6.4 Professional Ethics, Personal Hygiene, Record Keeping & Adverse Reactions

Professional Ethics, Personal Hygiene, Record Keeping & Adverse Reactions

Client Consultation and Professional Conduct is only 5% of the General Theory exam (about 3 items), but its sub-topics of record keeping, professional ethics, and personal hygiene are easy points. Adverse or allergic reactions sit inside the 35% Safety and Infection Control domain. This section ties those topics to the Minnesota rules that back them.

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1. Professional Ethics

Ethics in nail technology means doing what is safe and honest for the client even when nobody is checking. Many ethical duties are also Minnesota law:

Everyday ethics also includes:

• quoting prices clearly before the service;
• recommending only services and retail products the client actually needs;
• respecting a client's decision to decline a service;
• keeping client information private;
• avoiding gossip about clients or coworkers; and
• taking responsibility for mistakes, such as reporting a nick and following the blood-exposure procedure rather than hiding it.

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2. Personal Hygiene and Professional Image

Hand Washing (Minn. R. 2105.0375, subp. 2)

• Before providing any service, wash thoroughly with soap and water and dry with a single-service paper or cloth towel or an air dryer.
• An alcohol-based hand rub with at least 60% alcohol may be used instead only when hands are free of lotions, ointments, product, or visible soil.
• Gloves and hand wipes are not a substitute for hand washing.

Gloves (subp. 7, item O)

• Wash hands and wrists before putting gloves on.
• Change gloves during a service if one is damaged or touches a non-disinfected surface or a third person.
• Discard gloves at the end of every service.
• Gloves are required, among other times, when using anything that penetrates skin, when the client's skin barrier is broken, when the licensee's own hand skin is not intact, when mixing or touching disinfectant, and when the manufacturer's directions call for them.

Conduct at the Station (subp. 7)

• No eating or smoking, including e-cigarettes, while performing services.
• Any beverage the licensee has must be covered with a lid during a service.
• Tools may not be carried in or on clothing, aprons, pockets, bags, or holsters.
• Uncovered food or drink is not allowed where disinfectant is uncovered, being mixed, or being sprayed.
• A cut on the technician's hand is covered with a glove or finger cover (subp. 5).

Good grooming completes the picture: clean clothing, short and clean natural nails, hair secured away from the work area, closed-toe shoes, and staying home when sick with something contagious.

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3. Record Keeping

Records Minnesota Rules Require

Client Service Records

Good practice is a client record card, paper or electronic, kept confidential, with:

• name and contact information;
• health notes relevant to nail services (allergies, diabetes, circulation problems, blood thinners, skin conditions);
• nail and skin condition observed at each visit;
• services performed, products and systems used (for example, the brand of monomer and primer or the gel system and lamp), patch tests offered and their results, and any reactions; and
• recommendations and the next appointment.

Update the card at every visit. If a client later reports a reaction, the card shows exactly which products were used.

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4. Adverse and Allergic Reactions

Irritation vs. Allergy

Emergency signs: hives spreading beyond the contact area, swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat, wheezing, or difficulty breathing. These signal a possible severe allergic reaction. Call 911.

Correct Action During a Service

1. Stop the service.
2. Remove uncured product from the skin and nail gently, without aggressive filing.
3. Wash the area with soap and cool water.
4. Do not reapply the product, and do not cover the area with another enhancement.
5. Refer the client to a physician, and do not diagnose or treat.
6. Document the reaction and the exact products used on the client record.
7. If the reaction is severe or involves breathing, call 911.

Prevention and the Patch-Test Duty

Minn. R. 2105.0375, subp. 7, item F requires licensees to follow the manufacturer's directions. When those directions recommend, advise, or require a patch test, the licensee must offer a patch test and give the client information about the risk of potential adverse reactions.

Other preventive practices:

• Keep monomer and gel off the skin, leaving a small margin at the cuticle and sidewalls.
• Use correct mix ratios, since overly wet beads leave excess monomer.
• Fully cure gels with the lamp the manufacturer specifies.
• Avoid touching uncured product or tacky layers.
• Wear nitrile gloves when handling products.

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Scenario

Scenario: A long-time gel client mentions that her fingertips have itched for two days after each of her last two visits. Today you see redness and tiny blisters along the nail folds on several fingers.

Analysis: This pattern suggests allergic contact dermatitis from repeated exposure to gel ingredients. Do not apply gel today. Explain, without diagnosing, that the skin shows a reaction and that you recommend a physician's evaluation. Remove any existing product only if you can do so without irritating the skin further, record the reaction and the products used on her client card, and review your technique for skin contact and full curing. If her symptoms ever include swelling of the face or trouble breathing, she needs emergency care.