we cannot have acrylic fingernails

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This is my first post on allnurses, and I wasnt sure where to ask this question...Hopefully I dont make anyone mad if its in the wrong spot!

I am a student and at my school we cannot have acrylic fingernails (I feel like this is standard in nursing schools). One of my peers is taking it hard that she had to take hers off when school started. She states that once she graduates, passes the NCLEX and secures a job that she will get her nails back. I feel like getting her nails back is what is keeping her in nursing school.

I was wondering if current nurses could shed some light to me, so maybe I can pass some info along to her or I can just make her stop talking about it because I hear about it on a daily basis.:uhoh3:

Thanks

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I love long nails and glittery polish too, but neither is appropriate at the bedside for the reasons mentioned above.

Years ago when I became a DON in an assisted-living facility, I made a rule that no direct-care personnel were to have fake nails of any kind, and that natural nails were to be kept at 3 mm length or less. The staff didn't like it, but they understood after I spoke with them about the germ issues.....or so I thought until one of my CNAs came in with a brand-new set of acrylics that she'd paid over eighty bucks for, complete with fancy polish and decals. What a stink THAT made when I told her to get them taken off before she could work with the residents! In fact, she refused, and so I gave her a choice: she could either lose the nails and keep the job, or keep the nails and lose the job. She chose the latter. :uhoh3:

I'm not dogmatic about many things, but long nails in nursing is one of them......IMO they are completely incompatible with patient care. Yuck.

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It would take an extremely immature individual to be obsessed with her fingernails while in nursing school. I wonder if she got the word that nurses don't wear high heals, too. Good luck with her.

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I'm glad that others share my opinion on the issue! I feel as though she is into nursing for the pay checks and maybe not so much for being a patients advocate and supporter. This was a good way to vent about the issue.

I do have to say I miss my neon pink nail polish but, I just put it on my toes instead! :)

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Specializes in Operating Room.

It just amazes me the fuss some people put up about NAILS. Be a big girl and get over it. (I'm not aiming this at anyone, just a general statement.) My friend, who is a lovely girl otherwise, was crying to me the other day about having to work so much because her husband got laid off.... then I noticed she had gotten acrylics. We are in the middle of clinicals, and she is CNA at the hospital, not to even mention her money troubles. I don't know how any one has not said anything to her, and I don't know why people would spend $20-$30 for a full set. Just one of those things that boggles my mind.

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Shoot, even people in non hands on patient care roles at my hospital can't wear fake nails. I can't wear them, and I don't touch patients. I can't wear nail polish either. Big no no. She will not be allowed to wear acrylic nails. If she wants to wear them, she needs to find a new career, preferably not in the medical field.

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do u really want all those microorganisms hanging out under your fake nails. going from person to person and then to your home think of it that way. not to mention if you work with older people their skin tears easily.

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The PA at my GP's office has them. YUCK There's just no way you can adequately wash under there every time you wash your hands. I was just imagining all of the crud she had hiding in there and praying she'd put on her gloves so I didn't have to be *rude* (lol) and ask her to glove before she gave me my shot. Eek.

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Maybe you should point out to her all the lovely bacteria and virus that would love to make that surface home....and travel home with her. Espcially some lovely fecal-oral transmitted diseases she could pick up doing patient care. :rolleyes:

Oh and we did the undernail swab too.....point was EVEN with very short nails, and EVEN cleaning as best you can, that IS the biggest place to harbor bacteria on your hands. And by the way, anything that grows fuzzy on media is likely some type of mold.....maybe had a mold spore under nail...maybe was contamination from air

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We were told on our first skills day, we are not allowed nail polish or acrylic/gel nails during class/clinical/or the workforce. Not only is it an obvious breeding ground for bacteria, it looks very unprofessional. Nevermind missing a fake nail or wearing chipped polish. It sends the message that you're not able to take care of yourself, nevermind the pt.

You don't want to be scratching your pts either, or digging your nails into them when you're turning them. Gross. How many people with long nails actually clean out underneath them on a routine basis? Probably not the majority.

We had a similiar discussion today in my communications class about tattoos and piercings. I'm surprised how many students brought up that, as nurses, we have to leave our biases and opinions at the door, and pts should be able to do the same. To me, Its not just a personal opinion, but culture and age related as well. You want to make your pts feel comfortable, if that means having to cover up your tatts, I don't see the big deal.

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Specializes in LTAC, ICU, ER, Informatics.

I'm 1000% in agreement with everyone about this subject, but I'm curious (I'm hopefully in the Spring 2011 class at my local college) I've heard that you can't wear polish at all. My nails are extremely brittle and so I don't wear them long at all, but I almost always have a clear coat of a thickening or strengthening polish on them. Do the programs require that to come off too, or is it only colored polish?

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I'm 1000% in agreement with everyone about this subject, but I'm curious (I'm hopefully in the Spring 2011 class at my local college) I've heard that you can't wear polish at all. My nails are extremely brittle and so I don't wear them long at all, but I almost always have a clear coat of a thickening or strengthening polish on them. Do the programs require that to come off too, or is it only colored polish?

I would check with each of your clinical instructors on this one... It could vary depending on the instructor. they might still have a problem with it because even though it's colorless, just like nailpolish, once it grows out it leaves a gap in the nailbed for bacteria to get in and is hard to clean/wash.

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

Long fingernails are a breeding ground for bacteria and get in the way of the work. Maybe Girlygirl can get her own reality show providing aesthetic care to the stars or something. Check out this article Nurses + Artificial Nails = Bacteria Infusion Nurse Blog

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