My co-worker stinks like gin every morning!

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I have been working with a nurse for 15 years now who comes to work each morning smelling like her last drink, some days much stronger than others. Some days if i come in a few minutes after her I can smell it on the elevator she just rode up on. I and other nurses have addressed this in the past, at which time she took a leave for awhile, seemed to improve, but now is back to the usual stench. None of the managers seem to care anymore. I can't say as she acts impaired exactly, but if I was a patient and my RN reeked of booze, I might not be too happy! Would you?

Specializes in MS, OB, PEDI, VNA, TELEM.
I too have mixed feelings on this! I thought I was about to be the only one until I read your post above mine, wooh

One of the most amazing nurses I've ever worked with was a functional alcoholic. She never drank on the job as far as I know she drank the night before and would still smell like alcohol in the morning. To be completely honest she was really good at her job, just obviously she had a problem. But who knows how great she could have been if she didn't have personal problems.

That being said, I don't think it's ok for nurses to be inebriated at work while they have people's lives in their hands. I've also seen nurses who take their patient's painkillers and give the patient tylenol instead of percocet and that's obviously wrong and I think everyone would agree to that. It's just hard to tell when to draw the line between personal life and it affecting work performance especially if you consider alcoholism a disease. Clearly it would be ideal for her to get some help and get sober, but I think there is a grey area in the real world and nurses are humans, all of us with our flaws and imperfections. So where do we draw the line? What if a nurse is a smoker and has cigarette smoke on her/his clothes and their patient is highly allergic? What if a nurse is 100 pounds overweight and can't get to that patient who is coding as fast as someone who didn't have that problem? What about 50 lbs overweight, or 20? I think its certainly something to think about, as most of us have some problem/vice, just some peoples' are more obvious than others... but we are all here for the patients...

Having been on the patient side as well as the professional side, I know how frightening it can be to be at other people's mercy in the hospital. And if my nurse smelled clearly like booze, I would tell her to hit the bricks. Why is you can be drug tested and lose your nursing license, but alcohol, well, let's party!!

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Specializes in MS, OB, PEDI, VNA, TELEM.
If you really believe the nurse is using alcohol, then simply call your state BON they will handle the investigation and get the nurse the help they need. If they are using everyday and you smell it the next morning a blood test would show etoh content and most likely be high enough for a DUI. It happens trust me... I know first hand.

Kudos to you!!

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
this is a nurse with a documented and well-accepted alcohol ingestion problem not a topical alcohol hygiene habit. some kind of definitive intervention is indicated, in the name of patient safety.[/size']

where is the "well accepted alcohol ingestion problem" documented?

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Specializes in MS, OB, PEDI, VNA, TELEM.
I am utterly shocked that people are actually defending a nurse showing up to work reeking of alcohol! So you'd be ok with a nurse reeking of booze taking care of your mother? Your child?

Thank you !! My thoughts exactly. some folks on here perhaps protest too much??

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Specializes in MS, OB, PEDI, VNA, TELEM.
I have to applaud the OP, though. My sniffer would never be able to differentiate the smell of gin v the smell of bourbon v wine, etc. Those are some pretty good olefactories there.

And besides that i know it's her flavor of choice, says she.

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i was in a similar situation years ago. i worked evenings. every so often, i had slight suspicions about the night nurse. however, i was nowhere near confident enough in my suspicions to risk destroying a reputation and/or career if i was wrong.

then one evening she didn't show up. i called her, she didn't answer but called back a few minutes later and said she had overslept and was on her way. she sounded slightly off and i suggested she stay home and i would cover the shift. she said that wasn't necessary, she was fine and on her way. i offered again, she said she was fine.

this was a smaller specialty care facility with minimal staff in the building at night. our unit overlooked the parking lot. i happened to look out the window just in time to see her walking up the sidewalk and topple over into the bushes. to say the least, it was not a good night.

turns out she had a whole hodge podge of a medicine cabinet in her system.

truthfully, it's a horrid spot to be in. at the end of the day, what matters most is that you've honestly, objectively and thoroughly weighed the pros and cons and the ramifications of the various scenarios.

then you make the best decision you can and one that you will be comfortable living with when you put your head down on the pillow at night. half the people will think you acted too soon and the other half will think you waited too long.

my best to you op.

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Specializes in none.

OP I feel for you. I come from a family of heavy drinkers. If you can't leave the job, talk to some one that can explain your rights and responsibilities. I don't know what else to tell you. All my good wishes are with you

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i was in a similar situation years ago. i worked evenings. every so often, i had slight suspicions about the night nurse. however, i was nowhere near confident enough in my suspicions to risk destroying a reputation and/or career if i was wrong.

then one evening she didn't show up. i called her, she didn't answer but called back a few minutes later and said she had overslept and was on her way. she sounded slightly off and i suggested she stay home and i would cover the shift. she said that wasn't necessary, she was fine and on her way. i offered again, she said she was fine.

this was a smaller specialty care facility with minimal staff in the building at night. our unit overlooked the parking lot. i happened to look out the window just in time to see her walking up the sidewalk and topple over into the bushes. to say the least, it was not a good night.

turns out she had a whole hodge podge of a medicine cabinet in her system.

truthfully, it’s a horrid spot to be in. at the end of the day, what matters most is that you’ve honestly, objectively and thoroughly weighed the pros and cons and the ramifications of the various scenarios.

then you make the best decision you can and one that you will be comfortable living with when you put your head down on the pillow at night. half the people will think you acted too soon and the other half will think you waited too long.

my best to you op.

what happened? did you cover the shift? did you let her work in that condition? did you inform the manager?

wow.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

So I like to drink a glass or 10 of gin in the morning before work what's it to you? :D

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So I like to drink a glass or 10 of gin in the morning before work what's it to you? :D

Not funny.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
I have to applaud the OP, though. My sniffer would never be able to differentiate the smell of gin v the smell of bourbon v wine, etc. Those are some pretty good olefactories there.

I'm pretty good at telling a lot of the ETOH varieties apart...then again, detox is my area. You assess enough drunk patients and you can't help but develop the skill :)

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Specializes in MS, OB, PEDI, VNA, TELEM.
i was in a similar situation years ago. i worked evenings. every so often, i had slight suspicions about the night nurse. however, i was nowhere near confident enough in my suspicions to risk destroying a reputation and/or career if i was wrong.

then one evening she didn't show up. i called her, she didn't answer but called back a few minutes later and said she had overslept and was on her way. she sounded slightly off and i suggested she stay home and i would cover the shift. she said that wasn't necessary, she was fine and on her way. i offered again, she said she was fine.

this was a smaller specialty care facility with minimal staff in the building at night. our unit overlooked the parking lot. i happened to look out the window just in time to see her walking up the sidewalk and topple over into the bushes. to say the least, it was not a good night.

turns out she had a whole hodge podge of a medicine cabinet in her system.

truthfully, it’s a horrid spot to be in. at the end of the day, what matters most is that you’ve honestly, objectively and thoroughly weighed the pros and cons and the ramifications of the various scenarios.

then you make the best decision you can and one that you will be comfortable living with when you put your head down on the pillow at night. half the people will think you acted too soon and the other half will think you waited too long.

my best to you op.

we had a nurse a few years ago that we coded in a patients bathroom because she'd overdosed on demerol while working. no joke. we had a travel nurse that was found with a pocket full of narcs and was relieved of her job in the middle of a 6p-6a night shift. it ain't always been pretty....

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