How strictly does your unit enforce the no fake nail or nail polish rule? There has been recent studies fake nails and nail polish harbour huge amounts of bacteria.

Fake nails and nail polish is not allowed for staff in our units, but we have no protocols for parents. However, I would think most parents, especially parents to preterm infants, are adviced to keep fingers au natural!

In our level III, 50 bed NICU, Administrative Policy prohibits artificial nails, nail piercings or overlays. It is strictly enforced. Policy also states that nail polish is permitted, but must be in good shape (no chips.) That is much harder to observe and enforce, but the excellent NICU staff all know the risks, and tend to "self police".

The observation on parent's nails is a good one. We stress the importance of handwashing, but they don't hear the same message about nails that our nurses do. Time to change that!

M. Reich RN, CIC

Banner Children's Hospital at Banner Desert Medical Center

Mesa, Arizona

No fake nails here, and we just instituted that mom's need to take theirs off or wear gloves. We just had 4 kids with MRSA and all those mom's had fake nails. As long as your fingernail polish is in good shape you can wear it.

We dont have a policy for fake nails, but nurses are not allowed to wear nail polish. I dont see it as a problem in our unit because we rarely see ppl wearing fake nails.

our unit is just the opposite. We can wear nail polish but not fake nails and our real nails cannot be longer than 1/4in from the tip of fingers.