Hi Everyone..i found this site looking for information on artifical nails and nurses.So,iam a brand new member.
I do home health and have had artifical nails on for 18yrs .Dec.30th i was told i was to take them off...so i contacted a nail tech and told her my situation and she (as well as one other salon) told me they were putting a gel(like a hard nail polish) over many of the nurses who had to take their nails off....so this is what i did.
On Jan.11th while talking to one of my supervisors about some paperwork,,i was reminded i had to take my nails off,,i said these are my own nails with a gel hardner over my nails..she said she would have to check that out...i tried to also with infection control but they never called me back.
When i returned to work 2 days later,,instead of telling me what they found out,i was written up,and told i could not work that day and was sent home.Iam very angry :angryfire
I took the gel off,and now my nails are sore ,hands look ugly,i cant peel an orange,scratch..nothing.Iam feeling very helpless and down.
Has anyone else experienced this when taking off their nails and how did you handle it? Are we not able to even have a gel temporarily over our thin weakened nails,,till the new stronger nails appears?
Please help as iam writing a rebuttal to this written warning.Thanks
i work in a veterans hospital and as of march 1st--artificial nails must be removed--an edict from washington--it will apply to all patient care personnel (worker and supervisor alike ) who have even occassional patient contact.i have had art nails for over 20 years, always keep them short,my salons "law" is new sets every 2 months and each client has their own set of files,buffers etc that are kept separate from everyone elses and i have never had trouble with fungus at alll. not even the union could fight the big guys in washington--i will certainly look into all the helpful hints to grow strong nails--and ask my salon what they suggest
I think it's rediculous that any workplace would demand that you change any aspect of the way you groom yourself. Whats next? Get your hair cut? No make-up allowed? I'm sick of hearing that fake nails harbor bacteria! If my fingers are harboring bacteria, shame on me! For goodness sakes! I pride myself on being a clean, well manicured and professional woman. I would NEVER put my patients at risk. I ALWAYS protect my patients by wearing gloves, good handwashing, etc. I think it's time that people focus on something else other than well manicured hands. (Whose hands are probably more well cared for and cleaner than those who do not care about what their hands look like I might add). I'd rather have someone with well manicured nails take care of my family than a nurse with bitten up stubs! Do you think they're clean??? Funny how no one tells nurses who bite their nails that they can't do THAT anymore.
I'm serious when I say that if my place of work demanded that I remove my nails, which I consider to be a personal preference (same as what color I chose my hair to be, etc), I'd have to quit. I'm not in the military, I'm a nurse for goodness sake.
If you claim to NEVER put your patients at risk, them have the lab culture under your acrylic nails and then when you get the results back, then you can act like a primma donna who is indignant of being told to follow rules.
I read an article not too long related to the NICU deaths. Originally, it was thought the arificial nails had caused it, however, according to this article it was traced to a jar of hand lotion by the handwashing station. apparently they figure some hands went into the jar before being washed thus contaminating the jar. i will try and find the article again. I swabbed under my nails during micro many different times and not a single thing grew. some of the swabs from under natural nails was scary. and for those wondering why I had my tongue pierced. in the words of the girl who had her belly button pierced i thought it was cute. I have a pink jewel in mine. i like it. I did not get it to gain attention nor for various sex acts. I have checked with my hubby and he notes no difference.
After going into nursing and looking at the wooleybuggers under the microscope, I don't ever want my nails long again. Just thinking of holding the kids or putting my hand on a sandwich and then into my mouth! oh, i get nauseated thinking about it
Hi Everyone..i found this site looking for information on artifical nails and nurses.So,iam a brand new member.
I do home health and have had artifical nails on for 18yrs .Dec.30th i was told i was to take them off...so i contacted a nail tech and told her my situation and she (as well as one other salon) told me they were putting a gel(like a hard nail polish) over many of the nurses who had to take their nails off....so this is what i did.
On Jan.11th while talking to one of my supervisors about some paperwork,,i was reminded i had to take my nails off,,i said these are my own nails with a gel hardner over my nails..she said she would have to check that out...i tried to also with infection control but they never called me back.
When i returned to work 2 days later,,instead of telling me what they found out,i was written up,and told i could not work that day and was sent home.Iam very angry :angryfire
I took the gel off,and now my nails are sore ,hands look ugly,i cant peel an orange,scratch..nothing.Iam feeling very helpless and down.
Has anyone else experienced this when taking off their nails and how did you handle it? Are we not able to even have a gel temporarily over our thin weakened nails,,till the new stronger nails appears?
Please help as iam writing a rebuttal to this written warning.Thanks
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I look forward to the day when fake nails will be disallowed unanimously in direct patient care. And I think that day IS coming.....but not soon enough.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I read an article not too long related to the NICU deaths. Originally, it was thought the arificial nails had caused it, however, according to this article it was traced to a jar of hand lotion by the handwashing station. apparently they figure some hands went into the jar before being washed thus contaminating the jar. i will try and find the article again. I swabbed under my nails during micro many different times and not a single thing grew. some of the swabs from under natural nails was scary. and for those wondering why I had my tongue pierced. in the words of the girl who had her belly button pierced i thought it was cute. I have a pink jewel in mine. i like it. I did not get it to gain attention nor for various sex acts. I have checked with my hubby and he notes no difference.
kris
hey if you find that article I would love to see it. I had not heard that. And I totally agree with you; potted/jar hand lotion (or anything where multiple people dipping may occur, like candy dishes and popcorn bowls) should NOT be present in patient care,either. EWWWWWWWWWW.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
there IS a way to police infection control issues. And increasing emphasis is placed on this each year that passes. Fake nails? Yes or no? Ah, well, I guess, Time will tell what happens.
Will someone please explain how polish alone causes infection. I would think that if you are using universal precautions and good hand washing technique the chances of spreading an infection would be greatly reduced wether you had long or short, fake or real nails.
smk1, LPN
2,195 Posts
me either.... :uhoh21: