How would you react? Body odor discussion.

[Nurse-rachet1]

I am currently suspended for having a conversation regarding body odor with a patient and 2 daughters. I had asked if she had any other deodorant because the one she had wasn't effective. We had what I thought was as delicate as possible conversation. Does that ever go well?

Well the daughters were offended that I had asked for a different deodorant and the mom was embarrassed and they complained to a couple of people that they had been offended.

Needless to say I was pissed (at my work) and felt they over reacted. Yes they (pt and family) could call state on me but I am confident in my abilities as a nurse and I am not afraid of that. I believe this was a little retaliation from a conversation I had with the administrator about a few things an hour or so before she was brought into this.

Also the part that really, really bothers me is after the administrator made that decision she left. So my boss called me and said she was getting "beard" to come in with us. I said absolutely not, I will not have "beard" in any of my business. I was very adament about my dislike of person and that I did not trust this person and wanted no part in my business. I told her she is more than welcome to have a conference call if she was that adament about not being alone. She said in like a defeated type voice "come on" I followed her thinking she was going to do that. BUT nope she had this person there. I was livid. She completely disregarded my feelings about the situation and made me VERY uncomfortable. This person is a charge nurse and a poor one at that, I have a lot of history with this person and not much of it good in regards to work.

How would you react?

I could have pulled one daughter aside and spoke with her privately but I honestly feel it would not have mattered. They would have been offended anyway. The minute I was told they were offended I went and spoke with the patient, spouse and one of the daughter (before being suspended) and sincerely apologized if I offended them I teared up because I felt horrible that I hurt my patient's feelings. I pride myself on giving good care and would never offend someone on purpose. The spouse and daughter both accepted my apology and the spouse shook my hand and thank me for apologizing. The daughter mentioned she had brought in 2 different types of deodorant and asked me to let her know if they didn't work.

Now the patient's BO that day was off the charts, I had her showered and sprayed with her deodorant. Later I was giving her something for pain and happened to see the deodorant bottle and the daughters were there, I knew they brought things in for her which is why I mentioned at that time.

[HermioneG, BSN, RN]

Hi Nurse-rachet1

I'm sorry that you were suspended, but I personally would never discuss something like body odor with a person unless they were my very very close friend or family member. Even if you were approaching the subject delicately and with respect, I'm not surprised that they felt hurt and embarrassed. I've been in the hospital for very short periods of time before and am always surprised at how quickly I can get stinky and gross feeling. I know you meant well, but I would personally feel very hurt and even a little humiliated if a nurse said that to me while I was in the hospital, and especially in front of my family.

I mean, people who come to the hospital are already dealing with a lot (new and unfamiliar place, in an unfamiliar bed, feeling confined, not able to access their usual creature comforts, nurses and other staff seeing their private and intimate areas, etc) and so any comment that could even be perceived as negative or judgmental towards their smell/appearance/body/etc that is not clinical (ex: a certain area having a new smell that wasn't there before that could indicate that something could be medically wrong) is something I would treat very carefully.

Maybe my opinion is not the norm, though. I'm interested to see what other people say.

-HermioneG

[miss.amy-sue]

I think you did the right thing by apologizing to the family. Sometimes in high stress situations, I think patients and family members perceive conversations differently then how it was intended. It is a shame that they were so offended by the conversation. I know at my facility, the stocked deodorant doesn't do much to control odors. They do much better getting an outside product, like the one they usually use at home.

As far as the suspension goes, I am sorry to hear that management did not do more to speak to the family and then you. I could understand management asking you to apologize and possible take communication classes? But suspension is a lot. Especially when it seems the family was okay after the apology.

Also thinking that your boss did not have any other choice but to have the "beard" present during the conversation. Usually corrective action requires two people in management to be present. The Beard, unfortunately, might have been the only other option since the administrator left for the day.

Tip: For those really smelly patients try adding shaving cream to the bath water. It can sometimes overcome the odor.

[Flatline, BSN, RN]

Body odor is very subjective and I personally would not have recommended bringing up the topic alone, especially if this patient had already been bathed. Any sensitive topic like this I would insist having the backing of the charge or administrator prior to going in and preferably in their presence.

I definitely would not have brought up the issue in front of both daughters and the mother together, maybe the patient alone or maybe one of the daughters alone if the patient was confused...not everyone together. Body odor is generally not a group discussion.

Not sure how "beard" was involved but I suspect the admin wanted a witness, especially a witness with some authority.

[prmenrs, RN]

Who, or what, is "Beard"?

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

Who, or what, is "Beard"?

I couldn't figure that out either.

To the OP, sounds like a crappy situation. I think suspended you was a bit excessive. I mean just going off what you wrote and if there are no past incidences, I think there were different steps that could have been taken for sure.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

I had such conversations some gazillion of times because I have severe allergies and some personal hygiene items patients/families bring in can be dangerous for me (and for other staff members in the unit as well - we have quite a few asthmatics). I always offer my apologies beforehead and explain why we would like them to bring something else. I never had a problem with families, only a time or two I had to switch assignments because they continued to bring the stuff anyway. Where I am, nurses discuss personal care items with families all the time because some of them interfere with wound care, some of them just work better for particular patients, some cannot be used near oxygen sources, etc. We freely suggest what we think as the best for the patients, explain why some things cannot be acceptable and suggest substitutions, etc. I never heard of anybody running into any sort of the problem due to this.

Not being there, it is difficult to say what you did wrong, if anything at all. There are people who will feel offended if anything in the world doesn't go their way right away, whether anyone apologized to them or not. There is nothing you (or anybody else, as a matter of fact) can do with that sort of folks.

The "beards" (did it meant "Boards?") that are coming is either some sort of your facility's disciplinary commission, or total BS. It is true that State Boards can be called by anyone for any reason; it is also true that, in order to get into Boards' investigation, you need to commit something WAY more significant that mortally upsetting some oversensitive soul. You can search your State's Board meetings' minutae, it is public information, so to see what and whom they are really after. And no one from the Boards will ever travel into a facility to personally investigate anything or anybody.

Counting that your bosses suspended you instead of merely switching your assignment (which is typical action and end of the story in relatively well-run units), I would send them my bye-bye note before they terminated my employment, and request medical leave for the remaining two weeks.

[pixierose, BSN, RN]

It appears that this body odor conversation is perhaps the straw that broke the camels back?

You stated that this was perhaps retaliation for a conversation an hour earlier and that you have a history with one of the staff (a charge nurse) who participated in the suspension discussion.

How long have you been at this place of employment, OP? What is your history here like?

It just seems like overkill for a body odor discussion, however insensitive it may have come across.

[Purple_roses]

You seem to have a "history" with a lot of people. Just sayin'.

[Nurse-rachet1]

I work in a skilled facility, so they are with us longer than in the hospital. But I get what you are saying.

[Guest849204]

Honestly, I wouldn't have had that conversation with a patient, it was a little inappropriate, but I also think that a suspension is WAY over the line.

[Nurse-rachet1]

Absolutely no past instances. I have been a very good employee, not just my opinion.

I chose "beard" as a name for the person in the room.