protecting the rock!

[GeauxNursing]

I'm engaged! My boyfriend proposed the other night! I am SO excited!

Is my ring safe going through the 12 hour shift's worth of hand washing and Purell sanitizers? Working in dialysis, we wash our hands before and after every glove change, so you know I'm participating in some serious hand hygiene?

Am I safe? I guess I am worried about the actual white gold band getting damaged by the constant washing washing washing...(and sanitizing)

thanks!

[Kunzieo]

I wear a "fake" engagement ring along with my wedding band. I picked out one that looked similar to mine at a QVC store (also, check jcpenny, ebay, or any other online retailer) and wear that most of the time. I usually only wear my real one if I have a strech of days off. Many of the nurses on my unit do this, sometimes 2-3 of them will go ring shopping together when their fake ones get scuzzy or worn out.

[Agnus]

I would not wear it on a chain around my neck.

The chain will wear the metal on the ring.

The chain may come unfastened.

A confused, agitated, scared, or psychotic patient could grab the chain and choke/harm me and even end up breaking the chain and I would loose it. Even though it is hidden under your scrub top.

I do not like safety pinning it to me for the same reasons.

Leave it home or leave it on.

It can harbor germs. I have heard some forms of white gold will not stand up to this. ( I personally wear my diamond with a white gold band and put it through hell with no ill effects but not everyone has this experience)

[Lauren07]

I personally wear my wedding rings. My engagement ring is my husband's grandmother's and I have two custom bands we had made to match. So my set, as well, is very special to me. They are platinum so they don't lose their "color". I do know that the white gold will turn a yellowish color through time so you may want to get a simple white gold band to wear at work instead of the diamond ring. I purchased a white gold comfort band to wear and wore it for all of one week. I missed my rings too much. They aren't too loose to where I worry about them coming off with my gloves. I just couldn't stand not having my rings on at work. It's up to you. It's more of a personal preference. Everyone I worked at (in Labor and Delivery) always wore their diamonds. Hope this helps! Good luck! And Congratulations! :redpinkhe

[jackson145]

I had to quit wearing mine because it was shredding my gloves.

[jewishhatmaker]

My wife bought me a Tungsten Carbide wedding band so I can wear it at work:) It is nearly indestructible and never needs polished! If I were you I'd wear the ring around your neck if you want to show it off:) congratz!

[SaraO'Hara]

I just have a simple sterling Claddagh ring for my wedding band, and leave it on all the time - no issues with gloves, moves easily for handwashing. My best nursing school friend just got engaged, and has a very high set solitaire - she's going to leave it home and wear a plain dummy band at work.

[bagladyrn, RN]

Whatever you choose to do, DO NOT pin your ring to your scrubs - especially if you wear hospital provided scrubs. I lost my engagement ring that way when I changed and drove all the way home after a busy night before realizing I had left it. Of course, the laundry had already been picked up and it was never found.

[november17, ASN, RN]

I wear my ring on a chain around my neck while I'm working. Not worth the risk of it breaking the glove or getting buggies/poo/blood on it.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

I know you want to show it off. That's half the fun. I work NICU and our rules state no rings with stones at work. However, we hire a lot of young nurses and see frequent engagements. Everyone wants to show off the ring. Most wear it on a chain for a couple of weeks until they've shown it off to their satisfaction, then just leave it at home after that. We probably split 50/50 on whether married nurses wear their plain bands to work. I don't as my skin gets very irritated underneath from the frequent handwashing and sanitizing.

When I got engaged I was still working adult tele. I asked for a ring with channel set stones as I had seen too many patients get their skin ripped by nurses' rings with high set stones, even if they were wearing gloves. Several years later I changed my mind and my husband got me a fabulous ring with lots of stones (some high set) which I only wear away from work.

[lainith]

I wear a solitare diamond that's in a cathedral setting and it sits much too high to be practical. I've punctured gloves with it too many times so it stays at home. I've also almost LOST that same ring when it accidentally came off in a glove when it was too loose. I don't want anything to happen to it and I know it's safer at home.

[rn/writer, RN]

Besides infection hazards, pulling gloves on and off can loosen the prongs on your setting. I lost one of the diamonds from my wedding ring that way.

I either wear my ring on a chain or leave it home.

[tri-rn]

I broke a prong on my setting, probably from pulling gloves off and on. After that I bought a (relatively) inexpensive plain gold band to wear at work. But I sure wouldn't blame you if you wore it on a chain for a couple of weeks to show off :redpinkhe

Congratulations!!!!!!!!