Artificial Nails

[Nursekatydid]

Good idea KC, just curious what your guys' opinion on artificial nails are. I feel that nurses should not have them, they are impractical and are loaded with germs. Not to mention accidentally scratching patients with them. I also feel the same way about people with real nails that are long. They just are not a good idea. Just think of all the crud that would get stuck under the nail, EWWWWWWW:eek:

[truern]

i had artificial nails before i started nursing school this month...and when i had them removed...YIKES!!

my nails were so thin it almost felt like the quick was exposed...they're STILL not right, even after careful buffing and nail treatments

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

They were banned from our facility. Thank goodness.

Far as i'm concerned, hands are cleaner without them.

[LilRedRN1973]

I don't have fake nails, but I did have long, very pretty natural nails. When I began nursing school, I clipped them to the edge of my fingers. I feel more secure about palpating, bathing, applying lotion, and just moving and touching patients without nails. No, my hands don't look as pretty as they used to, but then again, I'm hoping to have hands that heal and that are used for more than just looking good!

I agree that artifical nails have no place in the medical field. Your hands are tools for your job. There are certain things you forgo when you make a choice to take care of society as a career (such as sleep! LOL). Our hospital just passed this rule 3 weeks ago.

[fetchitgold]

Originally posted by barefootlady

Why would anyone with enough intelligence to complete nursing school need this to be explained more than once? We were given this lecture in school.

LOL! Best response yet! :chuckle Am in complete agreement with ya!

[TigRN]

Okay -- I too can't resist to respond. We have a policy in our hospital that nurses in the patient care areas can no longer have artificial nails... they can actually be written up for it and terminated. Many hospitals have gone to this policy based on the fungus fact.

I am in an area outside of patient care and up until about November had artificial nails. We had a health fair about that time and our Infectious Dz nurse was looking for one to culture. Since I decided to remove mine any way I was able to pop one off into two pieces. She cultured both pieces [mine were not kept very long, done professionally, etc] - one the pieces at through the gel on the petri dish with the bacteria and the other had so many different fungus' growing it was ridiculous.... even after that some people still wanted to keep their nails. They always say -- I wash mine, I keep them clean. It's not the washing that's the issue, the bacteria gets into the acrylic or gel and just gets overlaid each time you have them filled - so it's not just what's underneath them but what's in them....I guarantee you that if I'm ever a patient in the hospital and some nurse walks in with fake nails -- I'm requesting a different nurse!

[tntrn, ASN, RN]

And I think I'll request another patient if mine has them! I sure wouldn't want to get a fungus from one of my patients. Oh, wait! We're supposed to wear gloves as part of universal precautions.

Mine are not obviously "fake" and often people don't believe me when I tell them.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Originally posted by tntrn

Mine are not obviously "fake" and often people don't believe me when I tell them.

Not obviously fake ones still harbor the same pathogens as ones that are obviously fake.

And since you don't care about all the nasties that are living under your nails, since you wear gloves...well, then - why bother with even washing hands, right? After all, you've got gloves.

[TigRN]

You beat me to my comment Klone.... you don't wear gloves for everything you do in the patients room.... you can easily leave your little bugs on the door handles the patient uses. I don't recall wearing gloves when I handed out medicine that went in a cup - but I touched the cup. I have seen nurses that wear gloves for everything.... while I understand not wanting to pick up something from the patient.... how impersonal to stand there with gloves on every time you enter the patients room??? I'm sure it makes the, patients feel like they have koodies [sp?] or something.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Originally posted by klone

Not obviously fake ones still harbor the same pathogens as ones that are obviously fake.

And since you don't care about all the nasties that are living under your nails, since you wear gloves...well, then - why bother with even washing hands, right? After all, you've got gloves.

yea it was an obviously uneducated response from a person who knows little to nothing about infection control. sad. this person may wind up taking care of me and mine. not good, if you ask me.

[Nursekatydid]

Looks like the people who are for artificial nails are loosing the battle here. There is absolutely no argument with this. Artificial nails are one of the worst things a nurse can wear, too much evidence to back this one up.

[kyti]

No one in our hospital with pt contact is allowed to have fake nails. This includes dietary, housekeeping and nurse managers. We were given a few months notice. I think about 90% of the staff had them. I didn't , but mine were long natural. Now they are fairly short natural. Looks more profesional anyway.:)

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Originally posted by tntrn

And I think I'll request another patient if mine has them! I sure wouldn't want to get a fungus from one of my patients. Oh, wait! We're supposed to wear gloves as part of universal precautions.

Mine are not obviously "fake" and often people don't believe me when I tell them.

When you wash your hands, the water can get underneath of YOUR OWN fake nails, and start growing a fungus of their own. Not to mention the heat from YOUR OWN HANDS being in gloves is a great incubator for the fungal growth UNDER YOUR OWN FAKE NAILS. The fungus usually doesn't come from the pt.

Please tell me you knew this already?