Non bedside nursing Option ... and a side question bout Nails?

Editorial Team / Admin · Jul 31, 2018

I can't believe all the responses telling someone to rethink their career choice just because they want to wear fake nails. How rude and mean!! I had fake nails when I worked as a floor nurse at a rehab center for many years. I just kept them short. I work at an assisted living facility now and I have very long fake nails. My boss has never said anything to me and I have been there for several years. I do not perform a lot of bedside care though. I think in the nursing profession it depends on where you work and the level of care you provide. Keep your nails and wear them with pride!

No. Just no. Fake nails have been linked to deaths. There is a reason many dress codes strictly forbid them. Bet if you looked at yours they aren't allowed, regardless of whether your manager polices it or not. As a nurse, you should take the higher road, follow the dress code, and follow infection control standards. The fact that you prefer to play fast and loose with infection control is concerning.

Study Links Bacteria, Long Nails and Baby Deaths - The New York Times

Sour Lemon · Jul 31, 2018

Im currently a ADN Nursing student and i work as a Tech. I hope to get my BSN soon after i finish my ADN. I've enjoyed our clinical so far, but i have a strange feeling i will not enjoy bed side nursing for very long after i graduated . So i have two question What are other great jobs that a Nurses can do (Non-Bedside) ? (To add to this i want to know so i can start looking at what education is require for non bedside jobs not that i don't want to bedside at all ) and the second one is, are there any line of Nursing or health career related jobs ( non patient care) that you can have acrylic nails? (Yes i know it may sound like a dumb question but, i just love having my nails done at least at my age, and i have a bad habit of bitting my nail which i don't do when they are done. I know i won't be able to right out of school more like a down the road option.) YES i understand infection control for the patient care part.

It does sound like a dumb question, but I once cried (hysterically) because I thought my work uniform was going to be changed to an unflattering color. Thank goodness they ended up choosing something else.

vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN · Jul 31, 2018

Gel nails may indeed be the answer. I, too, am a nail biter. I'm nearly 40 and I'm getting better at not doing it, but it's still a temptation. I wore gel nails in approved colors (clear, pale pink, French) super short in LVN school and as an LVN. RN school didn't allow any polish- even clear.

I noticed many / most RNs at my place of employment have naked nails. Some wear gel, I wear gel occasionally.

JadedCPN, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2018

For what it is worth in response to several replies about gel nails - the past two facilities I have worked at have banned gel nail polish in addition to acrylics due to similar infection control risks.

Glycerine82, LPN · Jul 31, 2018

Acrylics are dirty, bad for your real nails, and essentially little peaty dishes at your finger tips.

There are great non-bedside jobs, but you have to work bedside for quite awhile to gain experience and perspective, at minimum.

How far into the program are you? Forgive me if you've already said so.

You really won't know what you like or don't line until you graduate.

Hint: What you are in school for is nothing like what you will be doing when school is over.

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jul 31, 2018

I have a french manicure and currently work in informatics but I'm only able to do that because I have years and years of bedside nursing experience, a degree and several certifications. It's unlikely you could get a job like that without experience. You might find that you have to do some bedside nursing to be able to get a job away from the bedside, unless you're particularly lucky. I can't imagine it would be easy to get a case manager, informatics or research job straight out of school.

chare · Jul 31, 2018

I have an MHA and currently a NUM. I cover incharge shifts if someone calls in sick and no other person is available esp around grad programme rotation and the seniors are precepting.
I am in the middle when the emergency buzzer goes off, facilitating family meetings, complex d/c planning etc. The first part of NUM is "nurse".

It has been my experience that the majority of nurse managers will not do this.

kcochrane · Jul 31, 2018

Where do you work? When I worked in the hospital, my manager refused to help with patient care at all, didn't know how to use our EMR and didn't have access to the Pyxis. In no way was she "back-up" nor could she answer most clinical questions. That was our Clinical Nurse Specialist's role. Our educator also didn't do patient care. Manager jobs in this hospital required MSNs.

As a nurse manager in LTC if there is a call in I have to be able to get on a cart. I also help out with patient care. I needed to have experience in order to answer clinical questions. Mind you the paperwork keeps me from helping as much as I would like.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2018

Keep your nails and wear them with pride!

Odd advice considering many MANY facilities do not allow them.

I work at an assisted living facility now and I have very long fake nails. I do not perform a lot of bedside care though.

With all due respect, I'm sure that's a relief to the patients. I cannot imagine someone touching me and performing nursing care on me with long, fake talons.

caliotter3 · Jul 31, 2018

This brings to mind a home care case where one of the nurses wore talons and had the audacity to frequently "find" reason to chart skin breakdown on the patient. No matter how much the patient's mother complained to the agency that she did not want that nurse caring for her child, for various reasons, to include the talons, the agency insisted on sending that one nurse. The mother said she knew that the charting of skin problems was meant to deflect away from self, when self was more than likely the cause of any problem for the patient. Your employer might condone the wearing of talons for patient care, but that does not mean that the patient or the patient's family do. Lay people notice a lot more than they are given credit for.

Have Nurse, ADN, RN · Jul 31, 2018

Do you consider School Nursing bedside? I have friends that love it. There is a sub-board here you might find insightful.

She still can't wear acrylic nails.

Marian96, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · Jul 31, 2018

My answer is Gel!!! That's how I keep mines, short, classy and it last for ever!! Second, there is a lot of non-bedside jobs for RN out there, I used to worked with a Health Insurance Company and sometimes they pay way better than the hospitals, I was a Case Manager and then Prior Authorization. If you like Nursing do not get discourage because of "Acrylic Nails" we have options!!! Also I would like to point out, I completely understand Hospitals policies however, If every single time that you are in contact with your patient, you are using gloves 99.9% of the time, how they are going to catch an infection from your nails? I mean I been a RN for 12 years,most of the time in the ER/Trauma, I never never never ,treat a pt without gloves!!! Interesting right?