Smelly nursing home what to do?

[middleagednurse]

Well I have been looking for a job for too long. I recently moved to another state, and I need a job yesterday. Even though I have submitted numerous applications, we all know how time consuming it is to get hired, so I had the bright idea to apply to a small facility somewhere that is desperate for nurses. My thinking is that I could work in an unpleasant place temporarily until I find a better job.

Unfortunately when I opened the door of the facility the smell of urine hit me in the face. So if I get hired obviously I would want to do something about that . Would it be reasonable to identify the residents who have smelly urine and get orders for UA C&S? Why hasn't someone done this already?

[chrisrn24]

It may not be people with UTIs, but rather a cleanliness issue. I have some people with chronically foul urine that don't have UTIs.

[middleagednurse]

Why would a person have foul smelling urine if no UTI? Dehydration?

[SilleLu]

I would suspect briefs being left in trashcans and/or soiled linen not sent to laundry immediately.

[kiszi, RN]

May also be that the residents are not being changed often enough; a wet brief can start smelling bad after a couple of hours.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Smelly facilities usually don't enforce the wrapping of wet briefs in plastic. They typically don't empty the trash often enough or change the residents frequently enough. If the residents aren't drinking enough, their urine can become strong smelling but that doesn't mean they have a UTI.

[ktwlpn, LPN]

And good luck walking in as a new hire and fixing that in a small and likely chronically understaffed facility. If you succeed you'll be a super hero. I would run from that place as fast as possible. Obviously an "I don't care" attitude" permeated the staff from the owners on down the line just like the urine odor permeates it.

OR-it was an isolated incident and you should pop in again at a different time of the day. There are any number of reasons that could have happened....

[amoLucia]

Why would a person have foul smelling urine if no UTI? Dehydration?

Asparagus makes for funky smelling urine even in healthy people. And some other veggies, too. Some meds, like the -cillins excrete the smell out almost just as pungently as it was taken in.

Furniture, like the living room chairs in the lobby, retain urine odor regardless of the cleaning measures. Forget it if the furniture is fabric, like rugs.

Check out the condition of the mattresses - if the mattresses have cracks in the plastic, urine seeps in and NEVER comes clean. Same can be said for cracked wheelchair seats.

It may not be a pt issue, but rather a housekeeping/maintainance problem. A well maintained facility SHOULD NOT smell.

Start checking out environmental sources; see if that can target the odors.

I've also known the floors' big potted plants to have been peed/pooped into!

[ktwlpn, LPN]

Concentrated urine smells strongly as well, they never drink enough fluids. LOL on the potted plants! Don't forget "bad aim". We are now locking all of our visitors bathrooms-we will soon know who is piddling on the floor.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

We have heaters/air conditioner units in every room. Maintenance calls them PTACS...and then they're surprised when a resident pees on them!

[amoLucia]

We have heaters/air conditioner units in every room. Maintenance calls them PTACS...and then they're surprised when a resident pees on them!

I totally forgot about the ACs Another thing - I don't ever recall seeing hskpg sanitize a trash can; only change the liner. Maybe a quick rinse if the pt used the can in lieu of the can. Those things would be NASTY.

[ponymom]

I would go ahead and ask (in the interview) if the place always smells like that. The lobby should not stink (nor should the halls, but sometimes, it happens).

Always keep in mindset that you are interviewing them, as much as they are interviewing you.