Are you allowed to wear your rings

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Starting in July we will no longer be allowed to wear any rings or watches. This is in the NICU, OB, Post-partium, and Level 2 areas.

The thing is that the infectous control people did not fully support this move, there is not conclusive research...but we are doing it even though it is not hospital policy.

Just wanted to know what your areas did.

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In Austraila we have not been able to wear wrist watches for ages,( for the obvious scrub to the elbow wash ) but 3 years ago they banned all rings even wedding bands as they say bacteria breed underneath the rings and most people do not remove their rings every hand wash and dry under them.

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No rings here either. Even without conclusive proof, it''s prbably better safe than sorry.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

We are allowed to wear our wedding bands and watches. Our ID department did a big study on this and found that if you are washing the right way and just move the watch and ring then it is okay.

No bracelets though, unless they are medical ID.

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No wathes here. And no rings but some of us wear simple wedding bands. If you wear a wedding band you have to be WERY careful and wash it well.

I decided to wear mine.

When I started working in NICU I stoped wering my watch all together, I was always forgetting it somewere and now I newer know what time it is!

Bye iceNICUnurse!

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Specializes in NICU.

You must have lots of clocks in your nurseries if you don't wear watches......I find it difficult to look at a clock when I'm checking a baby!

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We are still wearing rings and watches, but we may end up losing them along with nails. Personally, I can't stand to be wet under my rings or watch, so i dry very thoroughly. Don't see how anything can grow there. And I have only the one watch I wear to work, I don't wear it anywhere else, so little chance of picking up anything else.

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No policy here! But even if I wanted to I wouldn't.

I have always worn a lapel watch to work. I can't stand water getting under my wrist watch when I''m at work. It feels like a bacteria factory to me!

;)

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NicuGal...I'm interested in the study, do you have more specifics? What I really wished is that we would do a study, as our nursing practice is supposed to be reseach based.

Mimi2RN...we have discussed this clocks thing in the nursing practice committee..and since all the clocks are not centrally controled (meaning can read different times in emergency situations) we as a hospital decided we would not add more clocks unless the times could be contral at a central location. I found that interesting...only found that out tonight.

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http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5116.pdf

The CDC states in the above report:

"Whether the wearing of rings results in greater transmission of pathogens is unknown. Two studies determined that mean bacterial colony counts on hands after handwashing were similar among persons wearing rings and those not wearing rings."

The report goes on to state that further studies are needed as transmission of infection has not been directly related to the wearing of jewelry. They do however state that artifical and long nails are a problem and should be avoided.

The facility where I work has implemented a policy against artificial and long nails but at this time they do not have a policy on rings.

Still-not a bad idea to remove them. I would hate to contribute to the first documented case...

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no rings....no watches...no nails in our unit....none of that bothers me as much as no WATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....moms can bring in their water but we can't even have a cup of water in the pod....not even a hospital policy...so they say....claim it's a public health policy but have seen no proof...water is water.....does it matter whose drinking it?..anyone got a comment on this?

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Specializes in NICU, PICU,IVT,PedM/S.

No watches, no rings in our unit. For nurses and parents. When I see pictures of preemie being held that is one of the first things I notice. Think about how fragile that 23 weekers skin is....would you want to risk tearing it? Nails?????Think fungus.........

When I attend deliveries I think it is gross that they wear their multi dimond rings and dimond tennis bracelets while they are checking a cervix... gloves are great, but not that great.

We have a cuboard outside each room for water/snacks.

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