Anger At Wedding Ring Ban
A hospital trust has defended its ban on staff wearing some wedding rings despite anger from nurses.
Staff at Bradford Royal Infirmary have been told some rings pose an infection risk as bacteria could become embedded in the engravings.
Many nurses were found to be wearing wedding bands with engravings on the outside the during a recent infectioncontrol audit.
But some of those affected say they will resist attempts by the trust to make them take off these rings, saying the measure is unnecessary.
A spokesman for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Whilst we appreciate a minority of staff may be disappointed at not being allowed to wear other styles of wedding ring, the foundation trust has this policy in place for the protection and safety of our patients.
We are working extremely hard to combat healthcare-associated infections and this work is already showing results, with MRSA rates falling sharply.
Not to sure about this one myself but it does seem a little bit petty.
Author - Fay
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As an ex nurse, i have to say that i am actually in favour of this policy. i began nursing in 1988 and at the start of our training higene was drilled into us. We were given agar plates (scientific culture growing plates) to go around the wards and collect swabs from many different areas of nurses including pockets, hands, scissors, rings, hair etc.
it was very evident that there was bacterial growth on many of the surfaces including rings and the creases between fingers. this was in the early days of MRSA, which has spread to extortionate levels since then.
i firmly believe that all care professionals should be bare below the elbow so that proper washing and cleaning can be carried out. At the end of the day, what nurse wants to be responsible for killing off a weakened patient by passing on MRSA.
It should be a flat blanket ban on jewellery full stop. The hall mark in my perfectly smooth ring does harbour muck so it’s not just the fancy bands that should not be allowed.
Would you want to be treated by someone who was wearing a dirty ring?
If it’s simply an issue of I want people to know I am married then introduce Mrs to the name tags.
Well said