nails

:twocents:to me, it is still fake nails, just without the tips. in our facility we cannot have enhancements, so you may want to check with your facility's policy first.

According to the CDC, it contributes to changes in the nail that can increase the risk of colonization and transmission of organisms from you to the patient.

In our facility, no, you cannot wear acrylic over your natural nails, or get silk wraps either. Pretty much the same everywhere.

IMO, acrylic nails still considered as fake nails. In the hospital I work in, we are advised not to have long nails or put any sort of fake nails. This is highly due to the fact that bacteria can reside under its free edge and it can cause skin tear especially to kiddies & elderly. I guess it is the same as ceasing nurses to have identity badges hanging from lanyards as it has been proven to increase one's risk to develop nosocomial infection.

is standard nail polish okay ?

Yes, nail polish okay, I just wouldn't wear "freaky" colors. Lol

At one of my rotations some of the nurses wear nail polish (Not acrylic) but most of them don't wear any and everyone has short nails except for some of the techs & the ER nurses.

L & D, postpartum, NBN and the NICU are the strictest. I've never seen so much as a hang nail or a cuticle on anybody let alone nail polish.

The ER seems to be the single exception, it's acrylic nail central. I have no idea how they get away w/it.

Removing chipped nail polish though is heavily enforced in the whole facility. Every break room has a bottle of remover somewhere in it.

Hello everyone!

I have been a licensed manicurist for 12 yrs. As far as acrylic goes, even if you only have an overlay on your nails, it is still considered an artificial nail enhancement. Tips only establish length. Also, even nail polish is considered to be an artificial nail enhancement. (Anything you add to the surface of the natural nail is.) IMO, artificial nail enhancements themselves don't contribute to the rate of infection any more than natural nails do, as long as they are applied and maintained in the proper way. However, most people don't. Therefore, I'm glad that they're not allowed in most health care settings. As far as nail polish goes, I personally wouldn't wear it to work with patients, either. (Believe it or not, I have actually removed polish from a client to find a bacterial infection growing under it!)

You're not supposed to wear any fakeness on your nails, however I have never meet the fingernail police at any facility I have worked at. I have however seen lots of fakery going on. It's a matter of personal ethics since we as nurses know the reasons against wearing them.

Not washing hands like suppose to?

I have acrylic nails and have had them forever. I don't actually understand what all the fuss is about. I wash my hands when I go into a room and immediately put on gloves. As I leave, I dispose of gloves and wash my hands again. I never touch a patient or anything in the room without gloves. I don't use any alcoholic hand cleaners because they make my hands feel dirty. I am not sure how my nails would contribute to any infection considering my routine for cleaning and using gloves. Any ideas?