Artificial Nails Anyone

Nurses General Nursing

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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!

Specializes in ICU, ED, Transport, Home Care, Mgmnt.
I'm an unhappy former acrylic nail wearer. I went to acrylics because my own nails are weak, thin, crack and peel, sometimes to the point of bleeding. Keeping polish on acrylics is far easier than on natural nails because the oils in your natural nails are a detriment to good adherence. I have always worn my nails, (acrylic or natural) short because I sew, and play musical instruments that require it. I DO NOT in any way think my nails and hands are any healthier now than when I wore acrylics, and I don't really care what the studies say. It's very hard for me to believe that when my nails and cuticles are cracked and even bleeding they are less of a health threat than when I had short, perfectly manicured, no broken skin acrylic nails.

Still, I took them off. I know nurses who are now putting them back on, for much the same reason I cite above---their natural nails are a health problem. Perhaps every time we have a bleeding nail, torn by merely bumping into a piece of equipment, we should run to the ER or Employee health.

:o I'm sorry I have to respond to your remark that you "don't care what the studies say." I hope you have read the other posts here especially the article from Oklahoma and the neonatal deaths. Your poor cuticles and broken nails are a problem you need to find a way to deal with. Putting unsuspecting patients at risk so you can have nice nails is a point of view I cannot even begin to fathom. Lots of us have the same problems with our nails and cuticles. When I use nail cream several times a day and take my calcium my nails do ok. I hope you can find what works for you.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

This one has been done before and very hotly I might add. For your reading pleasure (or displeasure):

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/artificial-nails-vs-bloody-bitten-nails-125533.html?highlight=artificial+nails

artificial nails vs bloody bitten nails

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/fake-nails-okay-nurses-35219.html?highlight=artificial+nails

are "fake nails" okay for nurses?

Personally, if I had a nurse care for me or mine w/fake or long nails, I would have issues.

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Personally, if I had a nurse care for me or mine w/fake or long nails, I would have issues.

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Amen to that, sister.

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They would not be caring for me, or a family member of mine. End of story.

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Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.
:o I'm sorry I have to respond to your remark that you "don't care what the studies say." I hope you have read the other posts here especially the article from Oklahoma and the neonatal deaths. Your poor cuticles and broken nails are a problem you need to find a way to deal with. Putting unsuspecting patients at risk so you can have nice nails is a point of view I cannot even begin to fathom. Lots of us have the same problems with our nails and cuticles. When I use nail cream several times a day and take my calcium my nails do ok. I hope you can find what works for you.

What I'm saying is that I wish this kind of thing could be approached more from an individual standpoint more than it is. Maybe more than it can be. I don't think the studies are bunk; that's not what I meant to say...but I do think that some of us went to acrylics so that our nails and cuticles would not be bleeding and unhealthy. Also to tell anybody else "what worked for me" is a nice gesture, but that doesn't mean it works for everybody. I'm living proof of that. I've read where natural nails should be 1/4 inch past the tip of the finger: I sew, a lot, so I can spot 1/4 inch in my sleep, and IF I kept (or was able to keep) my nails that LONG, I wouldn't be able to function. That is long on me because I have very tiny nails. I know gals whose pinky nail is as big as my thumb nail....My point is that these kinds of personal nail problems are very individual....

My issue is more with it being okay and acceptable and tolerated for me to have cracked, torn or bleeding nail beds and cuticles because a study says that it more healthy than acrylics with none of the above sounds like we've just traded one problem for another...

I've tried everything: I have a pot of every kind of cuticle cream known to man, I take calcium, I eat a very healthy diet and I still have the same kind of nails my squeaky-clean mother had: thin, weak, with places on at least 3 of them where there is a natural split most of the time. Just yesterday I simply bumped my pinkie finger closing the dishwasher and my nail broke and now is filed so close to my flesh I couldn't actually get it filed smoothly. Your comment about finding a way to deal with it infers that I've done nothing to accomplish just that. Well, I've spent over 50 years trying to find some way to solve the problem. And frankly, I'm tired of people who don't have this kind of problem being so cavalier about those who do. It is a problem, and the solution (going to short, clear-coated, not French, nails) wasn't done out of vanity..

Kind of like the insurance companies assuming that every woman who wants a breast reduction is doing it for vanity reasons instead of constant pain...Just went through that too, and finally paid for it myself. If you haven't walked in another's shoes---

At the same time, I don't disbelieve what the studies say. And to that end, I am very very careful about handwashing, gloving all of that.

I think we should just outlaw all acrylics so that the patients we encounter who have them won't infect ME and my cracked nail beds with their bugs! If my gloves won't protect them from me, then gloves aren't going to protect me from them,either.

I guess I just don't see this as so black and white as others might. Just my opinion. I want to make it clear that I am not currently wearing acrylics, but at the same time I find it really hard to believe that my hands are healthier because of it when I have the problems I have.

Flame away because I'm an old broad, and I can remember when gloves weren't used for anything other than SVE's...I absolutely cringe at the thought now, but that's the way it was. Not that I'd ever go without now, mind you:)

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If anyone is wondering I am a nursing student. I did a paper last fall that was basically one sided about artificial nails having many microorganisms on and under them. I just wanted to see if anyone had another opinion. Thank you for all of your responses!! If anyone is wondering it is required at my nursing school to have short unpainted natural nails. If you have them painted or have artificial nails you cannot attend clinical.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Besides the microbe argument, who on EARTH would want:

A. to have chipped nail polish in or on their person or near a wound (from a patient perspective)

B. want to go home w/hospital "gunk" in his or her long nails, or potentially poke a hole in a glove w/a talon-like nail? (from a nursing perspective)

YUCK.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Wore them years ago.

As long as i'm in healthcare, will not wear them again.

It's dangerous for pts, be it injury or fungus, or bacteria. They have NO place in healthcare, period.

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