Nurse’s hair care is inappropriate

To the editor,

[In] the March 24-30 issue of the Providence Business News, an article about the ICU Collaborative effort to reduce infections at hospitals was featured. The article was well written and to the point, but I am very surprised you [decided to] use a picture of a nurse with her hair hanging down as she performed care on a client.

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I have been a nurse for 36 years. I have worked in hospitals, homes and teach a Certified Nursing Assistant Course. Part of what we teach is standard precautions, isolation techniques and personal grooming when working in the client environment. I would not allow one of my staff or students to attend to a client with hair hanging down like the young lady in your article. AND she is doing mouth care!

Your article deserved a better picture of medical asepsis, and this nurse needs to be instructed again about proper hair care when working. It is part of reducing hospital-acquired infections.