Hygiene advice

Published

Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, School Nursing, OB.

We've had a couple students at our school that have had odor issues for the past several years. Each year the teachers ask me to talk to them. It never helps. I've talked to the parents and the kids and covered everything I can think of from laundry to pets. We even called child protective services because one didn't have running water. I was informed by CPS as long as they had access to water they didn't have to have running water. They had water jugs. Mom not making kid brush teeth, clean up, or wear clean clothes. I offered to let student clean up at school but he refused. There's nothing more I can do. I had a teacher approach me to speak to the parent again because kids were making fun of the stinky kids. I told the teacher she could call the parent and she said she didn't want to get in trouble for telling a parent their kid stinks. Yet it's ok for me???

I was thinking of coming up with a protocol for smelly kid situations for the teachers such as step 1: do a health lesson on hygiene, step 2: send around a paper asking students to check off if they need soap, deodorant, etc , 3: ask student if they have been doing hygiene steps, and if they have running water, etc , step 4: call parent, step 5: call CPS if warranted, step 6: deal with it. Any suggestions? Do you think this is a good idea?

I was also informed by a teacher bedbug bites were a health issue. I can't do anything about that either unless they are infected and then I can suggest antibiotic ointment. I'd like to address that too-why do teachers think I can force parents to get rid of bedbugs??? I don't have that power!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It sounds like you are doing what you can. You can lead the kids to water, but you can make them bathe.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

If peer pressure doesn't change the kid's behavior, I really doubt that talking to anyone is going to help. Teachers need to understand that being a nurse doesn't give us magical powers over parents. They will still not seek treatment when recommended and ignore our advice. It sounds like you gave all the viable options given the situation. Good luck getting the teachers to relent, as they are probably also offended by the odor.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

Ha! Kidzcare I say the exact same thing to my staff!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds, Oncology.

Same here too ALL of the above! Esp. the bed bugs!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion