lpchels

This has nothing to do with gel nail polish. Gel polish is a nail polish that is painted on and cures in UV light (uv light is also used to kill bacteria in different applications) similar to how glazes heat cure in many types of pottery. The polish is sealed at the tip of the nail to prevent bacteria/water/soap etc from getting between the polish and nail. This also keeps it from chipping as easily. Nail wraps are stuck on over your existing nail and can trap bacteria in between the nail and sticker. This topic may not be as important as others but i have rather thin sharp nails and gel polish actually makes my nails less sharp and likely to scratch delicate skin. I even keep them short. So if the are not an infection control issue i would like to be able to wear the polish daily to prevent from accidentally scratching people.

To why this is even an issue if there is a policy in place: because I like healthcare improvement and would like the facility I work for to use EBP. I like to know if there is an infection control issue specifically for this type of polish since it is relatively new and cured to the nail to harden and increase durability. I recently just had my nails painted with gel polish while on vacation. Although my facility allows regular polish that is not chipped I usually don't bother with regular polish at all on my fingernails because its usually chipped day one. This is what I have learned from the experience: 1. There is no "fake nail" applied, it is painted over your real nails 2. Each layer is hardened to the nail by uv light (which is also used to kill bacteria in other settings) 3. The tip of your nails is painted with each coat to prevent a crack between your nail and the polish. 4. The final coat is wiped with alcohol to set (which seems to me would make it more durable to alcohol based hand sanitizer) 5. To remove the polish you must file the tips of your nails to create an opening for the solvent then soak your nails to remove. I imagine with proper care this polish could actually be safer than regular polish as it creates less opportunity to harbor bacteria. Since I have very thin and sharp fingernails the gel coat actually makes it less likely that I will accidentally scratch one of my patients which happens rarely but is enough of concern to me that I started to keep nail files in my bag to touch them up when i rarely have a moment. I haven't read this entire thread yet because I became appalled that someone suggest that we should just blindly follow a hospital policy and not further our own education. Not all policies are best practice and I can tell you right now Nurse's have been thrown under the bus for not challenging bad policies.

Seems to me the whole purpose of this change is the result of a disciplinary issue. Nurses refusing to take report is a disciplinary issue, and compromising patient care for a disciplinary issue is appalling to me! Maybe some nurses argue for no reason but it is our job to advocate for our patients and what if an assignment is unsafe? You call to the floor and a nurse is say changing several dressings and can't come to the phone and you send a patient when the assignment is unsafe? Sure this rarely happens, but it could. I probably feel more appalled to this because I work at a smaller hospital and our system is horrid, there is no chance looking in the computer or chart would get you the same information as report. We don't delay receiving report at my hospital. You get a call you answer it, finish up what you are immediately doing to take report, ask your questions and go back to what you were doing until your patient arrives. If you don't take report within a few minutes management/charge is going to be tracking you down. We have more problems with people holding on to patients so that they won't get a new admit. That too is a disciplinary problem, but I wouldn't say we need to skip discharge instructions to solve it...

I just got size 6 in the mail. I don't think I like them. There is so much umph in the heel it feels like wearing a heel. maybe I just need to break them in?

I just bought these because they have great reviews (some of them from medical professionals) on amazon. I have to send the first pair back because they are too big. I also have a wide foot and tend to wear 7-8 size shoe in Women's. The anterior part of the shoe had a huge gap with size 7 and I had about a half inch to spare in the back. I just exchanged them on Amazon today for a size 6 (which I haven't worn since middle school). Patiently awaiting their arrival. Hope this helps with your purchase at least.

I graduated from nursing school and went straight into school nursing (this is my first year) not by choice. I applied to be a sub while I did some job hunting and they liked me so when someone quit I was hired full time. I am currently looking for a new job because it drives me crazy. Don't get me wrong, I love kids. I do not like teachers because teachers are a.) so scared of being sued they send everything from "my arm hurts from writing" to "this bruise I got on my arm 3 days ago hurts when I touch it" to my clinic and b.) they like to cause a lot of drama over nothing. I see 26 students a day for impromptu visits on top of my other duties. But I will tell you, I would definitely do it over teaching. I was a nanny in college no problem, but on days when I have 6 kids in my clinic and 2 kids are running in circles waiting on their meds, another is sneaking in my office to steal sticky notes to draw on, while I apply pressure to a kids nose that won't stop gushing, I know I could not have 20 of them in a classroom. We are a title 1 school so I'm constantly running some health program for needy students. My advise to you is try out school nursing. If you like it stay. If you still think you would rather teach and multiple kids and teacher/staff drama doesn't drive you crazy, go for it. Then you know it is your calling.

"What? It was the only way I could be in two places at once!"