I have had fake's a couple of times, usually they are off in a week. I realized they cost too much to maintain, I had great nails, and I was in nursing and knew they weren't great for that ( I was a CNA at the time). I lived in Vegas as a CNA and there was some big lawsuit regarding a woman who got an infection and blamed it on her nurse who had acrylics and wore no gloves when removing a dressing (not sure about redressing...). Vegas hospitals (not all) banned these nails for obvious reasons-they are a breeding ground for bacteria.
I am an LPN now, working towards my RN. I am no longer in Vegas, but back in MO where I had previously been. Here, acrylics are neither here nor there. We all know the bads about them-still, nurses have them. I quit smoking when I was in Vegas, and now I am destroying my nails and cuticles on a daily basis. I am so unhappy-there are other issues and personal issues (divorce, weight gain, school AND working 12's, etc...) I know, woe is me....BUT, one day my infection control nurse pointed out how bad bitten nails and torn cuticles are as well-I can't win. I want fakes to boost my self esteem. not long ones, no longer than Sport length- I don't want the cost but I have to feel better somewhere.
SO, the question-how bad are they now??? If a person is conscious of the need to be diligent with hand washing, does that make a difference? Are they as big of an issue as they were five years ago??? I also loved my nails, but they are just crap now-four years of badgering them has hurt the nail bed and I can't get them back. Nail polish isn't good either!
Please, some feedback. I know the concerns and issues with the acrylics and infection control.....I am not necessarily going for the acrylics either.
I wanted to point out-I have an oral fixation and an obvious anxiety issue. I am medicated with zoloft for the anxiety. I sucked my thumb when I was little til 12, then bit my nails, then started smoking, quit smoking, starting attacking the SKIN-the nails not so much, but cuticle area. WIth the weight gain too, I could so easily just start smoking again-BUT, that is looked down on more than the fake nails where I work-they don't want you to even SMELL of smoke.
I don't need a big discussion again-I think I know the answer anyway. can't win.
I wonder what's going to happen when we've managed to kill all germs? After all, some bacteria are beneficial. So when we eradicate all of them, our immunities to even the tiniest thing is going to be GONE. Then what?
Honestly, the patients should be the ones we're afraid of, not the nurses. I get tired of nurses getting blamed for all things bad in hospitals. Handwashing is the best thing: we glove for everything now, so unless those little germies can weasel their way through them, I think we have it covered. (pun intended)
That being said, handwashing is ruining my hands, my (natural) nails and my cuticles. After 8 hours of it, my hands are dry, cracking and the pads on my thumbs have open cracks that hurt like crazy when I, you guessed it, wash my hands!
A Prolonged Outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Did Staff Fingernails Play a Role in Disease Transmission?
RESULTS.Of 439 neonates admitted during the study period, 46 (10.5%) acquired P aeruginosa; 16 (35%) of those died. Fifteen (75%) of 20 patients for whom isolates were genotyped had genotype A, and 3 (15%) had genotype B. Of 104 healthcare workers (HCWs) from whom hand cultures were obtained, P aeruginosa was isolated from three nurses. Cultures from nurses A‐1 and A‐2 grew genotype A, and cultures from nurse B grew genotype B. Nurse A‐1 had long natural fingernails, nurse B had long artificial fingernails, and nurse A‐2 had short natural fingernails. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, exposure to nurse A‐1 and exposure to nurse B were each independently associated with acquiring a BSI or ETT colonization with P aeruginosa, but other variables, including exposure to nurse A‐2, were not.
CONCLUSION .Epidemiological evidence demonstrated an association between acquiring P aeruginosa and exposure to two nurses. Genetic and environmental evidence supported that association and suggested, but did not prove, a possible role for long or artificial fingernails in the colonization of HCWs' hands with P aeruginosa. Requiring short natural fingernails in NICUs is a reasonable policy that might reduce the incidence of hospital‐acquired infections.
In the NICU's that I have seen...Mom's wash their hands but do not use gloves when touching their own baby.
I am not questioning that these culture studies are invalid..not one bit..but considering the nurse wears gloves and Mom's usually don't...it would be hard to say and prove that the nurse actually transmitted the bacteria to those infants.
Of 439 neonates admitted during the study period, 46 (10.5%) acquired P aeruginosa; 16 (35%) of those died. Fifteen (75%) of 20 patients for whom isolates were genotyped had genotype A, and 3 (15%) had genotype B. Of 104 healthcare workers (HCWs) from whom hand cultures were obtained, P aeruginosa was isolated from three nurses. Cultures from nurses A‐1 and A‐2 grew genotype A, and cultures from nurse B grew genotype B. Nurse A‐1 had long natural fingernails, nurse B had long artificial fingernails, and nurse A‐2 had short natural fingernails. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, exposure to nurse A‐1 and exposure to nurse B were each independently associated with acquiring a BSI or ETT colonization with P aeruginosa, but other variables, including exposure to nurse A‐2, were not.
tntrn, ASN, RN
1,340 Posts
I wonder what's going to happen when we've managed to kill all germs? After all, some bacteria are beneficial. So when we eradicate all of them, our immunities to even the tiniest thing is going to be GONE. Then what?
Honestly, the patients should be the ones we're afraid of, not the nurses. I get tired of nurses getting blamed for all things bad in hospitals. Handwashing is the best thing: we glove for everything now, so unless those little germies can weasel their way through them, I think we have it covered. (pun intended)
That being said, handwashing is ruining my hands, my (natural) nails and my cuticles. After 8 hours of it, my hands are dry, cracking and the pads on my thumbs have open cracks that hurt like crazy when I, you guessed it, wash my hands!