Should nurses with long hair be required to wear it up?

roser13, ASN, RN · Apr 11, 2010

No, I don't believe it's a requirement for bedside care. Too many other important things to think about.

netglow, ASN, RN · Apr 11, 2010

Funny you should post about this. I thought I'd never cut my hair really short. But, I do now. I just love being able to go in and out and in and out...repeat of iso, constantly pulling that gown on and off over my head and not think twice about mussing up my hair. Also keeps my hands off my face.

ok2bme · Apr 11, 2010

No. We should be able to use our own judgement. I don't want to be policed at work regarding inconsequential matters. But management tends to concern themselves with such issues to avoid real problems and elephants in the room.

SNjamie · Apr 11, 2010

we were taught to wear it up, but some students don't and i've never seen them be told to put it up. personally, i do for comfort when working and hygenic reasons, wouldn't want a stray hair to fall in an open wound while doing dressing changes or something. just seems like the professional thing to do with long hair.

nursinger · Apr 11, 2010

Funny you should post about this. I thought I'd never cut my hair really short. But, I do now. I just love being able to go in and out and in and out...repeat of iso, constantly pulling that gown on and off over my head and not think twice about mussing up my hair. Also keeps my hands off my face.

Back in the day you were required to wear your hair up for infection control reasons. Nothing like packing that wound and your hair is falling out and into the wound. Yuck

Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2010

You know, there used to be requirements - hair off collar, short fingernails. And then they started to ease off, expecteing nurses to be able to use their common sense. And the result was long fingernails, hair dragging all over the plans, sloppy uniforms.

I have seen nurses with long fingernails and it grosses me out - WHAT is under those nails? and I've seen a wound care nurse doing a dressing on a Stage 4 ulcer on a heal, MRSA +ve - with her hair dragging all over the place.

WHAT has happened to common sense??

Maybe we do need to go back to being regulated - short nails, hair off the collar, because apparently we can't regulate ourselves.

allthaticanbe · Apr 11, 2010

I say wear it up for your own protection in terms of safety. Imagine the pain when a confused or upset patient yanks on your hair. Think of the neck pain and the headache that last for days after.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Apr 11, 2010

Do you think this should be a requirement for doing bedside care?
Just wondering what your thoughts were on this.....
Personally, I always wear my long hair up whenever I am doing pt care. Not because I am required to, I just don't want it getting in the way, etc.
Does anyone work for a facility that requires this?

I am in school but we are required to to pull our hair back if it's longer then our shoulders, not sure if it's hospital policy or not but thinking about it, I think everyone I recall seeing at the hospital with long hair had it pulled back in some form also.

caeRn · Apr 11, 2010

oooooh i wouldnt want my hair dangling in the unknown or known bugs of my patients. Pull it up!

asfreeasabird · Apr 11, 2010

When mine is down I usually have something to put it up, because as we all know in nursing you never know what is going to happen during the day. Our floor is a little stricter. We are not allowed to wear jeans to on-site education (which is good but it should be hospital wide), we are not allowed to wear sweaters that are not scrubs, they discourage shirts under scrubs (becuase they can't be taken off in a flash), we are also considering hosptial wide uniforms when we move to our new home in a year. They don't require hair to be up, just use your own judgement.

mykrosphere · Apr 11, 2010

You know, there used to be requirements - hair off collar, short fingernails. And then they started to ease off, expecteing nurses to be able to use their common sense. And the result was long fingernails, hair dragging all over the plans, sloppy uniforms.
I have seen nurses with long fingernails and it grosses me out - WHAT is under those nails? and I've seen a wound care nurse doing a dressing on a Stage 4 ulcer on a heal, MRSA +ve - with her hair dragging all over the place.
WHAT has happened to common sense??
Maybe we do need to go back to being regulated - short nails, hair off the collar, because apparently we can't regulate ourselves.

our policy is that we are to have our hair up and out of the way and no fake nails/ long nails, etc.

seems everyone pretty much abides by this.

i have long hair and wear it up. short nails (already screwed up by opening pill packages).

i have worn my hair down in the past, and have been "talked to" about it.

wearing my hair down at work is not an option. i dont even feel like im in work mode with my hair down (my hair is near waist length) and i hate to see stray hairs on things like pt. sheets, and sinks and things like that.

its gross!

work is not a fashion show