To think this letter from NHS is pathetic?

[MozzchopsThirty]

I no longer work in the clinical area so I have nice gel nails. They are not long or talon like, they are short, neat and usually neutrally coloured.

A few weeks ago I did a shift on my old ward (ITU) and my old ward manager noticed them and asked me to remove them, I explained that I couldn't and she said it was unprofessional and I was setting a bad example!

Now to give some perspective on that shift there were 3 other agency workers from a particular agency who charge approx £400 per shift. I get about £140.
I cared for one patient, gave care as I always would, adhered to hand hygiene and wore gloves for clinical tasks

I've now recieved a letter stating that my conduct was unprofessional and that gel nails must not be worn in the clinical area

Now whilst I appreciate this, and when working in clinical area I never had nails, I can't believe the WM has alerted the temp staff office and they've written to me.

I'm now faced with the choice of removing nails for the sake of one shift every 1-2 months or stop working there and the NHS pay someone else £400 to do my shifts
That's £260 extra for the sake of nails

I'm ð??³ð??³ð??³ð??³ð??³

And I have several friends who are doctors, and they all abide by this rule. You don't have to like it. But that's tough.

how much agency nurses are paid is irrelevant

I also think YABU.

The cost of agency staff, while annoying is irrelevant. I'm sure they'd prefer you to work there on the Bank rather than rely on agency staff providing you adhere to the rules and regulations.

Infection control is such a massive issue for the nhs, I think it's good that the ward manager is on the ball.

Once an infection control nurse stopped our entire team on the consultant ward round and literally shouted at us all in the corridor for not using the hand scrub available on exit corridor of the ward. It's not compulsory but we all meekly walked back and sprayed our hands and apologised. Althoughbwe then did laugh when she had gone as it was so over the top . I can't imagine any doctors I know behaving in the same way to the nurses it's always the other way round, especially senior middle management nurses or bed manager nurses. Incredibly bossy..it's the doctors who are the minions now believe me, nurses have all the power.

YABVU.

Why would he rules apply to Nurses but not Doctors?!

YABU. But you know this really.

You have a third choice that you haven't mentioned - lose the gel nails altogether. It'll save you money because you won't have the maintenance costs, you'll be able to earn your £140 for bank work every month or so, and you'll avoid the potential health risks to yourself that gel nails pose.

I am a volunteer first aider, I don't have my nails done as I know it's not allowed when I am in uniform.

You chose to work in such an environment so you have to obey the rules

YABU
Nail polish isn't allowed however much your paid.

Remove it or don't work the shifts.

NHS worker here too- YABU. Gloves, cost of nails, how often you are in the clinical area, pay of other staff- are all irrelevant unfortunately. It seems universal policy thoughout clinical areas in the NHS.

You are putting your own vanity before the health of others.
You knew the rules.
Working in ITU and being so experienced I'm surprised you even have to ask.
I Would expect anyone with dirty nails of any kind would be asked to go and clean them.

Because nurses are ruled by senior nurses and their training and code, and doctors aren't. Different rules.

Doctors and nurses are both employees of hospital Trusts. The majority of trust policies and procedures are universal there are not, "Different rules", different line managers maybe but you are mistaken about the 'rules'.

'Short' is a matter of opinion.

A friend of mine has short, neutral gels...they go unnoticed because they look natural, just as if she's had a good manicure

Can we see a picture of said nails?

Definitely YABU! Should we let 'cheaper' staff go back to wearing watches, white coats etc..

You're abit silly to give up bank shifts just so you can keep using gel nails!

Most women manage life fine without them.

Doctors don't have the same uniform rules as nurses (I have worked in places where nurses are only allowed to wear black socks, for example) bu everywhere I've worked doctors have had some form of acceptable dress policy including guidance not to wear revealing clothes, to tie up long hair, not to wear nail varnish and so on.

The gloves are there to protect the practitioner from bodily fluids and what have you, they are not to protect the patient and do not replace good hand hygiene. Good hand hygiene includes not wearing gel nails or rings other than a smooth band.

YABU - the reason gel nails/nail extensions/nail varnish etc are banned is because they make it almost impossible to wash your hands as effectively.

Seriously this thread saddens me. OP and idiotdh, we are in a privileged position as healthcare professionals and ask people to entrust us with their own and their families health.

Hospital acquired infections cause harm including death and yet gel nails and the title of Dr (and so which policies apply or don't apply) appear to be more important to you than the health of those who trust you to do the right thing.

Idiotdh, you do understand that the mechanism of carrying and transferring bacteria are the same for you as a Dr as they are for a nurse, a therapist, HCA, whoever.

As healthcare professionals we should always remember that, at some point, we and our families will also be users of healthcare. Putting policy to one side, what would we want. That is how we should treat anyone who puts their trust in us.

I didn't say I don't wash my hands!!! I said we have different rules which is true. Nurses have a whole different set of things they have to do in a different way including working patterns breaks uniforms all sorts of things. So post the opposite as much as you like it doesn't make it true.

I'm pretty sure that OP will ditch the nails..she is just saying the letter is a bit pathetic. Which it is.

Of course the letter isn't pathetic. It's pulling someone up in a breach of infection control rules which could have an impact on someone.

It's not like she's being pulled up for wearing brown socks instead of black socks.

Seems a bit ott that's all. Presumably asking and e mailing had been tried.

Anyway it's also way ott for strangers on the Internet to have a massive go at her ..that's why it's the Internet. And not real life . it's like a Jeremy Kyle show on here. AIBU is why the JK types hang out I guess , getting all shouty over nail varnish and how unprofessional and disgusting it is to not bow and tug forelock and grovel when snotty letter about nail varnish received from NHS. OP is told she not fit to be a professional and should obviously have to immediately LHJ.

Thank you idiotdh you're a lone voice there

As I said up thread I won't bother doing anymore shifts, it's just for a bit of extra money.
After years of being clinical it's nice to be girly and have nice nails.
I'm not sure I believe gel nails are evil and the source of all hospital infections but appreciate the rules are there.

I'm still not convinced that a letter home was the best way of dealing with this, she'd already spoken to me about it. Job done, just seems a bit much

Anyway thanks to all those who think I should be disciplined/struck off/flogged in the street

No more bank for you ?

Good

anybody that thinks the rules don't apply to them has no place in a clinical area