Long hair at the bedside

Nurses General Nursing

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I have a question. Have things changed in hospitals at the bedside to the point that nurses who have waist length hair are no longer required to have it in a pony tail or braid or bun? A few weeks ago my husband had a procedure done in the GI lab. One of the nurses came into the waiting room to call the next patient back into the patient admit area and her hair was long enough she could sit on it, and not restrained in any way. All I could think of was "yuck" and "fomite!". I wanted to run up to her and give her my infection control talk, but didn't....maybe I should have...

Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.
It is disgusting what I see on some nurses,waist length crap all hanging down, or hair all unkempt,sticking up and out,unbrushed,if you don't want to blow it out then uses curlers,and get those roots taken care of,either white or black roots,all coming out,big mustache on upper lip ugh,they don't enforce this part of the code,,they don't enforce clean shoes,some shoes look like a dog was chewing on them, old once white jackets all grey and dirty looking,throw them out already,...im just saying.

I got nothin'. Davey Do we need you here! Bring that "troll" button.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

accidental repost.

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I don't get it. Who would WANT their flowing locks floating into the C-diff they're cleaning, the Foley they're placing, or the wound with MRSA they're dressing? Gag, no thank you!

Not just that, but I wonder if these RNs ever think that those nice flowing locks could be latched on to by a patient? I've seen in in a dementia patient when a CNA leaned over to help stabilize her during wound care. That batty oldster grabbed onto her hair and proceeded to pull her in close for a beating. Fortunately there was other staff in the room to help get her loose.

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Long hair and I do generally wear it down in hospital setting but I always keep a scrunched to tie it when appropriate

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It is disgusting what I see on some nurses,waist length crap all hanging down, or hair all unkempt,sticking up and out,unbrushed,if you don't want to blow it out then uses curlers,and get those roots taken care of,either white or black roots,all coming out,big mustache on upper lip ugh,they don't enforce this part of the code,,they don't enforce clean shoes,some shoes look like a dog was chewing on them, old once white jackets all grey and dirty looking,throw them out already,...im just saying.

What about us part Italian nurses who no matter what we do, wax, cream, shave etc. We STILL have a stache? Sorry that you're paying THAT much attention to my upper lip...Shall we talk about my eyebrows next?

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Specializes in ED, psych.
You lost me at "roots". There is no requirement for nurses to keep their hair color touched up or their upper lips waxed. While they may not be aesthetically pleasing, nurses go to work to WORK, not walk down a runway. I'm just saying.

I'm just happy my shoes match (most days).

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Mustache/crazy hair that sticks up/undyed roots...not an infection control issue and NGAF. Long pretty curler set, round-brush blow out hair, draped all down the nurses front and hanging in/on patients: infection control issues. Just like long pretty acrylic nails: Bacteria catchers.

Why a lady cant have a mustache if it grows and doesnt bother her, why would it bother you? News flash not all of us ladies subscribe to the male-dominated female ideal of smooth hairless pretty slim and quiet and compliant. For example I am fat, strong, loud, smart, kind, hilarious stubborn and an awesome nurse and if I decide to shave my face that day its not to please anybody else.

If someone wants to look cute, go ahead & get it girl, work it, Im all for people being and looking like who they want to. Just dont throw shade on other nurses for how they look. If a nurse is clean and wearing clean scrubs then move on, focus on the personality and attitude and knowledge which is really all that matters anyways.

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Specializes in Medicine.

It's not super enforced where I work but really think about it ... do you really want your long hair touching all the dirty things in the hospital and who knows what it may come into contact with (MRSA,VRE,lice and who knows what else ) nurses really should wear their hair in a bun or ponytail to PROTECT THEMSELVES!

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It is disgusting what I see on some nurses,waist length crap all hanging down, or hair all unkempt,sticking up and out,unbrushed,if you don't want to blow it out then uses curlers,and get those roots taken care of,either white or black roots,all coming out, big mustache on upper lip ugh,they don't enforce this part of the code,

Noooooo, STOP!! confusing! me! :cry:

For the past two years or so, I've been wearing my hair down and WELL-OILED. I also apply my makeup with a trowel and I've had my ugly-*** hospital-supplied scrubs altered by a tailor so that they now caress my womanly curves... All this after taking the advice of our last style guru. (The other nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists I work with seem to be of the opinion that this has increased my bimbo-factor by at least one order of magnitude, but I've explained to them that dudes on AN have told me how to dress at work).

Where I work the majority of female doctors wear their hair down, liberally apply makeup, wear form fitting clothing, and hard soled shoes. They try to appear as beautiful as they can. Likewise, the male doctors come in with tailored clothing that had been ironed, they have well-oiled hair, nice watches, and other things reminiscent of the show "General Hospital."

Meanwhile, in the ICU I've worked in, we've got a female nurse with a buzz cut. .......

.....everyone wearing their hair up or back in a plain boring pony tail instead of letting it flow, men or even women with untrimmed or unneatly trimmed facial hair.....

(partial quotes from my style mentor, edited to demonstrate clearly why I am now agonizingly confused).

You guys really need to sync your advice (he said hair down , you say up... and those darn roots... For real? :roflmao:), these nursing fashion must-dos and faux-pas are becoming rather cumbersome and time-consuming. (Though I must confess that I am a bit amused to notice that the two of you seem to share a fascination for female facial hair :lol2:).

(I apologize to posters for not having been very generous with the likes in this particular thread, but I have a rather unfortunate Achilles' heal for a :nurse: in that I can't really read too much about wounds and C. difficile without :barf02: :dead:, so I skipped reading the majority posts).

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Specializes in ED, psych.
Noooooo, STOP!! confusing! me! :cry:

For the past two years or so, I've been wearing my hair down and WELL-OILED. I also apply my makeup with a trowel and I've had my ugly-*** hospital-supplied scrubs altered by a tailor so that they now caress my womanly curves... All this after taking the advice of our last style guru. (The other nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists I work with seem to be of the opinion that this has increased my bimbo-factor by at least one order of magnitude, but I've explained to them that dudes on AN have told me how to dress at work).

Preach. You can't do a blow out AND have it well oiled.

Leader, how do you feel about eye patches?

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

When did work become a fashion show?

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I don't get it. Who would WANT their flowing locks floating into the C-diff they're cleaning, the Foley they're placing, or the wound with MRSA they're dressing? Gag, no thank you!

This ^^^^

Even if you are so cynical that you dont care about infection control and pt safety, why would you want to risk blood, C. diff or other bodily fluids in your hair?

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