The Finest Earrings for Nurses to Wear At Work

Wearing jewelry is a personal choice. However, if you work as a nurse, the type of jewelry you can wear (if any) is sometimes dictated by your employer. Most units allow nurses to wear conservative jewelry. These rules often aren’t put in place to smother a nurse’s personal style but to protect both them and their patients.

We've rounded up a few of our favorites if you’re a nurse looking for practical yet stylish jewelry options. However, before we dive in, we wanted to cover a few considerations for choosing jewelry as a nursing professional.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Jewelry for Nurses

First, your employer will likely have policies and rules about what you can and cannot wear. For your safety and employability, it is wise to always abide by these guidelines! Beyond your company’s dress code policies, there are a few other factors to take into consideration.

Namely, safety. It’s important to consider how your jewelry could put your and your patient’s safety at risk. You never want to pose a risk to those you are caring for. For example, by accidentally scraping them with a high set ring. Additionally, a dangling necklace or low-hanging earrings could be easy targets for a distressed patient to grab, possibly causing you harm.

Furthermore, loose or hanging jewelry might get caught in machines or wires, causing injury.

Hygiene is critical too. Nurses often find themselves in contact with a variety of interesting substances. You wouldn’t want these bacteria or virus-laden particles to get trapped in hard-to-clean jewelry. Also, if you follow proper hand washing policies, which indicate washing halfway up your forearms, certain jewelry might make it difficult to scrub up properly.

Finally, consider your comfort. While you may not feel totally put together without your jewelry, those rings and bracelets can become annoying when you must quickly put on gloves or a smock. This is why minimal, unobtrusive, smooth jewelry items are often the best choice for comfort, safety, and hygiene.

Earrings that fit this description are some of the best jewelry choices for nurses. They won’t impair hygiene procedures, are less likely to get snagged, and usually fall within dress code policies.

Our Favorite Earrings for Nurses

Lab Created Oval Solitaire Knife Edge Huggies

Huggies are great for nurses because they sit so close to the ear lobe. Minimalistic and dainty, these 14kt white gold huggies provide just enough style thanks to their unique knife edge design and dazzling diamond solitaire. A secure latch back keeps them from accidentally falling from your ear.

Circle Diamond Accent Earrings

Add a pop of color to your outfit with these feminine studs. Small but not understated, pear-shaped pink gemstones and lab diamonds combine to create a mini-statement piece that can be worn on your ears.

Toi Et Moi Round Front Back Earring

Jacket earrings are like having your cake and eating it, too, for nurses. They give the illusion of a dangle earring without posing the same safety concerns. Gorgeous 14kt yellow gold and petite diamonds form these darling jacket earrings that can easily transition from work to dinner and drinks.

Oval Diamond Halo Earrings

Halo earrings are a must if your style is contemporary. A pave set halo encircles a classic oval cut gem for the perfect combination of traditional and modern. Dainty but dazzling, adding these studs to your scrub uniform can help you appropriately show off your fashion personality.

Care and Maintenance of Nursing Jewelry

Along with wearing suitable jewelry choices for nursing, you should also be mindful of care and maintenance. Here are a few tips:

• Clean your jewelry regularly with jewelry-safe cleaner, but also something that will ward off germs.
• Pay attention to cleaning small crevices thoroughly, as they could trap harmful bacteria.
• Avoid touching your jewelry as much as possible while you are at work.
• Store your jewelry in its own pouch or box to avoid scratching surfaces against one another. If you have to remove your jewelry at work, place it in a small bag before putting it in your pocket or purse.

Is Jewelry a Nursing No-No?

Hopefully, this article has proven that nurses don’t often need to avoid jewelry altogether. If you’re doing direct patient care, you’ll need to be more thoughtful with your accessory choices. Thankfully, most small earrings fall within employer dress code rules and have the most minimal hygiene and safety concerns. If you’re looking for practical yet pretty earrings for nurses, we hope our round-up provided plenty of inspiration!