are "fake nails" okay for nurses?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am a nursing student graduating next month. I wore "fake nails" before nursing school, but my program did not allow them during school. I am considering getting them again after graduation. What is your opinion and the policies at the facilities where you work? Are they a health hazaard to patients if proper handwashing precautions are used? Have you read any studies on the "fake nail" issue?

Wow - I am really having to rethink my position on this. Although, for as little physical contact that I personally have with our clients, I don't think it's a problem. (My admissions are mostly for home health aides and homemaker/companions - the only nursing is usually for medication management) But I would be interested in reading those studies if anyone knows where to locate them.

Originally posted by nurseleigh

Bottom line is. . . it doesn't matter what you, me, or anyone else thinks on the issue.

If your place of employment has a policy against them, then you can't wear them. It's that simple.

Traci

Well yes...and no. As for this issue, obviously the risk of infection and the risk of transmission of infection make a strong case for not wearing them. But I think the mentality of doing, or not doing something, simply because it's "policy" is not that simple.

I recently got adventerous and had some acrylic nails applied. I was working in a NICU at the time. Imagine my disgust when six shifts later they started to lift!

It was traced back to the sterigel we use to clean our hands post handwashing.

So if you wanna spend the money, make sure that you get your moneys worth!

As I have said earlier, I have had "falsies" (lol) for 3 years. I have never had one fall off. Mine are short and most people don't even comment on my nails at all because they are so natural looking. I don't understand the thing about acrylics being sharp or poking through gloves. They are thicker than "natural" nails...if your OWN nails do not poke thro gloves, how can the fakes? I understand that many people do not take the precise care of their nails that I do, hence the rules. I am not usually a "rule breaker"...I am usually the one who is scared to death of consequences. But I have no nightmares about what I am doing. I have seen NASTY fungal infections. Those persons do NOT care for their nails at all, not their own or the fakes. I mostly do home care, as I work for a home health. Most of my work is paper-pushing. And within the home, do the patients take the extreme care to have clean hands that I do? As for the nurse who said her nails "lifted" after 6 hours r/t handwashing, I have never had that problem. It has to be the product that was used on your nails. NO ONE should ever get "tips"...they WILL fall off or lift.

Ah well.....

And Helllllo Nurse...SURE! We can be friends! There is still hope for the world!!!

Originally posted by regnursein99

And Helllllo Nurse...SURE! We can be friends! There is still hope for the world!!!

Lol!:)

Nice to meet you, regnursein99!

I've enjoyed your posts.

borrowed this from another thread.

Hmm. I've got gross, but 'strange'? How about dumb? I had a patient who looked completely normal, sitting on the edge of the bed when I went to introduce myself. Very cute girl, about 19 or so, hair all done up, full makeup on. Boyfriend on the edge of the bed. I asked her what brought her to the hospital, and she held up her hands: eight of her fingers were so disgustingly gangrenous and necrosed that it looked like...SHUDDER.

Just NAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS-ty.

She said that she'd had her nail tips applied and the tools had apparently not been cleaned properly. A fungus grew underneath the fake nails and spread quickly (matter of oh...about a week?) to her fingertips, then down to the knuckles. She had to have multiple digits amputated. All that for fake nails?

borrowed this from another thread.

Hmm. I've got gross, but 'strange'? How about dumb? I had a patient who looked completely normal, sitting on the edge of the bed when I went to introduce myself. Very cute girl, about 19 or so, hair all done up, full makeup on. Boyfriend on the edge of the bed. I asked her what brought her to the hospital, and she held up her hands: eight of her fingers were so disgustingly gangrenous and necrosed that it looked like...SHUDDER.

Just NAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS-ty.

She said that she'd had her nail tips applied and the tools had apparently not been cleaned properly. A fungus grew underneath the fake nails and spread quickly (matter of oh...about a week?) to her fingertips, then down to the knuckles. She had to have multiple digits amputated. All that for fake nails?

There was a lawsuit at the hospital i used to work at about fake nails. One of the nurses fake nails popped off and landed on the chest on a pt. that was tubed. The family got very upset and made a huge deal of it. They got a lawyer and the hosp. was in court. The family won because there is a NO artificial nail policy in place at the hosp. I dont think there worth a lawsuit! Some families and patients may not of taken it that far, but there just has to be one!

There was a lawsuit at the hospital i used to work at about fake nails. One of the nurses fake nails popped off and landed on the chest on a pt. that was tubed. The family got very upset and made a huge deal of it. They got a lawyer and the hosp. was in court. The family won because there is a NO artificial nail policy in place at the hosp. I dont think there worth a lawsuit! Some families and patients may not of taken it that far, but there just has to be one!

Just think of all the nasty bugs in a hospital...do you really want to take them home to your family?

Just think of all the nasty bugs in a hospital...do you really want to take them home to your family?

they don't belong in nursing.

you're school has a reason for not allowing artificial nails.

Mary Beth

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