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

allnurses Guide · Jan 28, 2010

Chux? What are Chux? *LOL*
We had no such things. Beds were mitered corners (cotton muslin), and we used "draw sheets". Wash cloths were cotton terry as well. If one was lucky it was possible to salvage the bottom sheet and blanket after a pretty explosive "accident", if not the whold bed had to be changed in addition to cleaning up the patient. Oh yes, this was an older hospital without bathrooms in each patient room, so basins of water had to be fetched and carried down the halls from nearest WC.
Only diapers one ever used in hospital was in Peds, and they were cloth, held together with pins.

As soon as I learned how to make mitered corners, I was hooked for life!! If I visit somebody's home and they have bunchy corners, I'll sneak and fix it when nobody's watching, :cool: LOL! :lol2: j/k But you probably agree with me, the no rinse body wash, and combo shampoo-soap products are a Godsend compared to that nasty, very drying little bar of soap floating in the bath basin. . . good times. .

My last bit of nostalgia- in the late 70's worked at a Children's Hosp., we'd get these huge stacks of unfolded cloth diapers from the laundry, and it was the nurse's (all nurses) job to fold them. I think there were different ways to fold them based on the size you wanted to end up with. . . even our charge nurses would help if it was slow.

Cathylady- thank you for being so understanding and concerned about the nurses. I've had to actually get used to wearing gloves for so many tasks now. I know I need them, but the lack of tactile sensitivity still bugs me, and the occlusion makes my sensitive skin go haywire even with vinyl gloves. Masks are hot, scratchy and the smells get through anyway. . our first concern will always be preventing the spread of infection. Best wishes to your daughter as she continues her pursuit of her BSN. :up:

Scrubby · Jan 28, 2010

What next, then?
A full mask with an eye shield?
A hazmat suit?
And a mask for hiding facial expressions?
Nooo...
A professional CONTROLS their facial expression.
You will have no therapeutic rapport with a patient you have just insulted or embarrassed.
Over time, one becomes accustomed to sights and smells and one must fully understand and accept the risks of the job.

Sometimes you don't always have the option of working with professionals. There may be students who are unaccustomed to smells and can't help dry retching. I certainly did once when I was a student and we have a patient with gangrenous toes who needed a dressing change. I actually vomited a little in my mouth, it just came up.

fiveofpeep · Jan 29, 2010

hehe I do wear a facemask with an eyeshield whenever I d/c a-lines or draw from them. blood tends to gravitate towards my mucus membranes and after the second freak accident I decided to overdo it with those darn a-lines.

Nepenthe Sea · Jan 29, 2010

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?

i am just a student, but our clinical instructor would not allow us to wear a mask, unless a patient was on special precautions or you were changing a sterile dressing. she said it would be offensive to the patients. the subject came up because one of the students had a patient with an ileostomy, and she was afraid she would get sick while changing the bag. i told everybody they were free to get into my clinical bag and use my vick's if they wanted, and i guess that was okay with the ci, because she didn't say anything about it. i know i will get used to the smells someday, but while i'm still "green", i would like to use anything that will help me take care of the patient. i don't see how vomiting or gagging is any better for the patient's self-esteem.

Altra, BSN, RN · Jan 29, 2010

OP, the bottom line is that masks make almost no difference in odors as that is not their purpose. They are physical barriers against potentially infectious airborne particulates.

On another note -- as your daughter's education progresses and as she begins working as a nurse -- do yourself a favor and talk with her about her about how she perceives her work. I notice the comment in your first post -- that you "feel bad" for her having to do certain tasks. Yes, that's part of nursing. But the bulk of nursing is intellectual, interpersonal and emotional. It's so disheartening to hear again and again from the nonmedical public the perception that all nursing is, is butt-wiping.

Staticxxx311 · Mar 20, 2014

How do people feel about using a mask to protect the nurse though from bacteria contained in feces that could potentially harm them? I am a nursing student currently living in a house where the catbox is never changed and it sits in the kitchen (it is not my cat and I feel uncomfortable changing it myself or bringing it up to the owners of the house). I also never wore masks while changing patients. Anyway, long story short, I got a bad bacterial infection in my sinuses. The doctor told me my nose is filled with pus and its dripping into my throat. This infection has come back three times. I stay out of the kitchen now and also use masks while changing patients. If it were me (and i would know because I have been in the hospital many times myself in the past), I would understand. Yes, we all poop, but poop can cause infections if inhaled. I'm sorry I do care about having an attitude that is accepting of the situation and patient, but I think the safety of health care workers is more important than a patient's feelings. Maybe I am awful for saying that, but having a persistent bacterial infection this close to my brain is really scary, so I am willing to do what I need to protect myself and my health. I wish nursing would follow suit. I feel it is behind in this way. We are so strict with protecting ourself in all other nursing endeavors, but not this one.

KeepItRealRN, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2014

It would be hard to trust nurses when you couldn't see or recognize them. patients are in a vulnerable position and as nurses, we help them reach their full health potential; this involves treating them with dignity and respect. most patients already feel uncomfortable with being sick and the attendant "aromas". a lot of patients are anxious and not seeing their health care givers wound tend to increase that.
unpleasant smells and sights are just part of being a nurse--definitely not our favorite part, but you take the good with the bad .
you're never out of line, if you ask a sincere question :).

I really mean no personal offense but this is a complete crock of BS. The reason I say this and I may be dismissed as being old because this will date me but it has to be said. When I first started nursing there were no "universal precautions", meaning that the patients that we work gloves to take care of were those where known to be infected with something. Then came the AIDS scare in the late 80's, and the start of "universal precautions". Nurses started gloving for "every" patient. Until the general population became educated and used to the idea of nurses, doctors, and dentists wearing gloves on everyone, a lot of patients were "offended" if his/her nurse gloved up to provide any type of care. Gloving to take care of a patient during those years sent a message to the patient that we thought they were "high risk" if you know what I mean.

Fast forward to today. Patients will ask their doctor, dentist or nurse to glove if the care giver failst to do so.

So no, I don't think a mask would be offensive. You don't need to wear it 100% of the time, but hell when you have to clean up a nasty code brown, you have to do what you have to do to get the job done.

KeepItRealRN, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2014

It's so disheartening to hear again and again from the nonmedical public the perception that all nursing is, is butt-wiping.

Yup, but there have been shifts where I have felt like my very existence revolves around doo doo. After over 2 decades of working in ICU, I now have a gig that has nothing to do with poop and I love every minute of it.

SwansonRN · Mar 20, 2014

Old thread! I hate wearing masks. It makes me feel hot and claustrophobic and I have to smell my own breath (maybe I should start chewing gum....). I'd rather grin and bear it because honestly it's such a minute part of my day I have a million and ten more important things to care about than unpleasant odors.

mee9mee9 · Mar 20, 2014

what i do is put scented lotion on my face and around my nose. works to mask smells but not to totally go away

tokebi · Mar 24, 2014

Yes, we all poop, but poop can cause infections if inhaled.

Nurses inhale many things but rarely poop! Please don't worry, just because some tiny molecules enter your nose and stimulate olfactory nerves, it doesn't mean that microorganisms do the same. Bacteria or virus that are shed through GI system are not known for aerosolizing in the air. The only way you'd get sick from it would be through direct contact, like splashes or via dirty hands.

I'm sorry about your infection problem. I recommend paying extra precaution around patients with respiratory infections. No need to worry about poop.

nifty_n · Oct 15, 2014

Agreed. I plan on following suit when I become a nurse.