Can I wear long press on nails if I wear gloves during my whole shift?

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I wear very long press on nails, I love them and I'm worried I'd have to get rid of them when I become a nurse-especially because it's my dream to do pediatrics and work in the NICU. Do you think I'd be allowed To keep my long nails if i wear gloves all the time while I work? Opinions? Pls?

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No. And you cannot wear glove your whole shift. Wearing gloves outside of pt rooms is a no-no.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Good lord, no. I'm sorry, but just no. You absolutely will not be able to wear fake nails in nursing school or as a nurse. If you work in the NICU you won't be able to have anything but short, clean nails with no polish.

I'm going to assume you haven't yet started nursing school and forgive you for even asking such a question. Once you're a nurse, you will understand why I've reacted the way I have.

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Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

Nope. No artifical nails. NICU nurse here. Either you want to provide safe care to those babies without risking transfering some germ to them and their immature immune system or you don't.

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Specializes in NICU.

As PPs have already covered the infection angle, I'm going to go ahead and add that they'd be incredibly impractical in a profession where you're generally using your hands all day long. Especially in the NICU, where you have very small patients with very delicate skin - ugh, no. Keep the claws away.

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:nailbiting: Think about those preemie babies' skin. They can get infections sooooo easily possibly even life-threatening!

How would you like your tiny struggling preemie babies' nurse to have long press on nails??? :down::blackalien::clown::spit:

Not to mention the pain you'll inflict! :angrybird1:

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Maybe someone knows where to find an article about it, but one of the first things my OB instructor stressed to us was a case of where babies were developing infections and I think some died. These infections were traced back to bacteria growing under the nurse's/nurses' (?) fingernails.

If NICU is your dream, you will do whatever you have to do to get it... even sacrifice your nails.

Long nails may be considered attractive elsewhere, but in nursing they are ugly.

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Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

O man!

Your dream is to work in NICU but you have long, fake nails....how much do you love your long nails versus your desire to become a nurse? As we grow and mature we have to all make compromises, your nails will lose out here. Also hand hygiene (i.e. washing with soap and water, alcohol based rubs and foams) will destroy your hands and nails - I work with a cohort of patients that are immuno-compromised and my BF declared that the back of my hands look like an old lady

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There is no glamour in nursing. Once you start hands on care, you will realize those suckers only get in your way.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I wear very long press on nails, I love them and I'm worried I'd have to get rid of them when I become a nurse-especially because it's my dream to do pediatrics and work in the NICU. Do you think I'd be allowed To keep my long nails if i wear gloves all the time while I work? Opinions? Pls?

No. Just NO!

If you're a student already, I'd be surprised if you haven't run afoul of your school's dress code.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
As PPs have already covered the infection angle, I'm going to go ahead and add that they'd be incredibly impractical in a profession where you're generally using your hands all day long. Especially in the NICU, where you have very small patients with very delicate skin - ugh, no. Keep the claws away.

Even if you COULD wear gloves all day, your nails would likely tear the gloves if they are as long as you describe.

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LOL...

No such thing as a dumb question... most new nurses will hear that. But I say, they do exist.

In this case, this isn't about lack of nursing experience or perhaps the OP is still not in a nursing program, but still!

Let me break this question down.

Ok, so long nails and gloves and Peds. Let's drop the gloves part since that's very obvious.

OP, imagine working with these little babies/toddlers with your long nails, I think even a non-nursing person can figure that out.

I, truly, sometimes wonder if we really ever landed on the moon! :banghead:

P.s.

Pressed nail... what the hey is that anyway?

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