3. Can Nurses Have Acrylic or Gel Nails? Both acrylic and gel nails are generally frowned upon by health care facilities as they're often long and are typically quite difficult to clean around, especially with hand sanitizer.
Taking into consideration the risk of spreading germs, nurses in direct care positions are advised to not wear acrylic nails as they may aid in the collection of germs and bacteria, which may create a potential for germs and bacteria to spread from person to person.
Healthcare workers who wear artificial nails are more likely to harbor gram-negative pathogens on their fingertips than are those who have natural nails, both before and after handwashing. Therefore, artificial nails should not be worn when having direct contact with high risk patients.
The CDC guidelines say that health care personnel should not wear artificial nails and should keep natural nails less than one quarter inch long if they care for patients at high risk of acquiring infections (e.g. patients in intensive care units or in transplant units).
The nursing guidelines state that nails should be free from any polish, and should be well-trimmed.
Hospital policies will most likely not allow artificial nails for nurses – dip powder nails included. Most healthcare facilities follow the strict hand hygiene guidelines provided by the CDC. According to the CDC, many studies show that pathogen growth increases with artificial nails, even after hand washing.
Can nurses wear nail polish? Policies might vary, but most medical institutions will ban nail polish. However, hospitals might not always strictly enforce these rules. Despite recommendations from the CDC and The Joint Commission, it is entirely up to each health facility to allow nail polish for nurses.
You are required to wear gloves so that unsanitary substances don't touch your skin, and keeping your hair up can keep it out of wounds, or, heaven forbid, out of briefs.
Hand hygiene risks
Therefore, in professions where hand hygiene is important, such as when handling food or providing patient care, nail polish and artificial nails are usually forbidden.
The short answer is yes, nurses can have painted nails. However, it's important to note that there are some guidelines you should follow to ensure that your nails are appropriate for the hospital setting.
As a general rule, having long nails is not considered unprofessional but it is definitely frowned upon as it often makes typing difficult. My natural nails are the length of my acrylics.
Current gel nail policy at UM BWMC is determined by expert opinion that gel nails increase risk of infection for patients. This is an issue that some nurses feel strongly about such that they have been sent home and this can affect staffing levels and morale of RNs.
Acrylics and Gels are fake nails placed over your natural ones. Both can be made to match the shape of the nail, or to extend it. So, when you want longer nails, you are asking for either Acrylic or Gel extensions.
To help prevent the spread of germs and nail infections: Keep fingernails short and trim them often. Scrub the underside of fingernails with soap and water (or a nail brush) every time you wash your hands. Clean any nail grooming tools before use.
So, your first question may be: can nurses wear makeup? The short answer is “yes,” and we'll go into more detail below. We'll also give you some tips on applying makeup for work, even if your employer recommends subtle looks.
Can nurses have colored hair? No, many hospitals and health systems do not allow nurses to have an “unnatural” hair color. While some companies have relaxed the rule it's still best to double-check with your employer or future employer before dyeing your hair.
Proper hand hygiene is essential, as HCWs may spread pathogens to patients from environmental reservoirs, including hospital surfaces and medical equipment. Artificial nails and fingernails with chipped polish have additional surface area and can act as conduits for disease transmission.
Fingernails should always be kept short and clean, and sharp edges should be repaired or filed as soon as possible. Clinicians should avoid artificial nails, long natural nails, and nail adornments.
If you continue to apply pearly nail polish to them, there is every chance that the ridge will show up even more. However, apply a couple of layers of sparkly nail polish to camouflage the gap. Glittery nail varnish creates the perfect cover-up for grown-out acrylic nails.
On the other hand, the majority of female nurses do choose to wear some level of makeup, such as primer, foundation, powder, eyeshadow, mascara, or lipstick. Looking great while wearing makeup even through a 12-hour shift can be difficult at first, but it is certainly not impossible.
If you work in healthcare, you are constantly on the go, and you're more likely to be exposed to contaminants (or sweat up a storm under all that personal protective equipment). So it's understandable if you feel the need to wash your hair after every shift.
Some places require the hair to be short. Other facilities will allow you to pull back your hair and secure it so that a patient won't grab or pull on it.
Can I wear nail polish whilst working in healthcare? Artificial, painted and chipped nails should not be worn in clinical areas as they can harbour microorganisms and are linked with outbreaks of infections.
Therefore many healthcare facilities require nurses to trim their nails and ban acrylics and nail extensions. Even if nurses are cautious and take proper care of their hands, the risk is too high for most facilities to accept.
Each hospital and health network will have its own policies on the matter. They may accept piercing partially with regulations such as a small stud or skin-colored ones. They may also completely rule out nose piercings for nurses. If they don't allow nurses to have nose piercings, it's only a matter of removing them.