Alcohol breath nurse........

[Sailingshoes]

I have a co-worker that I have noticed the smell of alcohol, that day after smell. For those of you who have lived with alcoholics, you know that smell, not a fruity diabetic smell but a hangover smell. I am concerned for my co-worker as well as the patients and have already mentioned it to my supervisor. Policy requires that we have behavior to collaborate with smell in order to confront the person. I want this to be something other than what I think it is. I have noticed it twice as has another co-worker. I don't think it is my position to talk to the person with the smell. It is definitely breath, not hand sanitizer, she is not on the Atkins diet......... Anyone with this experience and or advice?

[PANurseRN1]

You know for a fact that this nurse is overindulging on her off shift hours and that's why she has an odor? Not just a rumor/speculation...I mean you've witnessed her behavior? Because it's a really nasty business to insinuate that someone is engaging in addictive behaviors unless you have rock-solid facts to back it up. She could have any number of metabolic disorders that right have not been diagnosed, or as in the previous poster's exp., there could be dental problems causing it.

If she's not acting impaired at work, you need to be very careful. You've mentioned it to your manager. You would be wise to drop it unless you see inappropriate behavior. Discussing it with colleagues could put you in some serious hot water.

[fd5151]

If it is actually a day after smell, and she is not impaired at work, does it matter? I mean, the smell does, and there have been several threads on coworkers who smell in one way or another. I wonder, though, how much you can do if she's drinking in her own time and it's not affecting her work.

If you can still smell the alcohol on their breath that is a pretty good sign that alcohol consumption was within the past 24 hours and impairment lasts for that time period if not beyond.

There is a reason that pilots have to wait a certain amount of time after drinking before taking flight because impairment has longer lasting effects than you might think. It is technically an 8 hour wait under federal aviation standards in the US with the same Standards recognizing impairment lasting from 48 to 72 hours afterward. In Canada, i believe that alcohol can't be consumed with 12 hours - not totally sure but know it is more than 8 hours.

These standards are controversial due to the fact that they haven't done much to protect against pilots who have been consuming heavily even with the 8 hour/12 hour wait followed. Fact is that you are impaired for longer than that period; whether it is drowsiness, lack of concentration/focus, etc.

For anyone who has consumed alcohol - drinking enough for someone to notice it on your breath the next day usually doesn't correlate with you feeling back to normal....:biere: particularly for women.

[Sailingshoes]

Thanks for all the replies. I don't feel at all comfortable confronting this person without noticing anything but the smell. I feel an confrontation is up to my supervisor, occ health and possibly HR. I want to protect myself, and the fact that I have witnessed only the odor and no other collaborating behavior leaves me with no choice but to wait and watch. I have talked with my supervisor and will keep documentation. I do realize there is a chance that I (and the other nurse who noticed), are mistaken but I think that is a small chance. I would like it to be mouthwash as the previous poster used. Perhaps I can slyly bring up a conversation r/t mouthwash. "what brand do you use?" Worth a shot.