Published Apr 17, 2008
Natingale, EdD, RN
612 Posts
Its like having your nails wrapped with a permanent french manicure.
Is it a good idea to have long nails in the first place?
When my nails havent been trimmed in a week er so and im wearing gloves I will notice a tiny hole here and there in the glove
Just curious
Wendy_RN
153 Posts
Is it a good idea to have long nails in the first place? When my nails havent been trimmed in a week er so and im wearing gloves I will notice a tiny hole here and there in the glove Just curious
You answered your own question.
mamason
555 Posts
While I think well groomed longer nails look very pretty, I opt not to have them. I can't do a darned thing with long fingernails. I prefer them short. With IV starts, accidentally poking pts, etc. You get my drift.
hpcat
116 Posts
I can't imagine it being forever because your nails grow out.
I'm a student - we learned in class that artificial nails and even just plain nail polish can have tiny gaps between the product and the nail that collect bacteria and debris that handwashing can't reach. I think you'd have to be fastidious in your glove use to prevent spreading anything or taking it home with you.
I know my SIL got holy heck at one hospital for having a set of nails.
ukstudent
805 Posts
I believe that false nails are a Joint Commission NO NO. I know that in both hospitals that I have worked at you would be sent home if found with them. Both hospitals also had written rules about how long natural nails could be as well. This only applied to people in patient contact jobs.
Dorito, ASN, RN
311 Posts
Our policy prohibits false fingernails due to the high incidence of bacteria that adheres to the glue. I don't know of any nurses that have long nails.
RN1989
1,348 Posts
Nail treatments harbor bacteria that you can spread to others. Although regs state only those in direct pt care are required to have natural nails cut short, I can't imagine why anyone working in a hospitalc, clinic, office, etc. where they can come into contact with more concentrated germs would want to risk carrying those germs around on their nails. Computer keyboards and phones are pretty germy.
CT Pixie, BSN, RN
3,723 Posts
I don't know of any nurses that have long nails.
Come with me and I can show you tons! I can count on one hand how many nurses I've seen with natural and/or short nails. Every single place
I've been at clinicals to both acute and chronic care places I have seen lots and lots of nurses with really long nails, all of them were artificial nails. Just today I looked down at a nurses nails and noticed not only how long they were but how she obviously hadn't had them filled in quite some time! all I could think was ewwwww..what IS she brining home with her??!!
I've seen it from claw like and just IMO gaudy, to chipping nailpolish (very dark nailpolish), to artifical nails that needed to be filled, to nurses with some sort of "stuff" under her nails.