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I know that a lot of people take it off and slip it into their pocket.
But I tie it into the drawstrings on my scrub pants - this way I know that I have to see and touch my ring to take my pants off and it cannot be thrown into the wash. Just make sure that you tie it in there really well. And it is a chance to practice your hand ties/surgeon's knots!
We cannot wear any type of jewelry in surgery so putting it on a necklace is out.
I had my ring fitted a bit small so that when I am yanking gloves on and off, I don't even worry about the possibility of it coming off with a glove.
I have known several people that have lost jewelry so if you are really worried about it then I would just not wear it or wear just a plain band with a really low profile.
Sorry, but if you are scrubbing in for a proper procedure done under asceptic conditions, then you should not be wearing any jewellery. If you must wear something, then a plain band is the ONLY thing you should wear. No jewelery with stones should be worn at all, due to the risk of infection. If you wear them under gloves you also increase the chance of ropping your gloves.
Well I wasn't planning on wearing it under the latex. I was just curious as to where to store it and whether I should stop wearing it period when I start seeing patients and whatnot.
I have a little clip on my key ring that I put it on when it is time to scrub, otherwise I would lose it.
I used to work with a vet who would always leave his ring in his scrub shirt pocket and never remembered to put it back on. I found it in the laundry on a daily basis, so I pulled endless pranks on him with it. One time we even took a fake x-ray and had him tricked that one of the dogs ate it- my personal best!
My mom was a nurse in the army way back when and she said that they always safety pinned their rings to their bras. Some people would pin them to their scrubs and then forget about them when the scrubs were laundered. Bra strap was the most reliable thing for them.
DON'T tie it to the drawstring of your scrubs! I know someone who always did this, and then one day didn't change right away after surgery and later realized that the drawstring had undone and her rings were gone. She never found them -- someone must have found them in a hallway and taken them. See if you can find a tiny carabiner (those metal loops with a hinged gate that are sometimes used on keyrings or SIGG bottles -- although if you can find one that screws closed, rather than a plain spring-loaded one, it will be more secure), put your rings on it, and hook it around your bra strap or the side of your undies if they're skinny enough (you know, that part that goes over your hipbone). Better yet, leave it at home...not the most fun, but at least you know it won't get lost or stolen.
Can you just buy a thick necklace that you can put the wedding ring on it while you're doing surgeries then put it back on when you're done with it?
When my mom scrubs in she only wears her wedding band, since it has no edges that can stick out and break the latex gloves. She leaves the engagement ring at home and wears that when she goes out.
I guess it is situation dependent. I know that in my situation we are not allowed to wear our sx scrubs outside of the sx suite or change room so running around all day with my ring tied to my pants is not an issue. I also tie mine with surgeons knots. If my surgeons knot on my pants come undone then I probably need to go check and see if my patient is having its organs coming out more than I need to find my ring because it is the exact same knot that I do to close a line of sutures - simple or continous.
When we do things aseptically (non-surgical - catheter placement, minor procedures, etc) I have never had a problem with popping a glove because I had my ring on but my ring does have a low profile. If I am working emergencies, I don't even bring my ring with me because who knows what I am going to be doing at a moments notice.
But the reality is most places have policies about jewelry. Where I am it is a no jewelry in sx and minimal jewelry everywhere else. (Watch, wedding band, simple necklace, but no earrings ever) Also there is an on going debate over whether rings interfer with your ability to control your instruments. I think that they do but that is because I learned basic technique without jewelry on.
If you are worried then don't bring it to work! Like HL said - it is not the funnest option but it is the safest.
I am an NICU nurse, and infection control is such a major issue with the little guys, I NEVER wear my ring when I am in contact with the babies. I take it it off at the beginning of the shift and I put it on a strong chain that I wear around my neck (It is long enough to tuck the chain under my scrubs) and then scrub into the unit. I put it back on at the end of a shift.
As far as latex gloves go - FI got me a specific ring type that has a flat surface, so the gloves just go on smooth over the ring. Works fine on the ward. But if I was doing a full surgical scrub, I just wouldn't wear the ring to work, period. Especially to keep things fully aseptic. Rings are next to impossible to keep completely clean.
@hhcheung - most surgeons will not allow you in the OR with a necklace because of the potential for the clasp to break and it to fall in the patient even if it is worn inside of clothing. It is actually a major health code violation if people are caught doing this. In our sx course, we were automatically failed for forgetting jewelry - no questions asked.
I have personally heard some horrible stories when it comes to people puting their rings in their pockets. Maybe you should just put in into a small little jewelry box and store it somewhere safe!
But I think that MS Minie has the best idea here: put it on a strong chain that I wear around my neck...
stealing an idea from the engagement board ... I'm not sure what kind of footwear is allowed, but if they allows sneaks, can you wear Nike+ipods and hide it in the little compartment?
WHat me and my coworkers do is take it off and put it on a safety pin and saftey pin it to your scrubs only thing is not to forget to put it back on after you are done!!!
I second not putting it on the drawstrings of your scrubs! A doctor I work with just lost his wedding band 2 weeks ago doing this. I would just not bring it with you in the O.R. I agree with what someoen else said keeping it in the box until after surgery.
I once slipped my ring into my scrub pocket during OB night float (one of the few times I wore my ring on that rotation), and I literally could not find my ring after breaking scrub. It was 2:30 in the morning with an attending I had never met...I had never been so mortified in my life and had to dig through all of the waste canisters in front of everyone. All I could think about was how much my ring was insured for...Luckily, I found my ring in my shoe cover (which I had not yet thrown out). After that, I never wore my ring on a surgical rotation again. To add to the suggestions, most female attendings at my medical center pin their ring to their bra or underwear using a safety pin. It avoids the whole pocket/necklace/ties issue.
My MOH is also a NICU nurse. She is not allowed to wear any jewelery. She pins her wedding band and e-ring to her cami/bra strap under her scrubs. For her, the necklace w/ ring is not an option.
Not to be Debbie Downer, but I would feel most comfortable leaving my rings at home, were I in that situation. You go to work and come home, can you really not live without your ring for eight or nine hours? I don't want to sound harsh, but that sounds like a better option for me than potentially losing my rings at work. I take off my rings when I do ANYTHING. Shower, go to the gym, sleep, dishes, EVERYTHING! Your jewelry is not impenetrable to damage. I worked in a jewelry store for several years, and it's unbelievable how much people don't take care of their jewelry. Quick tip, ladies: as painful as this might be, don't sleep with your rings on, especially if it has stones that are prong set. The setting will rub against the sheets as you sleep, and this will wear down your prongs faster. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true. The ONLY exception to this would be a platinum setting, nothing wears that down. :)
Whenever we scrubbed in (haven't done it a lot lately), I put the ring on a safety pin and then pinned it to my underclothes. I saw too many surgeons scramble for wedding rings in the laundry after surgery, and I wasn't going to go through that.
Haven't lost a ring (yet)!
Do you wear a watch? I do, and I always slip my ring onto my watch band and snap it shut THEN put it in my scrub top pocket. It always worked for me, as the clasp is super tight and you can feel the watch in your pocket at all times!
I agree that tying the rings into your drawstring can be a bad idea - I too know people who have lost rings this way. Good luck!
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I regularly have to scrub in to surgeries. As all of you in the healthcare field know how rigorous that process is. What do you all do when your ring during this time? Did you just stop wearing your ring or do you keep it somewhere during this time? Also what about for anatomy lab + basic science lab work? Basically any instances with latex gloves.
How did you handle your ring?