You have just finished a run of long days on the ward, there is a wedding on Saturday, and on Monday morning you are back on duty. Can you have lovely nails in between? Yes, as long as they come off before your next shift. Below we explain honestly what the HSE guidance says about false nails, gel and polish, and how nurses, HCAs and dental nurses in Ireland use press-on nails on their days off without breaking the rules at work.
The short answer
On duty: no. Irish infection prevention guidance asks healthcare workers to keep their nails short, clean and bare, and that includes press-on nails. Ours are handmade from soft gel, so for the guidance they simply count as false nails.
On your days off: absolutely. Press-on nails go on in about ten minutes and come off in a few, with warm water and no acetone. Your own nails stay short and bare underneath, so you can wear a set for the weekend, take it off the evening before your shift and walk onto the ward the way your policy expects.
What the HSE guidance actually says
The clearest national wording is in the HSE's Community Infection Prevention and Control Manual (Version 2, July 2026), written for community health and social care settings. In the hand hygiene section it says: "nails should be kept clean and short. Nail polish / acrylic / gel, nail art or false nails should not be worn by HCWs while on duty".
The same section explains the idea you will know from induction: "HCWs should wear short-sleeved clothing when delivering service user care as this ensures their hands can be decontaminated effectively. This concept is widely referred to as 'bare below the elbows'." It also asks you to leave hand and wrist jewellery off while on duty, apart from one plain band.
Hospitals set this out in their own dress codes, and they say the same thing. Tallaght University Hospital's staff attire leaflet, for example, puts it plainly: "Nails should be kept short and unpolished" and "False nails are not permitted as they may harbour bacteria".
The wording differs a little from one employer to the next, so your own hospital, nursing home or community service policy is always what counts. If you are not sure, your CNM or the infection prevention and control team will tell you exactly what applies on your unit. Students on placement follow the policy of the placement site as well as their college.
Why press-on nails are included too
It is tempting to think a neat, short press-on is different from long acrylics. For hand hygiene it is not. The area under and around the nail is where germs gather, and anything on top of your own nail makes that area harder to clean properly, however tidy it looks. A set that lifts slightly at the edge is even harder to keep clean. That is why the guidance names false nails, gel and polish together, and why we would never tell you to wear our nails on a shift.
Dental nurses and dental practices
Dental settings follow the same line. The HSE's National Guideline for Infection Prevention and Control in HSE Dental and Orthodontic Services (2nd edition) lists under hand hygiene: "Keep fingernails short and clean, and not wearing artificial fingernails and/or nail polish". The Dental Council's code of practice on infection prevention and control says the same for the clinical environment. So for dental nurses and hygienists the plan is identical: bare nails in the surgery, press-ons for your time off.
Where press-on nails fit into a nurse's week
Gel polish and acrylics are awkward when you work in healthcare. You pay for a salon appointment, wear the result for a weekend, and then need soaking, filing or another appointment before Monday. Press-on nails solve exactly that problem.
- On in ten minutes. Clean your nails with an alcohol wipe, stick on an adhesive tab and press each nail on firmly. No drying time, no UV lamp.
- Off in a few minutes. Soak your fingertips in warm water and ease the nails off gently. No acetone, no drill, no filing down your own nail.
- Back to bare for your shift. Your own nails stay short underneath, so after removing the set you are ready for work straight away.
- Wear them again. Every set comes with 150 adhesive tabs, so the same nails can come out for the next wedding, night out or Christmas party.
A few practical tips if you work shifts: keep your own nails short, because press-ons sit perfectly over short nails; take the set off the evening before your shift rather than in the morning rush; and pick a short shape such as Round or Square Short with a soft shade like Cameo Nude or Classic French if you want something that feels like you. For a longer weekend or a holiday, Oval Long in a deeper colour is a lovely change.
Getting the size right
We make every set by hand in the size you choose, so you get 10 nails plus 5 spares in your size, in one of four shapes: Round, Oval Short, Oval Long or Square Short. Measure the widest part of each nail first with our guide Find your shape and size. If you are between two sizes, take the larger one; the sides file down easily in a few strokes. And if a set still does not fit, you can exchange an unused set for the right size within 14 days of delivery: the return costs €4.95 and we send your new size free of charge. You arrange it yourself in our returns portal.
Delivery to Ireland
We ship from the Netherlands, so your order stays inside the EU: no customs and nothing to pay on delivery. Your set reaches you in 3 to 5 working days, with free delivery on orders from €50. Everything about delivery, sizes and payment for Irish customers is on our Ireland page.
Questions nurses ask us
Can nurses in Ireland wear press-on nails?
Not while on duty. HSE guidance and hospital dress codes ask for short, clean nails without polish, gel or false nails. On your days off you can wear whatever you like, and press-ons are easy to remove before your next shift.
Is gel polish allowed if it is very short?
No. The HSE community manual names gel alongside polish, acrylic, nail art and false nails, whatever the length.
I only have one day off between shifts. Is it worth it?
That depends on you. A set goes on in about ten minutes and comes off in a few, so wearing a set for a single evening out is perfectly realistic. Because the set is reusable, you are not throwing anything away when you take it off early.
Do press-on nails damage your own nails?
Not when you apply them to clean nails and remove them gently with warm water. You never file or drill the surface of your own nail, which is often what weakens nails after gel or acrylics.
Does this apply to HCAs, carers and students too?
Yes. The HSE manual talks about healthcare workers in general, and hospital dress codes apply to everyone in clinical areas. Students on placement follow the placement site's policy.
Work with food rather than patients? Our guide for chefs and food workers in Ireland covers what the FSAI says about nails on shift.
Ready for nails that fit your life off the ward? See all handmade press-on nails.
Sources
- HSE, Community Infection Prevention and Control Manual, Version 2, July 2026, hand hygiene section (pages 20 and 21): file.hpsc.ie
- Tallaght University Hospital, Clinical Staff Attire, patient information leaflet: tuh.ie
- HSE, National Guideline for Infection Prevention and Control in HSE Dental and Orthodontic Services, 2nd edition: assets.hse.ie
- Dental Council of Ireland, Code of Practice relating to Infection Prevention and Control: dentalcouncil.ie
This article explains published guidance in plain language. It is not a substitute for your employer's own policy.
