Why not wear a mask to 'mask' some of the smells that go along with nursing?

[Cathylady]

i'm not a nurse so forgive me if i'm out of line. my daughter is in a bsn program and i feel sorry for her and that's why i'm asking this question.

my dentist, from the time he steps foot in the examining room he has a mask on. i don't even know what he looks like after going to him for 6 years! when he talks to me after my exam he continues to wear the mask.

here is my question. why can't nurses wear masks when dealing with a situation that is going to have a horrible order? i can't imagine that it would be offensive to the patient; i'm not offended when my dentist wears his mask.

why not?

[heartNICU]

I have not started clinicals yet, but from what one of my teachers told me in class, smell is a very important factor in relation to disease. For example, she said if you have smelled Staph before (very bad, distinct smell), when you walk into a room and smell that odor, you will recognize it immediately and take the necessary precautions to protect yourself.

[dannyc12]

Smells are a part of patient assessment.

Your dentist is a goofball.

Why do you feel sorry for your daughter?

[Nepenthe Sea]

My last clinical instructor wouldn't allow us to wear a mask in front of a aptient, unless it was baout maintaining sterility, as in a central line dressing change. She said it would be offensive to the patients. I told everybody in my group that they were welcome to help themselves to the jar of Vick's I kept in my clinical backpack (they were a trustworthy group), and she didn't say anything about that, so I guess that was not considered to be demeaning to the patient.