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Hi ALL,
How are you addressing nurses with artificial nails? are there links to evidence for or against.
and how do you handle this in your facility, i have multiple complaints about one nurse wearing acrylic nails.Hi Dianne,
There is quite a bit of research suggesting that artificial nails and nail polish are associated with infection transmission.
The Aged Care IPC Guide pg 53 provides best practice: https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-08/The-Aged-Care-Infection-Prevention-and-Control-Guide.pdf
Fingernails: The type and length of fingernails can have an impact on the effectiveness of hand hygiene. Artificial or false nails have been associated with higher levels of microorganisms. Studies have also demonstrated that chipped nail polish may support the growth of organisms on the fingernails. Fingernails should be kept short and clean, and artificial fingernails and nail polish should not be worn.The Guideline Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare, pg 37 also provides best practice: https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-08/australian-guidelines-for-the-prevention-and-control-of-infection-in-healthcare.pdf
The type and length of fingernails can have an impact on the effectiveness of hand hygiene [19] [33]. Artificial or false nails have been associated with higher levels of infectious agents, especially Gram-negative bacilli and yeasts, than natural nails [41] [23] [26] [37] [40] [19] [25] [18]. Fingernails should therefore be kept short (e.g. the length of the finger pad) and clean, and artificial fingernails should not be worn. Studies have also demonstrated that chipped nail polish may support the growth of organisms on the fingernails [57]. It is good practice to not wear nail polish, particularly as chipped nail polish may support the growth of organisms on the fingernail.The management in a facility/organisation could be achieved via the requirements (as above) being placed in an organisation policy – such as uniform and in HH policies; its also good to have in orientation booklets and role descriptions. The organisation policies are /based/backed by the national guidelines as above. Clear messages to staff surrounding expectations and risks. Discussions can then be had with non compliant staff during performance reviews, if this is a process in the organisation.
Hope this helps.
Carrie
Hello.
Could you share these studies that concluded nail polish and artificial fingernails increase the infection risk?
The ones I found clearly state there is not sufficient evidence to conclude any of this and some even found no increased risk when compared to polish-free nails. Also, from what I could understand there are no recent studies to corroborate any of the statement that using nail polish or artificial fingernails impose a higher risk of infection and bacteria.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK487441/
Thank you in advance!
Kind regards,
Leonor
