Student Body Odor

AbbyLane · Aug 30, 2018

I think the best thing would be for the teacher to say something since the child is more familiar with him/her. It actually seem silly to me that they would make the nurse who doesn't even know the child say something simply because she's the nurse. It seems like they just don't want to have the awkward talk and they dumped it on you.

kidzcare · Aug 30, 2018

It seems like they just don't want to have the awkward talk and they dumped it on you.

DING DING DING! What does she win, Bob??

Anything that is unpleasant is somehow tasked to the nurse. No one knows why.

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 30, 2018

And let's not forget that it might not be a simple matter of bathing and deodorant. The girl might have filthy clothes (and underwear) due to not having the ability to wash her clothes. She may not have deodorant to use -- or any money to buy some. She may not have a toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.

There was such a girl in my class (and a few other kids in my school) who lived in such conditions. The smell was overwhelming. We all felt sorry for her, but no one wanted to sit near her in class ... or on the bus ... or be within a few feet of her. This went on for a couple of years.

For children who struggle with hygiene because they lack of resources, talking with them is not enough. That is only a first step in identifying what the problems are. Some schools allow such students to use the locker rooms to shower ... or install washing machines so that they (and maybe their moms) can wash their clothes. etc. Make sure the stinky students have the resources to be clean. If not, maybe that would be a great project for the PTO or something. Some of these kids need real help.

Daisy Joyce · Aug 31, 2018

When I was in school, we were given a hygiene talk as a class. Nobody singled out.

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Aug 31, 2018

I really wish they would teach a basic health/hygiene class in middle school or at least by 8th or 9th grade. Kids need to learn more about their bodies, signs and symptoms of common ailments, etc. So many parents themselves don't know, at least from the ignorance I see in the hospital from adult patients who know NOTHING about their bodies, like proper names for body parts. I have patients who don't even know what you are talking about when you say "nausea" or "abdomen." They only understand "belly."

ABRN2012 · Aug 31, 2018

Back when I was in 5th grade (I was in a combination 5th/6th class) they put the girls and boys in separate groups and for us girls, the teacher addressed menstruation and body odor - we did not get into anything direct about sexual activity. Do they not do that any more?

Same here! They do not do that in my schools anymore. I have begged to bring this back. But 4 years into this and still no puberty/hygiene class.

ABRN2012 · Aug 31, 2018

DING DING DING! What does she win, Bob??
Anything that is unpleasant is somehow tasked to the nurse. No one knows why.

I agree that it is just being dumped on you. I got that request several times last year and already had one ask yesterday. My response now is that it is not a crime to be stinky. Yes it is unpleasant for everyone involved but most of the time it is not the childs fault and you are singling them out by pulling them aside. They probably do not even know they smell cause they are used to it. And if they smell then you can bet mom and dad smell as well. I say have a "hygiene talk" with the whole class. Give out samples products if you have them and then let it go. I have to be around stinky people everywhere I go. Its a everyday life social problem. It is not a medical problem. And I turned over a new leaf last year and decided if it was not a medical problem (something that you could potentially die from or something that might put you in the hospital, ect.) then it wasn't a nursing problem.

AzElemNurse · Aug 31, 2018

I wish my admin team would see it that way. Everything weird or that no one else wants to deal with becomes a nurse problem... ARG

BeckyESRN · Aug 31, 2018

I wish my admin team would see it that way. Everything weird or that no one else wants to deal with becomes a nurse problem... ARG

SO very true!

kidzcare · Aug 31, 2018

Same here! They do not do that in my schools anymore. I have begged to bring this back. But 4 years into this and still no puberty/hygiene class.

Just yesterday my twin fifth graders came home and both told me that they had a talk about getting older/smellier and that now they both needed deodorant. Neither one of them has had any signs of puberty yet but I might as well get the good habits started so I'm getting them some this weekend.

Have Nurse, ADN, RN · Sep 4, 2018

It was her teachers who brought it up to me and asked me to speak to her. I don't know her at all and feeling a bit awkward about it.

Might be kinder to have the parents address it with their daughter, per teacher request. Then they can deal with the fallout, if there is any.....Just a thought.

Amethya · Sep 5, 2018

Back when I was in 5th grade (I was in a combination 5th/6th class) they put the girls and boys in separate groups and for us girls, the teacher addressed menstruation and body odor - we did not get into anything direct about sexual activity. Do they not do that any more?

Here in Texas they do, especially for 4th and 5th grade.