Wedding rings that sit "high" up vs. gloves

SheriLynnRN · Aug 6, 2005

I didn't sauder my wedding band to my engagement ring or my anniversary band. The wedding band is very thin and smooth, I never take it off. The diamonds i just leave at home and wear on my off days.

Indy, LPN, LVN · Aug 6, 2005

i dont understand how there can be any doubt about what nurses and doctors should do with their weddingrings when they are at work:
leave the rings at home!
this also includes all other rings and watches, they dont belong in a healthcare environment. as a nurse you should all know that rings, long nails, nailpolish ect. are great places for bacterias to grow, bacterias that we as nurses should try to elliminate to prevent the riscs of giving our patients infections. infections that in the worst case can lead to death.
yes you can try to cover your hands with gloves, but they do break. with a big enough stone you might even cut the patient! if you are suddenly called to an emergency how fast can you then put on a new pair of gloves?
nursing is not about showing of your weddingring or status or whatever other excuse you might have to waer it at work.
nursing is about the patient!
lets not forget that.

umm, i beg to differ about the watch comment. i need my watch. no clock in any patient's room in the facility i work in, is anywhere near where i need for it to be. that's why i wear a watch. i take it off when i wash my hands (velcro), so it doesn't get wet and grow stuff.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Aug 6, 2005

i dont understand how there can be any doubt about what nurses and doctors should do with their weddingrings when they are at work:
leave the rings at home!
nursing is not about showing of your weddingring or status or whatever other excuse you might have to waer it at work.
nursing is about the patient!
lets not forget that.

marriage is a sacrament to some of us. the priest blessed our rings before we put them on each other's hands. it's not so much about showing off our fabulous jewellry or showing our marital status. it's about the sacrament of marriage and remembering what that means. in short, i guess you could say it's a religious symbol. so, while you may have no doubt about what do to with your wedding rings, it's not up to you to tell me what to do with mine, or anyone else what to do with theirs. :)

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[color=#4b0082]i made a very special effort to have rings made that didn't stick up high to avoid the problem with tearing gloves, scratching patients, snagging, etc. and my ring has never been a problem in that way. i haven't had it off in years -- in fact, if i wanted it off now, i'd have to cut it off.

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[color=#4b0082]i also have some very nice rings that don't symbolize anything special to me. i leave them, my bracelets and other jewellry at home. but my wedding ring doesn't come off.

Annesy · Aug 6, 2005

hi ruby and everyone,

seems the argument about rings comes down to three issues:

1) wanting to protect your jewelry from the wear and tear of nursing work

2) sacred/religious/personal aspects of jewelry pieces

3) wanting to protect your patients from harbored bacteria in rings

i don't think she is trying to tell you what to do with your jewelry, whether it is wedding, religious, or a fun piece. the fact remains, jewelry harbors bacteria, which can be transmitted between patients, and even to your family at home. your religious feelings toward your jewelry should take second place to your professional obligation as a nurse, which to is protect patients. i think it is very selfish of you to prioritize your need to wear rings, versus the patient's right to bacteria-free care. if you need to wear your rings, put them on necklace, so they are at least off of your fingers.

why do nurses have to argue so much about something that is a known fact, is even a rule in most hospitals, and as educated professionals, we should just know? remember hand hygiene? what would florence think?

a married and ringless nursing student,

anne

marriage is a sacrament to some of us. the priest blessed our rings before we put them on each other's hands. it's not so much about showing off our fabulous jewellry or showing our marital status. it's about the sacrament of marriage and remembering what that means. in short, i guess you could say it's a religious symbol. so, while you may have no doubt about what do to with your wedding rings, it's not up to you to tell me what to do with mine, or anyone else what to do with theirs. :)
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[color=#4b0082]i made a very special effort to have rings made that didn't stick up high to avoid the problem with tearing gloves, scratching patients, snagging, etc. and my ring has never been a problem in that way. i haven't had it off in years -- in fact, if i wanted it off now, i'd have to cut it off.
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[color=#4b0082]i also have some very nice rings that don't symbolize anything special to me. i leave them, my bracelets and other jewellry at home. but my wedding ring doesn't come off.

jillyk*rn · Aug 6, 2005

Hi,

I went and bought a simple gold band (with my DH's help). Nice - but withstands the many, many, many ect hand washings and having no designs - nothing gets caught.

However, I work with a wonderful group of women (who all seem to be younger than me :angryfire and just now getting married and having babies - and they seem to wear theirs with no problems.

:nurse: Jill

fergus51 · Aug 6, 2005

I don't understand how people can put infection control as second to personal appearance/preference and dress that up as "personal choice".

This is really no different than the fake nail debate and I don't get it there either.

hellerd2003, RN · Aug 6, 2005

DH bought me a pave' diamond band to wear to work-- but in washing once I lost a stone.

Best solution that I found? We went to QVC.com and bought a plain, comfort-fit band (they have them in 14K white, yellow, and rose gold) for $25.00

That way, I can wear it for myself, if I scrub up and lose it, it's only $25 gone, and I can always wear my wedding set when I'm not at work.

--Heather

redwinggirlie · Aug 6, 2005

Leave them home. I know I'm married.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Aug 6, 2005

hi ruby and everyone,
your religious feelings toward your jewelry should take second place to your professional obligation as a nurse, which to is protect patients. i think it is very selfish of you to prioritize your need to wear rings, versus the patient's right to bacteria-free care.
this is your opinion -- that i'm selfish. and so is everyone else who chooses to wear their wedding ring to work. there are some areas of the hospital -- nicu and or come immediately to mind -- where rings aren't worn. if i worked in one of those areas, i'd have to have my ring cut off, thus ruining it forever (it's handmade by a former patient of mine, and in a tension setting). but i've worked in icu for 23 years and hematology and oncology before that -- it's never been an issue.
let's keep the debate friendly, and leave the namecalling out of it. if you don't want to wear rings to work -- for whatever reason -- i won't criticize you. but i take exception to anyone telling me i'm wrong or selfish to wear my ring to work.
ruby

redwinggirlie · Aug 6, 2005

Goodness, If I based my life and my love and marriage so completely on a piece of metal, I'd be, well, I can't put it to words. I think I'd be a material person. The love we share wraps around our family, not my finger.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Aug 6, 2005

goodness, if i based my life and my love and marriage so completely on a piece of metal, i'd be, well, i can't put it to words. i think i'd be a material person. the love we share wraps around our family, not my finger.

my love and my marriage aren't based upon a piece of metal. but that "piece of metal" does have both religious and personal significance. i've worn it for years without it being an issue at work, and now it doesn't come off. if i were to have it cut off, it would be ruined. (it's a tension setting, and once you remove the tension, the stone falls out. i can't even have it resized!) frankly, i don't see the point in doing that. i like wearing it, and my husband likes me to wear it. this started out as a friendly conversation about the best solution to rings poking through gloves. it didn't start out as a debate as whether or not rings should be worn. i'm not even complaining about my stone sitting high up -- it doesn't. it's never been a problem at work by poking through gloves, or, because the stone is completely surrounded by gold, by scratching anyone.

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[color=#4b0082]i guess i'm rather saddened by how nasty and judgemental some people are being towards those of us who choose to wear our rings. especially since some of us -- me included -- have taken precautions so that the rings we wear don't scratch anyone or poke through gloves.

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[color=#4b0082]ruby

redwinggirlie · Aug 6, 2005

I used to wear both my engagement and wedding rings. My engagement ring stuck up, so I used to turn it toward my palm, but I still had problems with it, so now I just wear my wedding band. My wedding band just has a small row of diamonds across it--nothing sticks out on it, no prongs or anything. One of the tiny little stones already has a chip in it. Darn it. I'm considering getting a band with no stones.
I like to wear my wedding ring because it gets pretty darn annoying to have patients ask me if I'm married, sometimes on a regular basis, depending on what patients we have at the moment. The fools ask me anyway (some repeatedly, and obsess over it; it really bugs me sometimes), and then try to tell me I must not be happily married. Right. Like they have a chance. BTW, I'm working on a psychiatric ward. :smiley_aa :selfbonk:
Gotta love the smilies. :)

Not sure what to say about your comment about your patients. Not to change the subject....