risk for infection.

Yep...nobody does my nails but me.

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Specializes in CTICU.

It's actually a CDC recommendation, as well as policy at every hospital I've worked at in the last several years.

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Specializes in Case Mgmt, Anesthesia, ICU, ER, Dialysis.

I don't have acryllics, but I do get manicures with a gel coating over the top to make the polish (usually a French mani) last longer. They're short (just beyond the tips) and I dip in both 70% isopropyl alcohol and scrub with a nailbrush soaked in it when I get home. But I don't work on a regular basis - 90% school here - I know that once I go clinicals, full time, even this part of it may have to go. We'll see.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

Hospital policy says NO.

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