Smelly co-worker

[MA Nurse]

I work with a nurse who smells really bad. People will walk into our unit and say "ooh, it smells like a dirty mop in here!" I don't think she realizes how bad she smells. Other nurses have gone to our managers and they haven't said anything to her, sometimes they just laugh about it. This is not appropriate. What will the families think? We work in a fairly small unit and she will smell up the whole room. Would you send her an anonymous letter?

What would you do??

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Is the supervisor saying anything to her about this? Is it cultural (some cultures don't believe in using deodorant or soap)? Maybe a health problem? I think that you should speak to the supervisor first, and if there are no results, consider telling her privately. I just hope you don't gain an enemy, because there is no way to me that a person would not be embarassed or offended. But it isn't fair that the rest are subjected to this,either.

[MrsMommaRN]

This is such a sensitive situation. You have gotten some great ideas here. If you are really uncomfortable, write out what you might say to her. Practice until you feel semi comfortable speaking to her. If you don't feel comfortable pulling her aside write her a note. Signed by you of course. Let her know you think she is a great nurse or whatever other quality you admire in her, then let her know that you understand that this is embarassing, but you want to help.

I know after 12 hours I am sure I stink. I do try to use a medicated powder thay truly helps with odors. A good stick of gum does wonders too.

[IMustBeCrazy]

Exactly how is she interfering with work? Because people don't like the way she smells?

I think personal hygiene is very important, but we have to also be sensitive to other cultures and religions. I have not idea what nationality/religion this person it, so I am not comfortable with suggesting she go right up and tell this lady that she smells badlu.

If it were a problem of patient safety then the manager would have rectified the situation.

And if someone came up to me and told me I stunk, I would be very upset. Especially if I were of another culture or religion that maybe contributed to the smell.

For instance, the things we eat greatly influence the way we smell. Whether or not we are permitted to wear perfume. Some cultures don't bathe daily. Some people are just too poor to afford hot water and soap every day. You can't just rush in and make this woman feel badly without knowing the whole story.

Compassion would be helpful here.

I have no problem being compassionate. However, in the U.S., stinky = unclean. Unclean is probably not what we want to project in a hospital environment. It makes patients (as well as staff) uneasy and feeling like they're getting poor care. Press Ganey, anyone?

My mom always used to say, people can always afford 50 cents for a bar of soap, there is just no excuse. If someone is truly in a personal predicament, I can't imagine any manager that would not allow someone to use the hospital locker/shower area and provide a bar of soap, maybe even hospital scrubs.

When in Rome, do what the Romans do. When in a hospital in the U.S., bathe regularly and wear clean scrubs. This is not difficult.

[Guitar_Heroine]

If it's gone on this long I would expect she needs to be addressed directly, but perhaps if the manager sent out a memo to everyone stating that there have been complaints and reminding all employees about the company policy on good hygiene/avoiding strong perfumes, etc.

[kittagirl]

I grew up in a large family, I won't say we were poor, well we were, but as kids we didn't know, everyone was in the same boat.

BUT no one smelled, my God my parents would have died of embarrassment, poor is one thing, dirty is a whole different kettle of fish.

As another poster said a basic bar of soap is not expensive! She's working I'm sure whatever debts she may have; there is always 50c for a bar of soap.

I 'm also engaged, my partner is Indian as in from India. I've learnt to cook a lot of traditional foods, and yes there are times when I've eaten a big curry the night before and I'm rushing around the next day I can smell the spices been sweated out. I have to say I'm paranoid about it, but I think and my co-workers agree that it is not an unpleasant smell, and trust me, my co-workers would have no problem with tell me if I did smell unpleasant. I never smell like a damp mop!!!

In fact living a very culturally mixed area I can't think of any culture that actively dis-encourages washing. And most incorporate washing as part of their religious life i.e.: as a Muslim you must pray 5 times a day and you must wash in running water before praying. The same with those of the Hindu religion, who will ask to wash in running water, particularly before eating. And in the Sikh religion washing and being clean has an important religious significance.

Even if there is a prohibition against using deodorants, (never heard of that before, except from my very 'hippy' green niece, and then she & hubby use natural soap that contains Tea Tree oil, they both work out doors as landscapers and they don't smell) there is a big difference between the smell of clean sweat and that of a 'wet mop'

There are very few conditions that will cause an offensive body smell and the majority of them are genetic, and I doubt that any one would get to adulthood with out been aware of their condition.

However I did once work with a doctor who STANK. He had been on the ward for 2 weeks (I was on holiday) and on my first day back I went with him to see a patient. I have to admit I had decided to have a word with him in private as soon as I could; however the patient in question got there first. A lovely Downs Syndrome gentleman who had no problem in stating loudly 'You smell!'

This poor doc was mortified, but his excuse was (this was a 35+year old man, and educated man) that his Mum was on holiday and he didn't know how to use the washing machine..............

Bless!!!

I think that your supervisor is really just been a coward. That's their job. It's part of managing people. At the least they could send out a general memo about cleanliness, and then it's a subject that could be become a discussion. I.e.: have you seen this, gosh I use XXX deodorant, I find that it last all night even on a really busy shift, what do you use? Or I'd hate to think that I smell bad, I'd want some one to tell me wouldn't you.......................

[hotmama2be]

Well just from personal experience it could be her work shoes stinking up in the locker , then she puts them on and the smell spreads. So possibly its her shoes not her actual body ,be kind as possible about the situation .

[bagladyrn, RN]

A gentle way of addressing this might be to buy a spray bottle of something like Febreze for the break room, perhaps asking "What do you think? Does this take care of the "tough shift" funk?" Or perhaps a can of foot spray for the break room, again personalizing it by spraying your shoes when she is present, stating "Wow my shoes can really get nasty sweaty by the end of a shift!".

[Vito Andolini]

I once told a friend that he needed to deal with an odor problem. It was awkward and I regretted it, even though he did not express anger. He didn't express anything verbally but he took it to heart and began smelling much better.

I think I would coward out if I had to do it again. you know - write the anonymous letter, a very nice one.

BTW, I hate it when cowardly managers won't address issues or address an issue specific to one person by taking the matter to the whole group. Guess who the only 1 will be to NOT get the message.

[dalbrijas]

Well, they do say "you are what you eat". Maybe she has a bad diet?

[invisigoth]

Maybe she's sick with the cancer or something. I smelled my mother's cancer smell before she smelled it herself. Plus her friends (some who were nurses) used to her how horrible she looked and that she burps too much and stinks. They never offered any advice. Women can be so mean.

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

Pull her aside quietly and gently tell her. Would you want to walk around with something in your teeth or a bugger hanging out and everyone notice but not tell you. Its rude not to tell her while everyone is snickering behind her back about it.

[puggy232]

Your floor manager should really be the one to talk to her, in private her being the brunt of jokes is hardly appropriate. On a floor that I use work on we had a US who smelled like cat urine, as if her cats were not altered-ugh, no one told her, just suffered through it, between her and the nurse who had to dip herself in baby phat perfume-I had a god awful headache before even getting out onto the floor, the new floor manager talked to both of them thank goodness.