A mention of "messy buns" recently caused a bit of a mess for Bryan Health on social media.
The health system said in a Monday Facebook post that a recent update in one of its nursing units used an image of a messy bun "to illustrate images of hair not secured adequately."
A screenshot that was shared on social media seems to indicate "messy bun" hairstyles are not allowed at Bryan Health. The hospital system said that's not true.
A staff member apparently took a screenshot of a presentation mentioning a dress code update "with an emphasis on hair being clean, neatly managed, therefore no 'messy buns'," and shared it on social media last week. It included a photo of the hairstyle, which involves putting hair up in a loose bun.
The social media post went viral when it was picked up by Blake Lynch, a registered nurse who also is an internet personality known as Nurse Blake. He made a TikTok video mocking the policy that as of Wednesday had more than 450,000 views.
"If you really want to make a difference, don't worry about hair," Lynch said in the video. "Let's talk about safe staffing. Let's talk about mandatory breaks, uninterrupted breaks."
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He also posted the video to other social media accounts, including Facebook and Instagram, where it garnered thousands of comments, almost all of them critical of the policy.
However, Bryan said in a statement that its dress code and personal appearance policy for employees makes no mention of messy buns, and the recent update to the policy had nothing to do with hairstyles but eliminated language that had previously restricted "unnatural hair colors."
The statement said that the social media posts "grossly misrepresented a long-standing Bryan Health policy."
Bryan said the policy is "similar to policies at other leading health systems and other industries that require professional appearance and have additional needs for safety and sanitation."
"The policy does and will continue to reference clean, neatly managed hair, appropriately secured out of the face," the statement said. "Appropriately secured hair is important for a myriad of safety reasons."
Photos: Bryan staff who care for COVID-19 patients
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COVID-19 unit at Bryan Health
Staff use personal protective equipment in the COVID-19 unit at Bryan Health.
COVID-19 unit at Bryan Health
Patients in the COVID-19 ICU unit at Bryan East Campus are monitored and treated for a variety of issues, including blood clots and pneumonia.
COVID-19 unit at Bryan Health
Bryan has made counseling services available to its employees who work in the units hit hardest by the pandemic and has offered to rotate staff who need a week respite on another floor. "That gives them just enough of a break to come back and say 'I can do this for another four weeks,'" said Candy Locke, the nurse manager.
COVID-19 unit at Bryan Health
The people who work in the COVID-19 ICU that currently takes up a large part of the sixth floor at Bryan East Campus say they are worn out. "When the nurses are having nightmares at night and they're telling you about it, it's rough," said Leah Harrington, an assistant nurse manager.
COVID-19 unit at Bryan Health
A staff member in personal protective equipment tends to a patient in the COVID-19 unit at Bryan Health. COURTESY PHOTO
COVID-19 unit at Bryan Health
For months, doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists have worked to help COVID-19 patients on 6N, the ICU unit at Bryan East Campus. In many cases, patients who are breathing on their own see their conditions quickly worsen. "It's hard to go home and not think about that, to just kind of de-plug from work, because these patients are so scared, and we're trying everything," nurse Kelsey Hoppe said.
COVID-19 unit at Bryan Health
Staff talk outside a patient's room on 6N, the ICU unit for COVID-19 patients at Bryan East Campus last September.
