The fingernail police!!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I knew it was coming,but...the hospitals around here are "outlawing" fake nails and/or overlays. I can see their issue with bacteria, etc..under the nails..

but it bothers me that they are dictating what I can or cant have on my own body. For instance, if nails are dirty - what about jewelry, earrings, etc.,where do you draw the line? Does it not make sense that anyone who goes to the trouble of having nice nails would also take the time to wash under those nails. Im not talking about 6" long tiger nails - but any length, nomatter how short,isnt allowed. I am a nail biter - if I dont have overlays, I will be biting my nails all day - how sanitary is that? I was just wondering if this was a local thing or country wide.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

I have clean, short, natural fingernails. It is required for my job, and i have no qualms about complying with it, because it's common sense that anything on them can be a digital petrie dish.

It astounds me how people can defends the right to wear the overlays, etc.

Whenever i am a pt., if anyone comes near me with long and/or fake nails, they will be asked to leave. If that's offensive, too bad, i am protecting myself.

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Specializes in Home Health.
There is a student thread floating around about "What You'd Give Up To Be A Nurse". Even though I went to aethetics academy, owned my own business, made women's nails beautiful for 6 years and wore gel nails myself for just as long ... I would give them up in heartbeat!

Nursing is all about the patient, not about how good I look doing it (course, I'm not there yet ... but I've already cut my nails in anticipation!). I'm seriously shocked that this is even an issue for some ...

Maybe when you have actually been a nurse for 23 years, like me, you may understand the issue. I am also a licensed nail tech. After 23 years, it isn't so much the nail issue, it's the "last straw" issue. If I could afford to be strictly a nail tech, I would leave nursing in a heartbeat. I am a person/mother/family member FIRST and a nurse second. My nails are in the cruddy condition they were from years of such frequent hand-washing with harsh hibiclens soaps in ICU's.

I REALLY RESENT people ***-u-ming that because a person enjoys having thier nails look nice they don't care about their patient's. How DARE anyone here presume that I don't care for my patient's!!! And it was also ***-umed that those who have fake nails are long, mine aren't long, they are just strong, and I get less hangnails and infections from the dry nails/skin/cuticles. I do not get my nails done so I can show them off at work for Heaven's sake. Not everyone is so shallow as some of you super-nurses presume!

BTW, if you don't want me to take care of you, FINE!!! Your loss, not mine!

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hoolihan,

i am not assuming you're tired, but you SOUND like you need a vacation from nsg.

and even if it's not you personally, i have seen plenty of nsg staff whose nails are extremely long and coiffed....never mind the risk of carrying/spreading infection but how in heck can they effectively do their job??? if you perceive some as 'super nurses' then it's unfortunate you're feeling so defensive. but when various studies conclude that acrylics are risky, there's not much to argue.

i do hope you're feeling more at peace.

leslie

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Well, I choose my overlays. The day my home health agency tells me we can't have them, it will be the last clinical shift I work. I am FT now with an insurance company, and per diem HH.

Glad you have your priorities straight......hmmmm, fashion or providing good health care????

I know I want a nurse whose main concern is how good she looks.....I can always be given a little ole antibiotic for a simple little MRSA infection. Fight the good fight! Maybe you can bring back smoking while providing care. And while you are at it...hand washing and gloves...do we really need that ????

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I had to take my acrylics off for nursing school, and never put them back on. Hospital policy here is: no acrylics, nails 1/4 inch long and only neutral polish allowed. Necklace may be worn, no bracelots but watches are allowed. Two rings maximum. Two earrings in each ear only, with no other piercings allowed. That they had to actually put the policy in writing makes me wonder about some of the "professionals" that worked here!

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Maybe when you have actually been a nurse for 23 years, like me, you may understand the issue. I am also a licensed nail tech. After 23 years, it isn't so much the nail issue, it's the "last straw" issue. If I could afford to be strictly a nail tech, I would leave nursing in a heartbeat. I am a person/mother/family member FIRST and a nurse second. My nails are in the cruddy condition they were from years of such frequent hand-washing with harsh hibiclens soaps in ICU's.

I REALLY RESENT people ***-u-ming that because a person enjoys having thier nails look nice they don't care about their patient's. How DARE anyone here presume that I don't care for my patient's!!! And it was also ***-umed that those who have fake nails are long, mine aren't long, they are just strong, and I get less hangnails and infections from the dry nails/skin/cuticles. I do not get my nails done so I can show them off at work for Heaven's sake. Not everyone is so shallow as some of you super-nurses presume!

BTW, if you don't want me to take care of you, FINE!!! Your loss, not mine!

Years do not necessarily make a person wiser. The experience within is what counts.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Did you read the links provided? It isn't about hygeine or handwashing or even scratching. Acrylic nails support the growth of certain pathogens to an extent that real nails don't. They can look as clean as can be, they aren't. Simple as that.

If nurses don't follow basic infection control practices, there is a real problem out there.

^--------

This state the problem i have with the fake nails, overlays, whatever people want to call any of it, the above quote outlines this perfectly.

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Arcrylic nails harbour pathogens. No ifs ands or buts. Arcrylic nails harbour pathogens. It has nothing to do with how well, or how often you wash your hands. It doesn't matter how short, or long they are. It is the presence of the arcrylic itself that is the problem. If anyone doesn't understand this then I can't imagine how you made it through nursing school. :rolleyes:

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Specializes in Oncology RN.
BTW, if you don't want me to take care of you, FINE!!! Your loss, not mine!

Geez, with that kind of attitude, I wouldn't want you to take care of me...regardless of what your nails look like. I agree with the previous poster...you need a break from nursing.

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Nice looking nails arent synonymous with unclean nails, either. Its not a matter of appearance over cleanliness...you are assuming that just because someone has overlays - they dont know how to wash their hands or wear gloves (?) If a nurse or healthcare worker is spreading bacteria under her nails - she probably doesnt have good handwashing tech, anyway.

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The problem here isn't that folks with overlays don't do a good job of handwashing and glove wearing. The fact is, that even when you do a good job of these things, overlays STILL carry more bacteria, and studies have shown that this is true. It's a patient safety isssue, and not something that you can compensate for with handwashing and glove wearing.

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If you really like getting your nails done, and like the look of polished nails, why not get a pedicure instead of a manicure? You can get those neat designs on your toenails and it won't interfere with anything. You can always wear fingernail polish on your days off.

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I had acrylic nails 8 years ago and by the time I was ready to have them filled, I had an incredibly itchy rash all over my body. They gave me steroids and they didn't work, they gave me lotions and they didn't work, heck, they even gave me some sort of toxic stuff that I had to cover so the dog wouldn't get it and that didn't work. Once I got those nails off and quit re-scratching (my entire body was affected and was bleeding from my incessant scratching) it went away. This was something I had to deal with for over a month! We don't know for sure that my rash and the pain and itching that came with it came from the nails, but I wouldn't be willing to take a chance on anyone else getting it just in case. There is no reason for fake nails in nursing... and just think of the money you are saving!

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