I have a very important question that I'm hoping to get some help with:
My girlfriend is an RN and we've been dating for a couple years now. I've been saving up for an engagement ring (although buying one is still about a year away), and I'm pretty sure I have the design and what-not down but a thought occurred to me recently: what will she do with the ring while at work?
Something tells me that a diamond ring would get in the way of her day-to-day operations, and while I know she'd want to wear it, I wouldn't want it to impede her duties (which she obviously takes seriously).
So my question is this: what are some of the solutions you all have come up with regarding similar situations? Do you have a less expensive secondary ring you wear? Or do you just go ringless when you're on' shift?
I don't wear my wedding rings at work. My stone is not huge but it is a princess cut so it gets caught on everything. Also my wedding ring is slightly big and would not stay put without the engagement ring. My hands are very sensitive to the hand sanitizer and when it gets underneath my skin gets super irritated. Get the ring you want to get her and just understand why she may not choice to wear it to work. Good luck and congrats on your impending engagement.
I don't know why I never realized that even a plain, flat band could be an infection control problem. I was planning to get such a ring to wear to nursing school/clinicals/work. Guess I should forgo that idea. I learned something new today.
I love my beautiful engagement ring - I've been married for 15 years, and my engagement ring and band are soldered together. My big diamond is an antique that has been passed down in my husband's family. It was cut in 1912. I'd be beside myself if I lost it. I'm only a student and new CNA, but my ring rips right through gloves. Had to leave it at home during the CNA training and clinicals.
I wouldn't recommend this for an engagement since sometimes they get called off (no offense intended, original poster) and because it's relatively permanent, but my friend is a paramedic and firefighter and he has a "ring" tattooed to his ring finger instead of a wedding band.
Another nurse I worked with got engaged..she was insistant she was going to wear her ring all the time. One night I looked at her ring and the stone was gone! We had no idea when it was lost in the shift or even where to start looking. We searched high and low and didn't find it. She was devestated. Later on I was helping her turn and position a patient. while doing this, something shiney caught my eye...yup..her diamond..in the belly button of an obese patient (one that we had been positioning all night)...the light from the overbed light happened to shine down just right that it caused the stone to 'shine'. Yeah..needless to say she NEVER wore it to work again.
Also, if your finances are such that you have to save up for several months to buy the ring, then you shouldn't be buying it. It is too expensive for you.
Hey, at least he's saving up beforehand and not financing some huge amount that will hamstring them well into the future.
I have an engagement ring with a nice pointy marquise cut diamond and a wedding band with little clusters of round baguettes, so it's terrible for work. Instead I got the sterling silver version of this ring and wear that for work. My husband has a matching one he wears on his right hand. The inscription is Latin for "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" from the Song of Songs in the Old Testament.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I wear my rings all the time. I'm learning that I'm old fashioned that way -- when I got engaged and married the first time lo those many decades ago, no one thought twice about wearing their rings all the time. I have a large, channel set stone -- it sits down inside my ring. It's very smooth, and I've never had an issue with tearing gloves or patient skin. But the best advice is to ask the lady in question what HER perfect ring looks like and how she envisions wearing it.
What about getting her a chain to go along with it. A very short necklace shouldn't interfere with anything... provided she doesn't get doused in something.
I thought about that as well, but then there's the occupational "hazards" that can go along with it and then the rings can get lost, or even stolen; I wear a break-away lanyard and that breaks away once in a while, and I have worked in less than ideal places where robbery can be a risk, so no bueno, depending on the setting.
I have a princess cut diamond with side stones and a diamond wedding band and wear them daily. Have never caught them in a glove. If they are sized correctly (and the jeweler will tell you that wedding sets should be a quarter to a half size smaller than your ring size) they won't come off. I've never scratched anyone and I soak them frequently to get the nasties out of them.
its all preference. My hospital system (and my nursing school) didn't have issues with us wearing them. The engaged/married nurses on the units I've worked on have all worn their rings (and much much more!) without difficulty.
I have a necklace that I never take off. It has my cross on it. When I worked (before I went back to school) and in the future, I have and will put my ring on my necklace when I have to work or tend patients at clinicals, etc. When I go to the beach or the pool I wear a cheap walmart band (like $10).
Hey, at least he's saving up beforehand and not financing some huge amount that will hamstring them well into the future.
I have an engagement ring with a nice pointy marquise cut diamond and a wedding band with little clusters of round baguettes, so it's terrible for work. Instead I got the sterling silver version of this ring and wear that for work. My husband has a matching one he wears on his right hand. The inscription is Latin for "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" from the Song of Songs in the Old Testament.
I work in a clinic. I do a lot of telephone stuff and vitals most days. I do wear my ring at work. It has a raised square shaped stone so occasionally its will catch my glove when taking them off but the ring itself has never come off in the glove. I do remove my ring and watch when I have to do any sterile procedures because the sterile gloves fit more snugly than the regular ones. If I worked hospital or nursing home I probably wouldn't wear it. I know many hospital nurses who only wear a band at work. You could always get her the engagement ring and cheap band (thinking one of the very cheap ones from wal-mart type) for work. This way if the cheap band gets lost or messed up its not too big of a deal.
Please ask her what type of ring she wants. Or ask her best friend. This is something she will wear for the rest of her life. You need to make sure she likes it 😉
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Also, if your finances are such that you have to save up for several months to buy the ring, then you shouldn't be buying it. It is too expensive for you. Be sensible and start your marriage off with something you can well-afford. Later, when you are rich, you can buy her a fancy diamond wedding ring for a significant anniversary..
When my husband was a poor nursing student, he bought me a moissonite engagement ring. Nicer than a CZ, looks like a diamond, but WAY cheaper.
Last year for Mother's Day, he bought me the diamond ring I've always wanted (although it's actually a yellow sapphire, but I wear it alone on my hand and it's lovely).
RN_Sara
54 Posts
I don't wear my wedding rings at work. My stone is not huge but it is a princess cut so it gets caught on everything. Also my wedding ring is slightly big and would not stay put without the engagement ring. My hands are very sensitive to the hand sanitizer and when it gets underneath my skin gets super irritated. Get the ring you want to get her and just understand why she may not choice to wear it to work. Good luck and congrats on your impending engagement.