nails

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

Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Any good articfial nail is NOT going to fall off in a patient's wound! Lee Press On nails are a different story. And the gloves would keep 'em contained anyway.

Reminds me of an instructor in nursing school who told us we always had to wear panties and panty hose...she had a theory that we all had (and NO I am NOT making this up) crotch dandruff and we needed to keep it contained in our panty hose so as not to contaminate our environment.

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
Reminds me of an instructor in nursing school who told us we always had to wear panties and panty hose...she had a theory that we all had (and NO I am NOT making this up) crotch dandruff and we needed to keep it contained in our panty hose so as not to contaminate our environment.

glitter_maker_07_22_2007_15_57_21_88208.gif:balloons:

Now, we have crotch dandruff? What's next? :lol2:

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To the nurse with the weak nails, you should try silk overlays. I use that instead of acrylic and I like it much better.

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Specializes in ER.

Joint Commission specifically says if you have direct patient contact you may not wear artificial nails. If you do and they make an unannounced visit (which they now can do) your facility will face a huge fine and marks against. They started enforcing this several years ago.

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
Joint Commission specifically says if you have direct patient contact you may not wear artificial nails. If you do and they make an unannounced visit (which they now can do) your facility will face a huge fine and marks against. They started enforcing this several years ago.

And the Joint Commission should. Numerous infections have been traced back to nursres wearing false nails. I am a nurse from the old school. I do not appreciate being cared for by a nurse who wears phoney nails, too much make-up, tatoos, dangling ear rings, and hair flying all over the place. Dress codes have been relaxed too much, leading to a very sloppy appearance. And like it or not, patients and their families tend to look at nurses who dress sloppy, as being sloppy in their care.

Woody

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While I agree that well-kept polish is fine and chipping is not, this particular reason doesn't make much sense to me. In ANY instance where "flaking polish" could contaminate a wound, why would you not be wearing gloves (sterile gloves, even)? If the wound could be contaminated in such a manner, it would not be open to air to rub on sheets, etc...it would be under wraps, in a dressing. Polish would never be an issue here. And I do have to say that the idea of doing a sterile dressing change barehanded (such that a fake nail could "fall off" and contaminate it) seems silly :)

Everyone wears gloves, bacteria and other organisms have been known to go through them also. That's why we have to wash our hands after taking them off. I am one of those people too that frequent hand washing softens my nails and they break off. Nail polish does not help, it comes off daily, no matter what kind I used. I found relief in overlays and false nails. So I keep it short and clean. 95% of the nurses that I have worked with wear them too, no one is going to adhere to that policy. Fake nails are here to stay, unless they want a real nursing shortage.:trout:

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Sorry, but your facility is subject to a mega-money fine by the state, as well as federal law. This is not something that you are immune from.

As a DON, or ADON, you are not usually involved in direct patient care, so you could be exempt from that policy. However, I do not believe that the owners of your facility would back you up if the state made a surprise visit and fined them for every nurse or employee that was doing direct patient care and you allowed it.

This is not something to be proud of, wonder what the MRSA rate is at your facility, or any other communicable disease. Gloves alone does not prevent it from spreading.

Suggest that you may with to attend some infection control seminars to see why it has been mandated by the federal government and not up to you to make these decisions.

MRSA and other communicable disease are brought in from the hospital,I have never seen it acquired in the LTC setting. Nurses in hospitals have more direct care than LTC, I think that is why the nail policy is more flexible. Our nursing assistants do the majority of the direct care.:monkeydance:

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Specializes in OB/GYN, L&D, Inf Prevention, CM, QI.

The wearing of artificial nails has been associated with adverse patient outcomes. An outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa occurred in a NICU from January 1997 to August 1998. 49 infants were infected or colonized. Two infants died. Infants were more likely to have the infection if they had been cared for by a particular healthcare worker who wore artificial nails that were found to be colonized with the same strain of bacteria. The hospital changed its policy to require short natural nails in the NICU and have had no further incidence of infection since that time. (NEJM Vol 343:695-700 Sept 7, 2000)

Another incident occurred in 1994 with CV surgery patients who acquire Serratia marcescens infecitons, one of whom died. A nurse who wore artificial fingernails was identified as a risk factor. (J Infect Dis 19997 Apr:175(4):992-5

Another article of interest: Can a fashion statement harm the patient? Long and artificial nails may cause nosomial infections. Am J Nurs 2000 Sep; 100((): 63-5.

As professionals we should allow our practice to be driven by science. There seems to be a risk to the patient associated with the wearing of long or artificial nails. We should do everything we can to minimize that risk.

Like one of the other posts, I have thin brittle nails. I keep them cut short enough that they do not snag.

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Specializes in ER-Adult and Peds, also ICU.
And the Joint Commission should. Numerous infections have been traced back to nursres wearing false nails. I am a nurse from the old school. I do not appreciate being cared for by a nurse who wears phoney nails, too much make-up, tatoos, dangling ear rings, and hair flying all over the place. Dress codes have been relaxed too much, leading to a very sloppy appearance. And like it or not, patients and their families tend to look at nurses who dress sloppy, as being sloppy in their care.

Woody

Don't mean to be a smart a-- but you sound like one of the nurses that think that we should all still wear caps and whites. With the nurse shortage,I have found that my pt does not care if I come in there with my pjs on as long as they get care. I work in ERs all over Missouri. and only 1 bans fake nails in the ER. I personally don't care, I have more important things to worry about like keeping my pt's alive! I also have done the wash and light test. I was the only one who passed, and I had fake nails at the time! But I use a scrub brush and scrub my hands for the full recomended time. In fact I have had a hard time b/c the hospitals don't want to spend the money on scrub brushes for nails. I no longer have fake nails, but when I had them the place that applied them had you scrub your nails extremely well before applying the acrylic and after you scrubbed your nails they painted them with a solution that killed bacteria and fungi. Also someone said something about no Crocs? What is that about. As long as you are wearing socks, what is the problem?? Hopeful please keep in mind that nurses are prone to "eat their young" it has a;ways been that way and I have seen little change. Please do not allow all the negativity to keep you from the profession. Check with JACO and your State Board of Nursing, see if they have any policies about them. Also hon if you want to worry about something, start practicing holding your bladder for 12 hours, go from room to room in your house without stopping for 12hr, and also not eating during that 12 hrs. You are more likely to have problems in those areas. Also grow a real thick skin b/c hon it can be really rough. There are always at least a couple of nurses anywhere you work that will stab you in the back. I make it a practice to keep my mouth closed and my ears open for at least the first 6 months on the job. Just some ideas. Good luck to ya. There is nothing in the world like saving lives even with the negative aspects of the job.:cheers:

Tired Brave Heart

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
Don't mean to be a smart a-- but you sound like one of the nurses that think that we should all still wear caps and whites. With the nurse shortage,I have found that my pt does not care if I come in there with my pjs on as long as they get care. I work in ERs all over Missouri. and only 1 bans fake nails in the ER. I personally don't care, I have more important things to worry about like keeping my pt's alive! I also have done the wash and light test. I was the only one who passed, and I had fake nails at the time! But I use a scrub brush and scrub my hands for the full recomended time. In fact I have had a hard time b/c the hospitals don't want to spend the money on scrub brushes for nails. I no longer have fake nails, but when I had them the place that applied them had you scrub your nails extremely well before applying the acrylic and after you scrubbed your nails they painted them with a solution that killed bacteria and fungi. Also someone said something about no Crocs? What is that about. As long as you are wearing socks, what is the problem?? Hopeful please keep in mind that nurses are prone to "eat their young" it has a;ways been that way and I have seen little change. Please do not allow all the negativity to keep you from the profession. Check with JACO and your State Board of Nursing, see if they have any policies about them. Also hon if you want to worry about something, start practicing holding your bladder for 12 hours, go from room to room in your house without stopping for 12hr, and also not eating during that 12 hrs. You are more likely to have problems in those areas. Also grow a real thick skin b/c hon it can be really rough. There are always at least a couple of nurses anywhere you work that will stab you in the back. I make it a practice to keep my mouth closed and my ears open for at least the first 6 months on the job. Just some ideas. Good luck to ya. There is nothing in the world like saving lives even with the negative aspects of the job.:cheers:

Tired Brave Heart

Some people need to read some of the articles in professional journals that have proven a direct link between nurses wearing false nails and the spreading of infections among patients. And yes, I am one of the old school nurses. And I do take exception to individuals who dress slopply, wear long false fingernails and let their hair fly all over me. Sorry, I am more concerned about getting an infection from someone then I am about bathroom breaks. And I am kind of tired of people using the excuses to excuse their lack of professionalism. This downward trend started in the 80s and it has come to full bloom now. People are more concerned about their waiters attair then they are of the people whom they entrust their lives to. And we wonder why the rate of infections, in hospitals, has risen so much. Nahh, it couldn't be tied to the bacteria growing under one's false nails, now could it?

I wonder how many would feel differently if it was their child, their spouse, their parent who got an infection from someone wearing false nails so they could look attractive. I always thought nursing was about patient care, not about how pretty one looks. Guess I am wrong.

Woody

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Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.
i was told that nurses cant wear fake nails or nail polish is that true?

We can't wear fake nails, either. I don't think polish is a good idea unless it's clear.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
We can't wear fake nails, either. I don't think polish is a good idea unless it's clear.

I dont wear either myself

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