nails

Nurses General Nursing

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i was told that nurses cant wear fake nails or nail polish is that true?

Well over 98% of women wear acrylic nails

Huh? You got a source for that little factoid?

I keep my nails short and polish-free. I can't imagine trying to keep polish from chipping with constant hand-washing and alcohol-based cleanser application. And chipped polish - ugh!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Well over 98% of women wear acrylic nails
Do you have a reputable source to bolster this statistic? Or, is it just an estimate based on your personal observations of where you live and attend school?
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The only infections I have ever had with my nails (and I haven't had one in about 7 years once I figured out what caused them) is when I would go too long between fill-ins, and once I made that connection, I never got another one. I go every 7 days vs the standard 14.

Well over 98% of women wear acrylic nails .

The issue isn't YOU getting an infection but your patient getting one. You have the choice and are making an informed risk to yourself- your patient isn't able to do this

And 98% of women DO NOT have acrylics. I would bet all my paycheque- hell my house on this being wrong. First of all most women in the world don't live in north america - so when you take out all the women in developing nations who odds are don't have these - no where close to 98%. LOL But really I know only a handfull of women who have these - for sure not the majority - and no where near 98%. Where do you live that you see so many women with fakes that you believe it is almost all women? There would have to be nail salons on every corner with lines out the door with women going for fill ins. Hell even at the nail salons I go to the majority of people have natural nails or are getting pedicures. Not going for fill ins from what I observe.

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Specializes in Junior Year of BSN.
The issue isn't YOU getting an infection but your patient getting one. You have the choice and are making an informed risk to yourself- your patient isn't able to do this

And 98% of women DO NOT have acrylics. I would bet all my paycheque- hell my house on this being wrong. First of all most women in the world don't live in north america - so when you take out all the women in developing nations who odds are don't have these - no where close to 98%. LOL But really I know only a handfull of women who have these - for sure not the majority - and no where near 98%. Where do you live that you see so many women with fakes that you believe it is almost all women? There would have to be nail salons on every corner with lines out the door with women going for fill ins. Hell even at the nail salons I go to the majority of people have natural nails or are getting pedicures. Not going for fill ins from what I observe.

LOL yea theres no way 98% of women wear acrylic. Maybe she was saying that of the people who wear artificial nails, 98% wear acrylic since theres other types like gel, silk, diamond, etc. Maybe thats what she was saying. But even those figures don't sound right unless she has a source.

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

We are not allowed to have artificial nails. Not even the unit secretaries or the US, Mammo, CT, or MRI techs etc. I still see fake nails all the time. Just like crocs. We're not allowed to wear crocs with holes but I see them being worn all the time. Why make rules?

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Do you have a reputable source to bolster this statistic? Or, is it just an estimate based on your personal observations of where you live and attend school?

I meant 98% of women who wear ARTIFICIAL NAILS.

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The issue isn't YOU getting an infection but your patient getting one. You have the choice and are making an informed risk to yourself- your patient isn't able to do this

And 98% of women DO NOT have acrylics. I would bet all my paycheque- hell my house on this being wrong. First of all most women in the world don't live in north america - so when you take out all the women in developing nations who odds are don't have these - no where close to 98%. LOL But really I know only a handfull of women who have these - for sure not the majority - and no where near 98%. Where do you live that you see so many women with fakes that you believe it is almost all women? There would have to be nail salons on every corner with lines out the door with women going for fill ins. Hell even at the nail salons I go to the majority of people have natural nails or are getting pedicures. Not going for fill ins from what I observe.

If you read my earlier post, that is a concern of mine, and I feel it is a valid concern...if my natural nails split and peel and leave tiny open wounds. That is a risk to myself as well, and is a huge concern of mine. It caused me a great deal of pain and discomfort before I found out how to 'seal' the area.

I also never wear polish on them...it's built into the coating.

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I read something a couple of pages back that made me wonder....IS it a facility-by-facility policy against artificial nails that we're talking about, or is it a federally-mandated policy for ALL facilities in healthcare? Suzanne posted about it being a federal requirement that no healthcare worker is allowed artificial overlays, wraps, tips, etc....is this true?

Not trying to start a war, but I found nothing in my State Handbook that came with my nursing license regarding this. I found nothing to indicate that a nurse or any other healthcare worker was not allowed tips, wraps, overlays, whatever.

If it is truly a national (federal) law, then that ought to be a little better known! And if it isn't, well, then it IS up to individual facilities to decide.

Me, I have my own short, non-impressive natural nails, LOL, but I know my facility has no official policy regarding them. I asked. They are "discouraged" but not officially banned (at this time). Maybe I opened a can of worms!

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Well, every place that I have worked has had a no artificial nails policy for people coming into patient contact. It's just a good idea if you are working with people to avoid them because of the risk for infection.

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Thanks, but not asking how many people here have no-nails policies where they work....I'm sure most facilities DO have something written about them.

I'm asking about whether it's actually a federal LAW, or whether it's just a recommendation against. I don't mean "just" as in "oh well, ignore it". I mean I want to know whether there is a national law or regulation that can be identified for every single facility that employs healthcare workers, or whether there isn't.

It's the difference between this being a moot discussion (because having the nails and being an employed healthcare worker are illegal), or if it's worthy of discussion as it's up to individual facilities (or States?) to make the policy.

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Specializes in heme/onc (adult), NICU.

I'm a NICU nurse so artificial nails are a no-no in our unit but they are also banned from the entire health system I work in for anyone doing direct patient contact. Just a side note to those who love their artificial nails so much....I got them put on while in high school for the prom. The glue reacted to the protein in my nails and liftend the nail partially away from the nail bed. (There's a fancy name for it that I can't remember at the moment!) As a result, if my nails, especially my thumbs, grow out, I have a very weird looking white tip to my nails and am prone to breakage and infection if I have my nails long. So, I keep them short, polish or buff for special occasions and concentrate on having a nice pedicure. What else are you gonna do?!?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I meant 98% of women who wear ARTIFICIAL NAILS.

[bANANA]Okay, thanks for the clarification...[/bANANA]

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