Fake Nails on Nurses, Yay or Nay?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I was just wondering what everyone thought about nurses having gel or acrylic fake nails. There are a few girls on my unit that have them. I wanted to know what people's opinions were or if your unit or place of work has a policy about them.

~Jes~

(sorry all i don't know how to make a poll on here.)

Not allowed where I work.

i was tought in CNA classes that fake nails carryed germs and that it was aganist policy for peopple to wear them.

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.

I don't work in a hospital, but my vote is no, no, no.

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I say nay.

Specializes in OBSTERTICS-POSTPARTUM,L/D AND HIGH-RISK.

NAY! NAY! NAY!:no:

Specializes in Med-Surg.

I think fake nails look nasty. Also, they destroy your nail bed. What ever happened to buffing for shine? That is all I do. I don't like long nails, because stuff gets under them. I do not ever compliment people on fake nails, because they always look like they are struggling with something. They are more of a hindrance, IMHO.

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Not allowed where I work, but this policy is not enforced.

I guess I'm fortunate not to have nail problems - my effort is in keeping my natural nails short enough. I'm not a fan of long nails anyway. To me, "beautiful hands" are those with natural nails, nicely kept. Sorry, but acrylic nails with the french manicure have become such a cliche I can't see them without thinking *stripper.*

My nails and cuticles are in worse shape without the gel overlay; they split no matter how much I moisturize. I never wore them long (or even as far as was allowed). I had an excellent nail tech who never used a 'drill', only soft files, and my natural nails were stronger and in better shape after the gels than they are now. I was fastidious with cleaning, and also keeping them filled and attached properly (never ever had one lift on me).

But I understand the reasoning behind the rule. Having seen some of the claws and hideous work some had done, not to mention the lack of care, they obviously had no choice but to ban it for everyone.

Everytime I've had fake nails they've got icky really fast. I never feel like I'm getting them clean enough. Where I work (ED) there are no fake nails, no long nails, & no polish ever.

:nono: This thread made me think of my first day of nursing school where we talked about hand hygeine. Our instructor got out the black light. put your hand under there saw all the germs. THEN she made us go wash our hands using the 15 second rule, and had us stick our hands back under the light. and the one place that was still the germiest was right around your nail beds.

A black light used to see germs with the naked eye? I'm not sure WHAT was seen under the black light, but hard to imagine it was microbes!

Evidence based practice states that artificial nails are dangerous both to the nurse and the people they tend. Why risk it?

Specializes in Med-Surg/Tele, ER.
Evidence based practice states that artificial nails are dangerous both to the nurse and the people they tend. Why risk it?

:yeahthat:

They also look wildly unprofessional.

+ Add a Comment