Married / engaged nurses...

Nurses General Nursing

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Do you wear your wedding / engagement rings to work? In what setting do you work (hospital, doctor's office, etc)? Newlywed here, just curious!!

I just got married in July, and didn't wear my rings to work on the hospital unit I'd been workng at for 4 years (they all knew I was married, so I didn't care), but I just started a new job at a different hospital, and I almost feel bad not wearing my rings (like I'm betraying my new hubby or something...haha I know that's probably dumb, but I'm just curious how other folks do it). So far, I've been wearing my wedding band and not my engagement ring, and I work on a M/S unit in a hospital.

Specializes in Geriatrics, LTC.

I wear my wedding band and my engagement ring...as far as losing any of my stones from it, it is under my house insurande. As far as work goes I am always careful to be sure it isn't in the position to "catch" any ones skin and I am always sure to wash it good with the antbact soap and /or alcohol gel, and havn't had a problem getting gloves on, other then really small ones, so I carry the appropriate size for me with me.

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Specializes in cardiac med-surg.

yes i do and i take them off as necessary

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I think it's always better to wear your weddign ring / engagement ring to your badge with safety pin ........the only concern is you want the wedding band to be with you.....you cannot take a chance to hurt your patient and can't experiment till you hurt him.Reality is most important than sentiment.........what say????:yeah:

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When I work in L&D, I wear my engagment/wedding ring - they are soldered together and I almost regret that decision now. When I work in NICU, I can't wear rings there d/t infection control. Although it's a little high and a princess cut, I haven't had any problems with gloves tearing it.

If they ever allow rings in NICU, I have found a plain band that matches my ring, and it doesn't cost that much. Of course, the jeweler added that it's really popular with nurses. Could she have gotten that because she saw that I was reading "Nursing Against the Odds" when waiting for my ring to be fixed? :idea:

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Specializes in NICU Level III.

I see nurses wearing huge stones at all the hospitals I've done clinicals at. When I was engaged, I left the ring at home because, just, EW.

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I see nurses wearing huge stones at all the hospitals I've done clinicals at. When I was engaged, I left the ring at home because, just, EW.

I've seen that as well. I think it's unprofessional.

Flame away.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.

I see lots of people wearing their engagement rings on a necklace so they have it with them, but not getting ickies on it.

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Specializes in Birthing Center, Gerontology, LTC, Psych.

I wear an engagment ring. HOWEVER- I do not do patient care at the moment. I currently work in administration. I also wore it when I worked as a Supervisor in Long term care. Again, I had minimal if any patient contact. My job consisted primarily of paperwork, delegating, and troubleshooting-- (IV pumps, etc....)

If I am ever in a position that involves more direct patient care, I think that it is a better habit to get in to just to remove them for work. It's basic nursing.

Fomite-n.

An inanimate object or substance that is capable of transmitting infectious organisms from one individual to another.Now, I realize that you will undoubtedly see many nurses with rings on. That does not make it right. You will also see nurses with FAKE NAILS painted! Is it a big deal? Maybe not. But with the incidence of nosocomial infections, why take a chance?

On another note- we should always strive to look as professional as we can. Nurses always fight for our "professionalism" and the fact that we as nurses are "professional". Well, we need to LOOK professional too.

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Specializes in NICU.

I wear mine, but I'm kind of on the fence about it. My stone is kind of high, but so far it hasn't caught on anything. As far as germs go...I'm really careful about wearing gloves, but I know the risk is there.

I hate to go bare, though--and DH hates it even more ;-). I think he thinks where I work is a lot more fun than it really is, LOL.

I am looking around for something flatter, though.

Not much help here, am I? ;-)

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I wear an engagment ring. HOWEVER- I do not do patient care at the moment.

If I am ever in a position that involves more direct patient care, I think that it is a better habit to get in to just to remove them for work. It's basic nursing.

On another note- we should always strive to look as professional as we can. Nurses always fight for our "professionalism" and the fact that we as nurses are "professional". Well, we need to LOOK professional too.

I totally agree. I spent some years out of nursing because of family commitments and I was quite surprised (horrified, really) at how some nurses present themselves. We, in Australia, have only been educating our nurses at tertiary level for about 20 years (less, in many cases). Part of the reason for the shift from hospital based training to universities is for reasons of 'professionalism'.

Unruly hair, jewellery and nail polish have no place, in my opinion, adorning bedside nurses.

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I do not wear my engagement ring at the hospital I work at and if I was married, I would not wear my wedding band either. I think it is safer from an infection control point of view...plus, I would have to take them out every time I got home and make sure I clean them really well...what a hasle!

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I wear my wedding band only. I think the ring would cause problems when getting gloves on and off.

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