What do you do when you come across a...

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nurse whose breath smells of alcohol? I have only worked with her twice and both times she has smelled like alcohol.

I'm thinking that maybe she has a hangover or it's her medications. I don't want to get her in trouble when there is no trouble.

Yea, right! :lol2:

check previous posts.....it is the chemicals carried with the ETOH that you smell or the metabolites of.....ETOH will give a peculiar sensation in the nose, it isnt an odor

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Are you sure?

Could be breath freshener spray, gargle, medication. She may have a sore throat and be using medication with an alcohol base.

Is she impaired? If so ...what aspects of her behaviour suggest impairment? Slurred speech? Alteration gait?

You mentioned that you are a volunteer. I don't think you are mandated to report this ...why are you thinking it's your responsibility to do this? A little over zealous perhaps

I'm a bit offended by your "over zealous" statement. I came to this board for assistance from experienced nurses who may be able to help me. So what, I'm a volunteer, so does that mean I'm supposed to just sit and watch a potential danger unfold before me because some people believe it's not my responsibility and to stay out of it? As a volunteer or a common citizen, If I know for a FACT that any health care provider is drinking or using illicit drugs on the job, I will report it.

And you're right, it could have been gum, freshener, or anything else...thanks for the perspective; that's why I came here first.

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Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.
I'm a bit offended by your "over zealous" statement. I came to this board for assistance from experienced nurses who may be able to help me. So what, I'm a volunteer, so does that mean I'm supposed to just sit and watch a potential danger unfold before me because some people believe it's not my responsibility and to stay out of it? As a volunteer or a common citizen, If I know for a FACT that any health care provider is drinking or using illicit drugs on the job, I will report it.

And you're right, it could have been gum, freshener, or anything else...thanks for the perspective; that's why I came here first.

As a volunteer you are obviously not mandated to report ....however you are free to speak to your supervisor about your concerns.

You don't actually have any responsibiity here.

As an RN, with many years experience .... I am pleased that nurses are aware of their responsibiity to report. Nurses are generally good at this .... they are better at this than doctors.

However, SOME nurses take an over zealous approach to reporting which is just silly, petty and childish. We can do without this.

It is upsetting to me that a volunteer feels it's quite appropriate to take this approach without even a basic understanding of the issue.

It is interesting that you were ready to snitch on this nurse and make a serious accusation (which is slander if you are wrong BTW)

.....yet, you were UNAWARE that many medications and preparations contain alcohol and could quit easily mimic the smell of recreational alcohol.

Let's turn this around .....

You are volunteering on a floor where there has been some theft of p't property ..... a nurse catches you giving a second glance at a nice wallet .... she goes to the manager and says she thinks you could be the thief.

However she is unaware that you do leatherwork as a hobby and you were attracted to the decorative nature of the wallet.

Such are the dangers of incomplete information and assessment ! Particularly when making such a serious accusation. These situations have a habit of doing a 360 when the accusation is incorrect

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As a volunteer you are obviously not mandated to report ....however you are free to speak to your supervisor about your concerns.

You don't actually have any responsibiity here.

As an RN, with many years experience .... I am pleased that nurses are aware of their responsibiity to report. Nurses are generally good at this .... they are better at this than doctors.

However, SOME nurses take an over zealous approach to reporting which is just silly, petty and childish. We can do without this.

It is upsetting to me that a volunteer feels it's quite appropriate to take this approach without even a basic understanding of the issue.

It is interesting that you were ready to snitch on this nurse and make a serious accusation (which is slander if you are wrong BTW)

.....yet, you were UNAWARE that many medications and preparations contain alcohol and could quit easily mimic the smell of recreational alcohol.

Let's turn this around .....

You are volunteering on a floor where there has been some theft of p't property ..... a nurse catches you giving a second glance at a nice wallet .... she goes to the manager and says she thinks you could be the thief.

However she is unaware that you do leatherwork as a hobby and you were attracted to the decorative nature of the wallet.

Such are the dangers of incomplete information and assessment ! Particularly when making such a serious accusation. These situations have a habit of doing a 360 when the accusation is incorrect

I needed perspective, not a lesson on what my responsibility is and is not as a volunteer.

I am fully aware that meds, mouth wash, gum, etc.. can mimic the smell of alcohol.

I must admit that I am seriously shocked that people would turn their backs on a potentially serious issue. Sure, I understand that people jump to conclusions and can ruin the accused lives', but to simply turn your back because it's not your responsibility????

I would certainly hope that you would at least take the time to assess the situation, which is why I came here.

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Thank you to all of you who at least understood why I would be concerned and realized that I came here first because AS A VOLUNTEER, I was not aware of what to do.

And thank you so much for NOT jumping to conclusions with my question. A little bit of understanding makes a world of difference.

Also, I do appreciate everyone's perspective.

In case you're wondering, I never said anything to anyone, only this message board--My husband doesn't even know.

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also I think the hand sanitizers ( non rinse) can really smell like you spelled booze on you- or been around it.

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Specializes in multispecialty ICU, SICU including CV.
Thank you to all of you who at least understood why I would be concerned and realized that I came here first because AS A VOLUNTEER, I was not aware of what to do.

And thank you so much for NOT jumping to conclusions with my question. A little bit of understanding makes a world of difference.

Also, I do appreciate everyone's perspective.

In case you're wondering, I never said anything to anyone, only this message board--My husband doesn't even know.

OP, I think you are doing the right thing, and I think you would be doing the right thing to report it if you had a strong suspicion this person was drinking/impaired. NO ONE in health care should be impaired at work. We are responsible for patient's health. That isn't something that anyone should be doing in any impaired state. I think if you have a concern about a caregiver, report it. Even as a volunteer in a hospital I think it is likely that you have been told that you should report unsafe situations -- I think this would fall into that category.

One side of the coin -- you totally misread the situation. Nurse wasn't drinking, has a valid excuse to why she smelled like alcohol. Maybe she has to go drop off some urine. Maybe her performance will be watched for awhile. If she/he is clean, nothing is going to come out of having you report her.

The other side of the coin -- this one in a long line of complaints regarding this person coming to work impaired and smelling like alcohol. Said nurse is forced into rehab or is fired, which is what should happen.

I don't understand why everyone is railing on you either. Neither of those two scenarios are horrible and illustrate any series of events that shouldn't happen. What shouldn't happen is for the situation to get ignored and have a patient suffer because of it. If I thought one of my coworkers in ICU was drunk/drinking/otherwise impaired, I would be marching my butt into a meeting and pulling my boss out and telling her to deal with it now. Patients deserve better.

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OP, I think you are doing the right thing, and I think you would be doing the right thing to report it if you had a strong suspicion this person was drinking/impaired. NO ONE in health care should be impaired at work. We are responsible for patient's health. That isn't something that anyone should be doing in any impaired state. I think if you have a concern about a caregiver, report it. Even as a volunteer in a hospital I think it is likely that you have been told that you should report unsafe situations -- I think this would fall into that category.

One side of the coin -- you totally misread the situation. Nurse wasn't drinking, has a valid excuse to why she smelled like alcohol. Maybe she has to go drop off some urine. Maybe her performance will be watched for awhile. If she/he is clean, nothing is going to come out of having you report her.

The other side of the coin -- this one in a long line of complaints regarding this person coming to work impaired and smelling like alcohol. Said nurse is forced into rehab or is fired, which is what should happen.

I don't understand why everyone is railing on you either. Neither of those two scenarios are horrible and illustrate any series of events that shouldn't happen. What shouldn't happen is for the situation to get ignored and have a patient suffer because of it. If I thought one of my coworkers in ICU was drunk/drinking/otherwise impaired, I would be marching my butt into a meeting and pulling my boss out and telling her to deal with it now. Patients deserve better.

Thank you. My thoughts exactly.

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Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.

One side of the coin -- you totally misread the situation. Nurse wasn't drinking, has a valid excuse to why she smelled like alcohol. Maybe she has to go drop off some urine. Maybe her performance will be watched for awhile. If she/he is clean, nothing is going to come out of having you report her.

The other side of the coin -- this one in a long line of complaints regarding this person coming to work impaired and smelling like alcohol. Said nurse is forced into rehab or is fired, which is what should happen.

I don't understand why everyone is railing on you either. Neither of those two scenarios are horrible.

Nobody is saying reporting is a bad thing. I think we all agree on that.

However the first scenario is a bad thing and shouldn't happen. It's slander and can ruin the nurse's reputation and can cost her/him their job and future employment opportunity.....and experience all the financial aftermath

In some employment situations ....there can be repercussion for the nurse even if her test was negative. It would be naive to think some managers don't gossip ....act on incomplete information ...have unreasonable conflict with nurses. It's not a stretch to understand how a false accusation can lead to the victim paying some cost ...in whatever way that might be.

At the very least.... the nurse stays in her workplace....quite possibly knowing that a volunteer and volunteer supervisor made a false accusation. That hardly contributes to a healthy work culture. The nurse will probably decide to leave and have to find another job in this economy. The unit then starts to get a reputation as a 'watch out ...it's a knife in the back' type of place and retention issues can come into play. I know i would start looking for another job and meanwhile be watching the volunteer very carefully indeed.

Whilst nobody wishes to have a nurse working under the influence of alcohol or drugs.......it would be nice if nobody treated nurses like inhuman nobodies whose rights can be waived ...simply because they are nurses. Slander is very real and nurses deserve better than that

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Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.
I needed perspective, not a lesson on what my responsibility is and is not as a volunteer.

I am fully aware that meds, mouth wash, gum, etc.. can mimic the smell of alcohol.

I must admit that I am seriously shocked that people would turn their backs on a potentially serious issue. Sure, I understand that people jump to conclusions and can ruin the accused lives', but to simply turn your back because it's not your responsibility????

I would certainly hope that you would at least take the time to assess the situation, which is why I came here.

Nobody is saying they would 'turn their backs' .... I have NEVER seen a nurse go unreported when she/he smells of alcohol AND has been drinking. It is very quickly picked up ...the nurse goes home immediately and a process starts.

Do you really think you would be the only person noticing an intoxicated nurse and acting on it???

You have jumped into this with all guns a-blazing ...yet there isn't enough understanding. That's what I find objectionable

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Specializes in multispecialty ICU, SICU including CV.

pedicurn -- what is your solution then? There is always the possibility that when one reports suspicious behavior that one is wrong. If I'm not mistaken, it's not slanderous unless this person reported behavior that she knew wasn't really happening (false accusations). The repercussions due to false accusations can be a real possibility, but I would rather have it that way than the other way around, with impaired workers able to continue to practice that way.

Do we not report suspected child abuse when we have real concerns (presence of highly suspicious injuries, etc.) and give the parent the benefit of the doubt? I don't think so, because of the risk to the child. This principle applies to this situation as well.

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Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.
pedicurn -- what is your solution then? There is always the possibility that when one reports suspicious behavior that one is wrong. If I'm not mistaken, it's not slanderous unless this person reported behavior that she knew wasn't really happening (false accusations). The repercussions due to false accusations can be a real possibility, but I would rather have it that way than the other way around, with impaired workers able to continue to practice that way.

Do we not report suspected child abuse when we have real concerns (presence of highly suspicious injuries, etc.) and give the parent the benefit of the doubt? I don't think so, because of the risk to the child. This principle applies to this situation as well.

I think part of the solution relates to having sufficient skill and background so that a REASONABLE accusation can be made.

When nurses report other nurses there is usually reasonable suspicion ....they bring into play their assessment skills and background knowledge.

With suspicion of abuse ....presence of the highly suspicious injury is enough. However we still present our concerns to the senior ED doctor and charge nurse and the issue is carefully discussed. We are all acutely aware of the gravity of the situation and seek counsel from our peers.

Even if there is no objective sign of injury ....by the time we have had all tests back and evaluated growth and development there might still be reasonable grounds to report for abuse....so might very well still report

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