Her perfume stinks!!

It's not silly, it's serious, and keep pushing.

Your management needs to take disciplinary action if she's been asked to tone it down and refuses.

Yes, she is free to be "who she is" but as the old saying goes, my freedom to swing my arm ends where someone else's nose begins!

She may not have had any patients complain, but I guarantee you some have wanted to. They may have refrained out of being polite, or out of fearing that she wouldn't treat them well if they complained.

I don't get migraines, but some very heavy scents make me ill. I've actually made myself sick! I got a nice perfume gift set for Christmas; the first time I wore it, I ended up throwing up. It smelled great in the bottle but not on me. I've learned that I can wear it if I'm very, very careful about putting just a wee bit on, and no closer to my face than my wrist.

Anyway, "back in the day" when I was a nursing student, we were taught that perfume was an absolute no-no. We were not allowed to wear it to clinical, period; we were told that if an instructor could smell us, home we would go! Furthermore, the instructor explained that post-op patients, for example, are frequently nauseated anyway, and that perfume might make that worse; we didn't want to be thrown up on, did we??

Guilty----I have a friend who is the "perfume lady" at the mall--she gives me grocery bags of full sized samples and the lotions too.
I never had the money to buy expensive perfume, it is such a luxury to have it, I wear it every day.

I usually just apply a spray or two to my neck area as I am getting ready, but one time I had a cold and my skin was so dry from the cold meds I was taking I liberally applied the matching lotion and then did my two sprays.

When I walked into the unit a very nice nurse said "wow I could smell you before I could see you" She said I smelled lovely but all the same, the fact she could smell me before she could see me!!!! Too much... I have never had a complaint but I learned a lesson.

Some hospitals have written policies on perfumes and scent. Check with your HR about it.

I recall being taught never to wear perfume at work back when I was in nursing school in the 90's. I also worked for my allergist while I was in school & perfume was a no-no in the allergy clinic, let me tell you. I don't understand why this nurse insists upon wearing perfume if it's causing a physical problem for a coworker. Goodness, can you imagine what would happen if a patient had a perfume-related problem after being cared for by this nurse? Oh, the liability!

I have a bona-fide allergy to orris root, an ingredient in most perfumes. It has caused me to shy away from all perfumes and boy, can I tell when someone is using too much! The headaches are awful. Fortunately, I don't have to deal with that problem very often.

That nurse is a health hazard. She is creating a hostile work environment. Do talk to HR. It's not an inconvenience, it's your health that we're talking about!

Good luck!

Sometimes, pple really don't understand why their scent might be offensive to others but smell nice to them. My mother, herself a nurse, recently bought this expensive foul smelling oriental perfume and would douse herself with it. I tried to get her to tone down until one day, we were at a party and the moment some lady passed her, she almost fainted. I laughed so hard and told her, that's exactly the way her own perfume makes me feel and she should consider me brave enough to stand beside her all this while. And she learnt her lesson.

On the other hand, there was this really cold and arrogant nurse that I and a group of students were assisgned to during one of my nursing clinicals, She smelled so bad that during post conference, we actually joked that the entire class would present her with a free 12 month supply of Avon deodorants and perfume on our final day.
So, it goes both ways. Might be to cover up body odor.

I used to work in a law office, and one of the most important thing I learned from all the lawyers I worked with is " ANY COMPLAINT SHOULD BE PUT IN WRITING" .

I suggest to do the same too. Write your complaint to your nurse manager, to your director and to the HR.

Verbal complaints are easy to ignore because there are no tangible records of them. People also can twist what you verbally said to downplay your complaints.

Putting your complaint in writing makes it more look official or serious.
That way, they (manager, HR, director) are compelled to do something.

Should you get sick because of your colleague's strong perfume, the blame is to those who received your letters but did not do anything to, at least, alleviate the problem.

So write your complaint and send (certified mail with return receipts)copies to HR, nurse manager and director.

If you are desperate enough, you are going to put your complaint in writing.

Although I understand your (and everyone else's) concerns, there is also a flip side.

We had a new coworker that began complaining about scents on us (men included). Since she and I were scheduled together, I was her main complaint. She confronted me with my supervisor for wearing too much perfume...except that not only was I not wearing any, I don't even own any! When I told them this, she said it must be something I was doing. Seriously, was my Lever 2000 kicking her butt? Then she actually had the audacity to try to sniff my hair! I explained to this nut that it was good old shampoo and conditioner, with some product that I had to use to keep it up in a ponytail. Next was my clothes, and I had to defend my use of detergent and dryer sheets. She wanted me to go out and buy all new products for my whole house, and to try to find unscented shampoo and conditioner! I didn't do it, and neither did any of my coworkers. She eventually moved on to other employment.

Obviously she was over the top nutso, but that experience did make me wonder how folks with such sensitivities and allergies can work in healthcare. Not to make light or anything, but the whole environment is full of strong smells, and full of people (not just coworkers) that will have varying degrees of scents that can't be controlled. It must be miserable.

How sad that she feels that her life is identified by the stink that she wears.

Best wishes to you.

I agree with u. Hospitals smell a lot, especially the surgical unit that I am on. I am so used to it but still pity my poor nose each day I have to go in there.