Engagement/Wedding Bands

[~Melissa~]

I'm curious if as a nurse I'll still be able to wear my engagement and wedding bands? I start nursing school this fall... Hubby was going to replace my wedding band for our 10th anniversary, but I'm not even sure if I can wear them? My engagement ring is a diamond flanked by sapphires and my wedding band is alternating diamonds and sapphires (right now it's white gold-- he was going to upgrade the setting to platinum)... Can you wear these as a nurse? Do I need to switch to a plain band?

[macawake, MSN]

In my hospital, just as in any other hospital in Sweden, there is a no rings allowed policy. No rings, no nail polish, nails kept short, absolutely no fake nails and no wristwatches.

Germs aren't sentimental, they are just as happy to hide on and beneath a wedding band as on any other ring.

Honestly, I wouldn't wear rings or a wristwatch to work even if it were allowed.

OP, just as others have said. You need to find out what your facility's policy is.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

You are better off just leaving your ring bling at home, imo. I've seen some rings get ruined from all of the alcohol rubs and hand washing. I personally wouldn't want that to happen. I would also be afraid of losing a stone...or accidentally scratching a patient! My engagement ring is a princess cut diamond and my bands are soughtered together...the edges on the princess cut are sharp! And think about what kind of germs would be hiding in those tiny crevices in your ring...yuck!

[drowningdaily]

I never wear my wedding ring at work - yuck! I tried and my skin got funky under the ring.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Our hospital just went ring and watch free. You need to check with the places you do clinical. Personally, I wouldn't because of the germ factor and the hand sanitizer is hard on metals.

[jennafezz]

I've read research about the amount of germs found in wedding rings even when nurses washed/sanitized their hands according to protocol... and it scared me a bit, so I wear a plain band. My hospital doesn't have a protocol for that but I feel better about it.

[anon456, BSN, RN]

My workplace allows whatever you want to wear. Personally I would hate to think of my nice wedding ring getting nasty bugs, and I think there's a chance it may break through the glove too. I wear a plain band, and sometimes I even take that off.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I paid good money for that ring. I would hate to come home and see it sitting on the counter everyday

Plus we have an ultrasonic ring cleaner at home that it takes frequent baths in.

The stuff she brings home in that ring is no worse than the ones on my shoes/scrubs. Ah to be a nursing couple haha

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Depends on your facility policy. Some places don't care. Others mandate plain bands. And others say no rings at all.

Myself, I don't care what the policy is: I don't wear any jewelry at all. I'd rather do that and not risk losing it...or worse, having it tear a glove, and then my having to tell my better half, "honey, I've had to start prophylaxis for a possible HIV/Hep exposure."

Is that scenario likely? Well, given that Hep B & C infections are the norm rather than the exception in my patient population...I'd rather not take any chances that I don't have to.

[RainMom]

I bought myself a cheap (but nice looking) silver eternity band. I work 2 nights at a time & then clean it the next night when I'm off. I'd be too worried about scratching a pt or losing the stone to wear my real set.

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

I have platinum and white gold rings. (I lived in Saudi Arabia for quite a while, where jewelry is stupid cheap.)

White gold isn't 'white' per se, it's generally plated with rhodium to make it white (when the rhodium wears off, and it does over time, the ring begins to turn yellow and you either deal with it or get it re-rhodium plated, which costs about $35 a pop - the plating should last many years before that's necessary). Purell strips rhodium off of rings super fast, and it etched my platinum one - fortunately I saw what was happening before it got too bad, and I had the ring buffed out before it became noticeable. It tore up a sterling ring of mine so bad that it turned it black. Permanently.

In short, even without the nasties, the soaps and hand things we use on a daily basis are not jewelry friendly.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

On the other side of the coin, my jeweler told me that constant use of hand sanitizers can actually erode the metal, My engagement setting was my mothers; it is almost 80 years old. I don't want to ruin it. I am not wearing it to work now, but am thinking of getting a cheap titanium band for work. I just feel too naked not wearing a wedding band.

Where I work, we can wear whatever, but the germ thing, nope.

[mrsagq]

My personal choice is to not wear anything but my solid band. Settings harbor bacteria, cause punctures to gloves, and can scratch your patients. I also keep very short, unpolished nails.