Artificial Nails Anyone

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I was wondering your views on artificial nails in the critical care workplace. Should or should they not be allowed in the hospital setting? If so why and if not why?

Thank You for your input!

we as nurses don't wear caps any more d/t them getting caught in lines, etc; with the artificial nails, i am also afraid of injuring patients. i had short artificial nails at one time, but have one or two co-workers with the reaaaly long nails. i just can't see how i would be able to do anything that way. more chance of popping nails, injuring self, others, and leaving myself open to whatever is out there.

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It is actually a JCAHO requirement, not one started by your facility. In order to conply with their rulings, anyone involved in direct patient care should not have artificial nails or even there own nails longer than 1/4".

And I will go as far to say that if I was ever a patient in a hospital, and my nurse came in with artificial nails, it would be reported to administration immediately. And not just the manager on the floor.

That ruling is there for a reason.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

No artificial nails or long nails, or nail polish in our area hospitals. There was an incedent a few years back where a nurse in the NICU had artificial nails and a staph infection, ended up giving one of the infants the infection and the baby died. I agree with the policy due to infection control.

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Specializes in Occ health, Med/surg, ER.

In the IV theory book used my the school I'm attending, it states that 12 neonatal deaths were traced back to 2 nurses, one with artifical nails and the other with long natural nails, both colonized with staph. It also states that a culture of the artificial nails after a 5 minute surgical scrub did not reduce the colonized bacteria count taken before the scrub. Additionally, it said that nails are considered too long if nail length exceeds the finger length.

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Specializes in ICU, telemetry, LTAC.
I myself wore artificial nails for a long time in ICU then a new infection control policy came out and artificial nails were then banned.

The rational there was the high risk of cross infection!

Actually tried to contest it as the blue light test showed artificial and real nails were the same risk and the infection control risk was as always dependent on the individuals hand hygiene, but the hospital did not see it as such so I was forced to remove my nails. Now have long natural nails and there is a debate going on now whether to make nurses cut there nails right back:stone some you just carnt win.

gale

What is this blue light test?

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I have to admit I myself agree to this policy as well (no long or acrylic nails)....but then again I'm just a nursing student.....that's also our schools policy.

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It is actually a JCAHO requirement, not one started by your facility. In order to conply with their rulings, anyone involved in direct patient care should not have artificial nails or even there own nails longer than 1/4".

And I will go as far to say that if I was ever a patient in a hospital, and my nurse came in with artificial nails, it would be reported to administration immediately. And not just the manager on the floor.

That ruling is there for a reason.

AMEN!!! Artificial nails harbor germs that natural nails don't. End of story. The blue light test doesn't tell you WHAT is growing on your artificial nails.... I work NICU and would flip if someone I was orienting had acrylics.

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no fakes, no long nails, ever. even if i could wear nail polish it would be scrubbed off within a day or so, and why bother? i'm so used to having short clean, squared off nails that i clip and file them once a week to keep them healthy. i even get a paraffin manicure now and then, particularly in the winter, to keep the cuticles in good order.

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I agree- clean, trimmed, natural nails. Plus, at the risk of a riot, I think artificial or even long natural nails, especially with loud nail polish, looks trashy.

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no fakes, no long nails, ever. even if i could wear nail polish it would be scrubbed off within a day or so, and why bother? i'm so used to having short clean, squared off nails that i clip and file them once a week to keep them healthy. i even get a paraffin manicure now and then, particularly in the winter, to keep the cuticles in good order.

:yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: i have weak nails, but i just keep my nails and cuticles moisturized-alot of nurses keep things like cocoa butter around to help with overdry hands. and keeping nails short and filed prevents breaking as opposed to just clipping them to keep short.

ps i love your dalai lama quote. cool beans.

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I agree with short, clean and polish free nails. I come from he old school when that was taught as part of you introductory to nursing class. I never have understood how any medical person can have long nails and think she is protecting her patients. Too many times I have witnessed nurses with long nails that look perfectly clean on the top but when viewed from the underside would make you sick. :no: :no: :nono:

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Are you kidding me?? This was proven years ago....anyone wearing art.nails is putting theirs pts health/life at risk.

I can't believe it's still a question out there.:stone

Hope ya'll wear gloves when cleaning up incont. pts........geesh.:uhoh3:

Do you wash your hands between pts? ....oy

Basic stuff.....double geesh.

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