wedding band-hand sanitizer q

[Kitty Hawk]

Hello....

For those of you that wear wedding bands, especially if there are diamonds, do you have any problems with the hand sanitizer weakening the setting and losing stones and/or ruining the gold?

I read a couple threads on this, but that question was not answered (I do try to search for answers from past threads first!)

I have a small channel set band in white gold (perhaps white gold is the problem?) that I really never gave a second thought if I could or couldn't wear it in nursing school and then on the job. Because it's very flat it can't possibly scratch...but then I'm reading it can harbor fluids, blood, etc...but I thought that's why nurses wear gloves!

Are you really not wearing gloves as much when handling patients? Also I understand there may be a difference between the powdered gloves and the purple ones. I understand the ring can get gooped up with soap/moisturizer but that also isn't a huge concern as I soak mine everyday in a vinegar solution (a tip my chem prof gave me!) and he told me that dissolves all dirt, oils etc b/c of the polarity.

Sorry if this is a goofy question, but I'm really curious and I'd really like to wear at least my band as it's more than just the "symbol" for me, but if it's going to get ruined then I'd rather err on the side of caution and wear a plain gold one.

Can you tell I start nursing school in less than 3 mos and I'm just going nuts with the overwhelming reality that soon I am leaving my current job and embarking on this new journey? What am I thinking???

Anyway I'm very analytical so I like to figure things out ahead of time even though when I plan, God usually laughs

TIA

Michele

[Kiren]

you might want to check with your school, as the point will likely be moot: no schools in my area will allow a student to wear anything but a plain, un-engraved band (infection control cited as reason). you can either buy a cheap plain band, or leave the hands bare altogether.

i don't wear my wedding rings while i work because i use the hand sanitizer so much. although i wash frequently, i use the alcohol gook even more: every time i exit a room. i can't imagine it'd be good in the least for my rings if i did wear them!

i was going to say the same thing. my school says no rings with any type of stone at all. i just leave mine at home since we are not allowed to wear necklaces either. if it bothers you that much i would just buy a plain cheapy band just for clinicals that way you never damage your real wedding rings.

[IntoTheUnit]

My unit has a policy that only wedding bands can be worn, citing a study that shows ICU pts get 50% more infections if their nurses where more than 1 ring. I wear mine pinned to my shirt and through my bra strap so I can't forget them(when I remember; the policy isn't enforced very often).

[Indy, LPN, LVN]

I have a white gold ring with a star sapphire that I bought in 1986; two years ago when I got married, it was the same color as my new white gold wedding band; scratched in places but just as shiny. I'm just hoping my wedding band holds up as well. They're both 18 karat.

Speaking of sanitizer, are you all talking about the purell goop? That stuff is nasty, IMHO. In my micro class we had a free culture (go culture something and see what grows...) and one student did the top inside of her Purell bottle. You should have seen the fungus that grew off that thing! Now the alcohol mousse crap does leave any jewelry feeling sticky, so I wear a fake ring to work nowadays. Maybe one day of the month I forget and wear my real one but it's much less sticky doing that... and I'm much less likely to lose it by taking it off and sticking it in my pocket.