SMELL

[klt324]

Okay so being a cna.. we come across some really unpleasent smells (i'm still in school, but in the clinic)

Second or third day at the clinic we had a resident who we cleaning up her diaper, and who also had 3-4 bed sores. FIRST TIME I SAW IN PERSON. I thought i was fine with it, but being so close to her- next to the bed. The smell of the BM and rotting skin or the bed sores, couldn't take it, and almost threw up and fainted. Thankfully I didn't, but man was I close. Not a good feeling lol.

My point for this blog is... What are was to help with the smell? Breath through your mouth? I don't know, any tips??

[Hygiene Queen]

I don't know if this would work for you, but I learned to deal with the smells by simply telling myself, "This is what I signed up for. I'm tough. It doesn't bother me... see how professional I am?"

lol! lol!

It sounds weird, but I, from day 1, told myself "to deal with it".

It worked for me.

How to breathe... tough call.

Yeah, it smells horrid but I'd rather smell it than open my mouth and taste it!

I once had a pt with gangrene. I was chewing Mint-a-Burst gum. I opened my mouth while providing care and YOW!

I could taste it!

I could not chew that particular brand of gum for years, after that!

You can try to hold your breath, but when you can't do it anymore, you're automatically going to want to take a huge compensatory breath. Then you're just going to have to inhale it more!

I say, put yourself in a tough professional mindset, breathe lightly and evenly through your nose... and avoid mouth breathing, if possible.

Hang in there!!!!!! You can do it!!!!!

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

Some people put mint chapstick or Vick's under their noses so that's all they can smell, but that gives me a headache.

I take shallow breaths if a smell is bothering me, and if the person is facing away from me I put my face in my shoulder when I inhale.

I think the thing that helps me the most is not to look at the source of the smell if you don't have to. Only look out the corner of your eye. And don't think about it. I kind of "shut my mind off" and go into autopilot. And cover it up if you can- ie if there is BM in a brief, fold it over, or something in the toilet, flush it, throw a towel over some vomit, etc.

[Dorali, BSN, LPN, RN]

Fuzzywuzzy said everything I was going to, really good advice there! Read that twice! Lol

[Boerne Lou]

YEP IT HAPPENS :) Vix under the nose helps if you have it and know before hand-the excption and there always is. Thank goodness we have support.

[Boerne Lou]

PS I have gotten sick before and so have many of my coworkers!

[coffeelover10]

I agree with the telling yourself its part of what we do. On occasion I still smell things that make me nauseous, and I try to tough through it for the sake of the resident and just focus on getting the task done with. Most of them are aware they smell, so if they notice you struggling they tend to feel embarrassed. Believe it or not though, my SO smells worse than almost anybody I know. I can be on the other side of the house, and very loudly, I let him know he stinks more than all my residents combined :)

[Starletta, CNA]

I agree with the telling yourself its part of what we do. On occasion I still smell things that make me nauseous, and I try to tough through it for the sake of the resident and just focus on getting the task done with. Most of them are aware they smell, so if they notice you struggling they tend to feel embarrassed. Believe it or not though, my SO smells worse than almost anybody I know. I can be on the other side of the house, and very loudly, I let him know he stinks more than all my residents combined :)

Good one coffeelover - your poor SO...lol

I have heard of Vicks in the nose. This may be extreme, but anyone watch any Detective shows when they are at an autopsy and they put something in their noses for the smell? I saw that in "The Silence of the Lambs." Wondering what it was???

[kool-aide, RN]

Just toughen up and deal with it. You'll be better off in the long run. You won't always have time to run and put vicks under your nostrils.

[klt324]

PS I have gotten sick before and so have many of my coworkers!

lol thanks. glad to know i'm not the only one

[klt324]

of coorifice i'll toughen it out when it happens.

[MurrR]

When I knew a person was going to have something smelly - like bed sores, poor hygiene, or possibly a pungent BM, I kept a tin of altoids in one of my pockets and would crush one or two in my mouth before I went in. Now, though, I've gotten so used to it that it doesn't bother me as much. I also think that the smell is something that can be worth reporting.

"Mr Smith's BM has been looser and smells more strongly lately..."

At one place I could tell which PRNs for constipation they were taking by the smell when I walked in the room, haha, but I knew those guys pretty well.