Nurse with Body Odor

[prettyinblu]

Happy Holidays! I have a fellow nurse who is awesome! Heplful and always willing to teach but she has a very strong body odor and it seems to be gettting worse sadly. The shift starts at 7am and at 0630 she smells. Does anyone have suggestions on how to tell her in a nice way if thats even possible?

[rn4ever?]

How about just stay away from her…..or when she’s nearby, hold your breath…..or if she stays with you for a longer time, just breathe through your mouth so you don’t smell her?

[rn4ever?]

Telling somebody she has body odor is like a personal attack. It cannot be compared to telling somebody that they have spinach on their teeth. The spinach on your teeth, you just take it off and it’s solved. The body odor…..what if she has an underlying medical issue? Then it will be so embarrassing. It’s like asking her to solve something that she can’t. Please be considerate of that.

One time a few co-workers of mine started joking about how another co-worker had an awful penmanship. I knew by the look in her eyes that she was being offended and it wasn’t funny to her anymore. Sure she can try to improve her hand-writing, but there’s only a limit to it. It didn’t help much. What did they want her to do, go back to first grade or buy a writing book and practice writing? So at report one time, they started joking again. Until one nurse bluntly said: “I can’t really read your hand-writing, it’s bad” She finally shot back to a co-worker who was a chain smoker: “Did anybody tell you that your breath stinks? Like I’m almost tempted to cover my nose when you’re here because it smells like a dead rat?” Everybody in the room became silent. The smoker co-worker looked like she was going to cry (I was being considerate in my mind, I’m thinking what if she has underlying medical issues that make her breath smell as such, apart from smoking? I know she can brush her teeth many times or even chew mint but what if the medical condition still makes her breath smell that way? Then she would be too offended knowing that she will always stink no matter what) But I believe she deserved it. Rudeness begets rudeness.

[CuriousMe]

have you ever had to tell a co-worker they smell bad?

it's always easier to say what you should do when you haven't had to do it.

Yes, I just quietly told them that that their deodorant wasn't working anymore. I'm not sure their exact response, because it was not a huge deal, but they were happy to know and dealt with the issue.

We're all adults, there's no need to turn this in to an After School Special!

[Zookeeper3]

Woa, I love ya'll but your dogs here. And I'm calling you all out. It's so simple. This person has Someone close to them. yep they are now the scape goat and because it is the best way. The best friend is approached and asked to interviene in a way that THEY determine will work. No unnamed messages, all you woosies... either have the conversation yourself or shut up. If you lack the brass ones to have it, you lack the rights to leave wanna be messages. If you can't say it face to face, don't dare limp it out and hide behind others in an attack. How dare you.

The closest person needs to simply say it, kindly in private. The weak ones need to not know what went on and mind their own business, you fail! Butt out! orifices.

[handyrn]

You see how we all have different ideas on how to approach this? That's cuz we all have different personalities and deal with things differently. I don't think there is one answer to this problem. I think it lies in knowing the person well enough to know how she would take the news the best. If you don't know this person well enough to at least have some idea as to how she would like to be approached about it, then you are not the one to tell her. Have someone she is close to do the telling. If there is no one, it needs to be brought up to your manager.

It is your manager's responsibility to make sure that the nurses are portraying a healthy lifestyle. If nurses are not living/portraying a healthy lifestyle, or at least making the appearance that they are, then what are patients to think? How much respect can you give a nurse when she/he tells you to do something if they are not doing it? I mean, if that nurse is going in demanding/suggesting that the patient needs a shower, how seriously can the patient take the nurse if she herself smells like she has not showered? This is why it falls on the manager if there is no one close enough to the nurse to know how to bring it up to her.

[RadBSN]

I think that the anonymous note stuff is really rude and would make me feel uncomfortable and like people were talking behind my back. If there was something wrong with my personal hygiene I would appreciate it if a fellow nurse came up to me and said something.

I have been in the situation where co-workers have pretty strong body odor and it has affected the work situation. I have straight out told them, "I appreciate that you don't want to shave or wear deodorant as a personal philosophy (since that was their reason), but in this work situation we are in small rooms and your body odor can be strong. Perhaps you could take some extra time to wash your armpits before work or use a stronger deodorant?" Honestly, the two people I did this with were glad that I told them, responded to my feedback and stopped showing up to work stinky. I of course used an appropriate tone, did it at the end of the day, and away from other people.

I also think that if you don't feel comfortable doing that then talking to your nurse manager is a good first step. I just think the anonymous note thing is too middle school and could be construed as harassment.

[mazy]

I would be horribly upset and embarrassed if I got a note -- anonymous or otherwise. I'd end up going into work every day wondering who sent it, being paranoid about other people talking about me, and not knowing if it was a mean joke or if I was so pungent that the person couldn't even get close enough to have a conversation.

It is a conversation you have to have face to face so the other person has a chance to respond -- maybe there is a medical issue. Maybe they are aware and just need to tell someone that it is because of so and so and you can be a friend who can redirect other people's complaints. Kind of soften the issue with the rest of the staff.

On a side note, I once oriented with a nurse and after a couple of hours of proximity I thought to myself that he was kind of stinky. Turns out that after I had been there a few weeks I realized it was the hand sanitizer! After many uses it built up this horrible smelly residue and I was also very smelly. So I went back to plain old soap and water.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

here's another thought also- I've had this problem- had to change up deodorants , and sometimes use the alcohol sanitizers in between if there is a bad day. noticed it does seem to be related to hormones. but take into consideration that the persons uniform has stains/ smell on it - i have thrown out my uniform shirts as there was no way to wash the smell out- seemed fine after being washed, but all it took was one sweaty shift to activate it again. they say spraying vinegar in the armpit area of the shirt before washing helps .

i agree someone close to the person should bring this up.

[Katie5]

Do her a favor and tell her straight out. How would you like it if you were smelly, didn't know it, and no one told you............be direct.

DO NOT DO THIS! It will implode on you.

Granted she has an unpleasant odor- chances are you're not the first person to notice this. As someone mentioned it may be hormonal. Give her an out and tell her in a tactful way.

[Katie5]

Ask your HR manager to talk to her.

What happened to the floor manager>

[pedicurn, LPN, RN]

How important is the problem? Is it just a bit of underarm sweat smell or is it a pronounced odour that is noticeable to p'ts and the whole work area ???

If she happens to have some odour from sweaty armpits .... leave it. These sorts of situations can get very petty and outrageous ....and end up in HR.

If this is the case; she has mild BO .... then best to tolerate it.

I work with many people have have some kind of odour associated with them.

Some of the biggest odour phobics are the clerks I work with - complaining about somebody's fish lunch in the break room yet reeking themselves of perfume .... I have sinusitis by the end of a 12 hr shift after inhaling those really strong Lauder ones they seem to like.

Then there are the natural types who only use natural deodarants .... more power to them, maybe they will prove to be right later?

Then there are the other ethnicities who eat pungant food .... that's their right ...we need to get over that.

Now there's me ...I often bring in leftovers to reheat .... I never cook a hot meal without using some garlic, onion, olive oil (not huge amounts). I am not going to cook a bland meal just because my coworkers might object to a small amount of garlic.

Then there are those people with postnasal drip that can make their breath smelly ... often seasonal sinusitis, maybe dairy intolerance? who knows? Many of these people have good oral hygiene and are doing their best to reduce the problem.

A little bit of tolerance helps here ... is it really that bad?

[leslie :-D]

How about just stay away from her.....or when she's nearby, hold your breath.....or if she stays with you for a longer time, just breathe through your mouth so you don't smell her?

one step further...why not clip a clothespin on your nose, just when you're around her?

(not.)

seriously, whether one talks to her or sends a note, either way she'll be embarrassed.

whether it is bo, cigarette smoke, garlic, strong perfume...whatever its source...sometimes such a complaint has more impact when it comes from a pt.

i'm just not convinced that we should always be deferring to our bosses.

but it's also a situation where the burden shouldn't be on the employee either.

if it's that offensive, someone will say something....probably a pt.

those folks just don't hold back.:)

leslie