My partner has decided that he wants to be a nurse and I wanted him to get a good idea of what he was getting into before he started taking classes so he took the nursing assistant course and got a job at my hospital on a Med/Surg floor.
He seems to like it a lot more than I had expected (I know that being a CNA can be rough) and has a lot of enthusiasm for the job. We've run into old patients at Walmart and other places in our town and they all have praised him for treating them or their family so well during their hospital stay. He's gotten great feedback from his co-workers and managers about how quickly he's caught on to the job for having no prior patient care experience.
Here's the problem:
He was pulled into the office and told by his managers that it was reported to them he smelled of "old alcohol" during one of his shifts. I didn't understand this terminology but he explained that it meant that he wasn't drinking on the job but perhaps had too much the night before. His managers didn't document any of it, it was "off the record" and laughed it off and told him not to worry about it but wanted him to be aware that someone had said something to them. Of course he was still humiliated by this and started obsessing about using deoderant, mouthwash, etc. because he sweats easily and is not used to such a physically demanding job and thought he was offensive to his co-workers.
Another month went by and he was pulled into the office again and was told that the charge nurse smelled alcohol on him on a previous shift. Coincidentally, this second incident occurred right after he confronted this charge nurse that she was being rude and hard on him. I personally found this woman to be rude in my own experience when transferring patients to her and she has no idea that we are together or even know each other at this point, so I can imagine that she probably doesn't treat the CNA's too well either.
This time one of the two managers has since changed her story and now claims that she too smelled it on him during the first incident. The other manager is on his side and is aware that her co-manager has changed her story from the first time and actually warned him to stay clear of her when they had a private conference together.
This time it was written up and I looked it over at home. His job performance continues to be superior, they both emphasized at his meeting with them that there have been no patient safety or behavioral issues and that all of the nurses still believe him to be a great worker. Two of the staff RN's told him that they were approached by the managers and asked if they ever smelled alcohol on him and they both said never and had no idea what they were talking about.
I started thinking that maybe he did have a problem and perhaps I was in deep denial. We drive to work together and work almost all of the same days. We also take our lunch breaks together and I've never noticed an alcohol smell or any behavioral indications that he'd been drinking or even hung over.
We do both drink and sometimes stop at the local bar after a hard shift and share stories as do many people.
We both weigh about the same and drink about the same but in 8 years of nursing I've never been told that I smell like alcohol at work. We're always in bed before 10 pm on any night that we have to work the next day so I'm not getting what's going on here.
Wouldn't the patients or families smell it on him too?
And why do some (or at least one) of the nurses smell alcohol on him but others think that the whole story is crazy?
What can or should we do about this?
I welcome all comments and suggestions even if you think he may have a problem as well.
He's humiliated and scared about his future in nursing going to pot over this.
P.S. A little off topic but it's part of why I'm so suspicious of this whole thing. The unit he works on has long had a bad reputation with other units including mine. My co-workers warned me about this unit from the beginning that the nurses are notorious for attempting to delay and refuse patients and try to get people into trouble once they do bring patients to them. I have been told many times that rooms weren't clean and ready when my partner will tell me at lunch that the room was clean and ready since he came on duty that morning and that they've been lying to me to keep from getting patients.
I don't think you should change your behavior when off the clock. You sound like responsible people. However I would INSIST on timely notification of any complaints that he is impaired, and a drug/alcohol test paid for by the employer. I'd also have a consultation with a lawyer (usually free) so you know your rights and how far someone can go with accusations before you can attack back legally. Communication in writing is essential, so you can track when and how the accusations were made, that you were trying to cooperate with the accusers to ensure safe patient care, and that they had no issues with the care given, just with the odor.
The fact that he has been told he is an exemplary employee is great, if you can get it in writing, even email. Just write a letter saying "this is to follow up on our conversation on xx date...you stated.......and we agreed that....." If they don't dispute your version you will be in better shape if you need to go further. It also shows that you are keeping track, and not going to just lie down and let them mess with his reputation.
Great suggestion, hadn't thought of that. I'll start getting his performance in writing and start a paper trail just in case. Thanks.
I already did insist that blood be drawn on the spot if another accusation comes up if they have any hope of having a leg to stand on as a basis for termination. She verbally agreed to it but who knows what will happen next time, hopefully there won't be one.
I worked with a nurse who excessively hung onto the 'old alcohol' smell too. She claimed she had had several glasses of wine with dinner the night before. A few supervisors went on a witch hunt and started trouble for her, writing her up, reporting her to the BNE, etc, simply on the evidence of 'odor'.
She got a lawyer and sued them bigtime and won. So many facilities do not know the laws regarding this type thing, and hang themselves trying to hang a nurse.
Your partner is not yet a nurse but due process is likely still an issue....contact someone so you know your rights. Even some medical conditions emit an odor similar to ETOH, so please check that out.
I also like Tweety's suggestions a lot! Good luck to you both!! :)
I was thinking the same thing, also if he has periods where he doesnt eat or is on a low carb diet, some people (like me) can smell the ketones on the breath and it may give the impression of metabolizing alcohol. I have smelled ketones on the breath of my kids when they are sick and on patients in the hospital when they have been NPO. We also have a staff member who is hard core low carb dieting and it is so strong on her im surprised someone hasnt called her on it. Just something else to think about.
I was thinking the same thing, also if he has periods where he doesnt eat or is on a low carb diet, some people (like me) can smell the ketones on the breath and it may give the impression of metabolizing alcohol. I have smelled ketones on the breath of my kids when they are sick and on patients in the hospital when they have been NPO. We also have a staff member who is hard core low carb dieting and it is so strong on her im surprised someone hasnt called her on it. Just something else to think about.
Thanks but I've long stopped exploring those possibilities.
His doc found nothing wrong with him when I took him after this all happened.
How can only two nurses on a 36 bed unit be the only ones who ever smelled alcohol on him?
Think about how close a CNA gets to patients during bathing, bed changes, blood sugars, transferring from bed to chair, etc. and no alert patients or their family have ever said that he smelled like alcohol.
I'm just not buying that possibility anymore.
I've worked with too many evil nurses over the years for it to not be obvious as to what's more likely to be the real story.
Smells more like a "witch hunt" than alcohol to me. :angryfire
Allowing a colleague to work impaired would put my license in jeopardy for allowing them to place patients in harms way. If I suspected a co-worker was drunk, I would immediately call the supervisor and have them up there pronto!! Funny how in both situations this was not done. Amazing how these allegations arise well after the fact. Another changes the story also. Incident report is written up based on these allegations, no actual proof, just based on 2 people's statements and another who changed their story.
Your partner is not in a good situation. :uhoh21:
Agree... serious witch hunt here. This is nonsense. I'd ask if they are insinuating that he has been drinking on or immediately prior to the job by these charges. And if so, then have the blood ETOH done stat and call their bluff.
It's a shame he would have to prove his innocence this way, but some ppl just suck.
If it then continues I'd call it serious harrassment/bullying. If he really likes the unit and wants to remain there, I'd do as Tweety suggested. If he'd rather find a less toxic work environmnet, I'd be looking NOW.
99.99% of our agency nurses are wonderful. We had one last week that was awful. The patients c/o about her and several mentioned she smelled like alcohol. I followed her and had 5 empty IV's as well as a clotted off bladder due to letting CBI run dry and the the doc rightfully threw a major fit at 0730 and realized (Thank God) it wasn't my fault. I reported this nurse so she would be a DNR (do not return) at our hospital but she's been back several times since. Go figure. I didn't think we were that desperate for help :angryfire
Specializes in ER, ICU, Nursing Education, LTC, and HHC.
I admit I have not read all of the posts, but I would say take your shower in the morning before work and NOTt the night before. Night before showers will not prevent the old alcohol smell. Use a deoderant with ANTIPERSPIRANT in it, not just deoderant. Those ideas have worked foolproof for my friend with no furtehr problems. (a light colonge also is good)..(very light)
RN34TX
1,383 Posts
Great suggestion, hadn't thought of that. I'll start getting his performance in writing and start a paper trail just in case. Thanks.
I already did insist that blood be drawn on the spot if another accusation comes up if they have any hope of having a leg to stand on as a basis for termination. She verbally agreed to it but who knows what will happen next time, hopefully there won't be one.