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Student Rights

Hi, I am currently a student in Oklahoma and am wondering about my rights as a student to refuse to give or receive massages from another student in class that has consistently demonstrated poor hygiene. Not only have I smelled b.o. on him the last two times I have massaged him, but he has also had a toe fungus for more than three weeks that he has consciously done nothing about. He probably had it longer which means other students were massaging his feet oblivious to the fact that he had the fungus. I told my massage teacher that i didn't feel comfortable giving or recieving massages from him until he cleaned up his act, but she said that everyone has to work on everyone so now she's making me set up an appointment with the person in charge of all of the health programs.

To make matters worse the instructor has known about this student having fungus the whole time AND that it is spreadable if it gets under his fingernails and he is STILL working on other students without gloves and they are still working on him without gloves. The instructor has tried to make a deal with me by asking me things like, "What if I tell him to scrub under his fingernails before he gives you a massage?" and "What if you wore gloves while massaging him and he wore gloves while massaging you?" Does that not sound ridiculous to anyone else?? I mean we're in a HEALTH profession!! Shouldn't he be held to high standards of hygiene for himself and that of the welfare of his clients?? How can anyone take massage therapy seriously if people like this are sent out into the workforce??

So, any help on students rights to back up my stance on refusing to receive or give a massage to this idiot until he can show that he has the basic idea of hygiene would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, M.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Rajam K Roose on January 11, 2011 at 11:24pm

Oh, I completely agree that the OP should be able to observe her rights about not working on someone in class if she doesn't feel comfortable which is why I recommended in my first post that she go and get clarity from the instructor's boss that she didn't have to work on the other student. I was playing devil's advocate because she wasn't clear about the details of the situation until her third post.

And it's very true that a person can have body odor but NOT have poor hygiene, which is why I made those comments. When a client has come in with foot fungus I've still worked the body and the feet, but NOT the area of the fungus. Fungus can spread but is more easily spread in moist environments, such as if you borrowed the shoes or sock; walked in a damp shower gym floor; etc.

If you, the therapist, are not going to want to work on someone period because they have foot fungus---are you applying that to real life? When a client comes in and says they have a fungus in the toenails of one foot, are you going to tell that client you aren't going to work on them? Personally, I find that a little extreme-- I will work the body and avoid the location of the fungus. I wash my hands thoroughly after each client with a hospital based soap and other precautions so haven't had to worry about it spreading as such.

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Permalink Reply by melony martin on January 12, 2011 at 8:50am

You're not understanding what im saying. He has a history of not taking care of his hygiene obviously when all the factors are combined. I never said that just because someone has b.o. I immediately assume they have bad hygiene. i have spoken to my instructor about simply seeing a dr.s note stating that it is okay for me to work on the student but there hasnt been anything so far. In the real world i would do the same. It protects me and my clients. I can tell u I absolutely would not work on someones foot when they have a fungus. Not happening. I dont care if someone says theyve never gotten anything and all they do is avoid the nails. Thats actually pretty gross to me. There is a possibilty that it could transfer and I'm not taking that chance. Its not fair to me or my clients.

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Permalink Reply by Rajam K Roose on January 12, 2011 at 10:57am

Goodness gracious child! Did you read the first paragraph of my last post???

"Oh, I completely agree that the OP should be able to observe her rights about not working on someone in class if she doesn't feel comfortable which is why I recommended in my first post that she go and get clarity from the instructor's boss that she didn't have to work on the other student. I was playing devil's advocate because she wasn't clear about the details of the situation until her third post."

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Permalink Reply by melony martin on January 12, 2011 at 1:29pm

Your words: it's very true that a person can have body odor but NOT have poor hygiene

My response: He has a history of not taking care of his hygiene obviously when all the factors are combined. I never said that just because someone has b.o. I immediately assume they have bad hygiene. (Not sure why you keep bringing this up and choose to ignore the many facts I've given about this case and not some arbitrary situation that doesn't apply even though I've written about it in several other posts)

Your words: If you, the therapist, are not going to want to work on someone period because they have foot fungus---are you applying that to real life?

My response: I have spoken to my instructor about simply seeing a dr.s note stating that it is okay for me to work on the student but there hasnt been anything so far. In the real world i would do the same. (BUT if I had a client come in months later and found they weren't working to rid themselves of an infectious disease, yes I would turn them away)

Your words: When a client has come in with foot fungus I've still worked the body and the feet, but NOT the area of the fungus.

My response: I can tell u I absolutely would not work on someones foot when they have a fungus. Not happening. I dont care if someone says theyve never gotten anything and all they do is avoid the nails.

Ta-daaa! A response to what you wrote. Were you not aware that you wrote more than one paragraph?

My response is to your constant argument that dealing with this student isn't such a big deal and actually it is. And you're not really playing devil's advocate for the sake of argument. You actually would massage someone's foot when they have a fungus and you would give and receive massages from someone with the same issue. All you're really trying to do is justify why you do so and why other massage therapists should do the same.

Btw, calling someone "child" and telling them they "still have much to learn" (especially on a subject that you don't really know everything about) is actually very demeaning. And I was very clear about the details since my first post as I mentioned the possible transference of fungus from under his fingernails and that I had spoken to my instructor stating that I was uncomfortable giving and receiving a massage from this student.

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Permalink Reply by Johnathan Womack on January 12, 2011 at 9:48pm

WOW!!!

This is why I love this site. Everyone has a perspective and sometimes it completely different than everyone else's. Melony, I'm a student as well. And I would not work on him. I dont care what the instructor says. Tell him to work on him in your place, and you can inturn work on the instructor. I have a student in my class. Sweet as pie, No Underarm DO. I was concerned. I addressed it to my classmates. We all agreed because we cared about her as a person and a friend. Someone (mainly the ladies in the class), should speak with her. They agreed. But we never got the oppurtunity to speak to her. She started internship with no problems. She has been bringing in some her own clients. I havent heard anything from any of the clients that she massages that she doesnt know. But I wouldnt do it.

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Permalink Reply by melony martin on January 13, 2011 at 7:09am

That is a good idea, but unfortunately the instructor isn't going to do that. Usually whenever we're giving massages she's at her desk doing God knows what on her computer. One day she sat with a student during class at her desk and looked at a new bidding site with him. She called it study hall. Unfortunately, she's not there to help the students, she's there, I believe, for a paycheck. I asked her for like 3 passes of deep tissue, which would have taken what, 5 minutes if that, on a muscle that was killing to the point that I couldn't even lie down. She told me it wasn't her job and that someone else in the class could do it. Ugh. It's depressing just getting in my car knowing I have to go to that place. I can't believe I basically paid money to go back to a high school environment. I did find an ordinance that states that no massage therapist is allowed to work on a client if they have a communicable disease, but I still have to plead my case to the head honcho of health classes at the, um, "institution". Isn't that laughable?! I've gotten an A in both tiers and have never had any discipline problems whatsoever. Seems that common sense actually isn't that common.

Johnathan Womack said:

WOW!!!

This is why I love this site. Everyone has a perspective and sometimes it completely different than everyone else's. Melony, I'm a student as well. And I would not work on him. I dont care what the instructor says. Tell him to work on him in your place, and you can inturn work on the instructor. I have a student in my class. Sweet as pie, No Underarm DO. I was concerned. I addressed it to my classmates. We all agreed because we cared about her as a person and a friend. Someone (mainly the ladies in the class), should speak with her. They agreed. But we never got the oppurtunity to speak to her. She started internship with no problems. She has been bringing in some her own clients. I havent heard anything from any of the clients that she massages that she doesnt know. But I wouldnt do it.