wearing perfume to work

Nurses General Nursing

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thought this would be interesting. what's your policy? i wear a light body splash if any.

Specializes in ER, NICU.
So when a patient says they are sensitive to your pefume. Do you believe them or not?

I first ask them what it does to them. "What does it do...rash, shortness of breath, vomit?".

If they say, "Well, I just don't like strong smells...".

Sensitive is relative.

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Been reading through several of the posts and I must have missed something in one of my nursing classes. Lets review: we can be offended, sensitive, or even allergic to some things but not others....e.g. smelly feet, BO, poop, rotten eggs, pet dandruff, flowers, foods, fabrics but for some reason cologne/perfume or hairspray is eliminated from the list. Also people can people cough, sneeze, have watery eyes, break out in hives but they can't have breathing problems....I don't understand this form of logic that some seem to have. Besides I thought treating the patient was treating the patient based on THEIR perceptions of what was happening to them not our perception of what was happening. I mean you treat a person for pain based on their perception of pain so what is the difference. It sounds like some are in the nursing profession to grab a "mate" while others want to do nursing and are willing to forego the perfumes, hairspray, and other scents. Do you really need all that to perform your job (which by the way is taking care of your patients and not impressing ANYBODY)???

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Specializes in CCRN, CNRN, Flight Nurse.

:yeahthat: :deadhorse

AMEN

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Specializes in Case Management.
:specs: Oh my word. I must quit nursing because I wear hairspray. I guess we all should not wash our hair with scented shampoo OR use COAST deodorant soap. Please.;)

I use deodorant soap, and hairspray because I NEED to. Well, my dh doesn't think I need anything......but I feel more confident I do not offend all the people in the CRAMPED elevator, etc.

NEED hairspray - yes, I do. My hair grows straight forward and in order to get the stupid bangs to stay PUT, I gotta spray it. Yup, masks and hats are a PAIN in the tush, but I just carry a small bottle in the bag to re-do at the end of the day if need be.

Draw attention to MYSELF by wearing perfume? OkAYYY...:rotfl: Wow, I NEVER thought of that. I will EXAMINE that point.

I don't think I need perfume for that...but I LIKE the smell of perfumes most of the time. I like scented candles too...but that doesn't mean I am trying to attract anything! :lol2: :lol2:

Maybe I SHOULD stop wearing perfume. My dh says I attract men like flies...:kiss He is soooo silly.:lol2:

:yeahthat:

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"...I LIKE the smell of perfumes..."

One more comment:

So...if everyone liked the smell of your perfume Jerico, they'd only be that particular brand on the market, right?

I agree, sensitivity is relative, but so is the amount of perfume to wear...there is no way that everyone could agree on what is 'moderate'.

There is also the consideration of perfume type...florals are usually 'light', a person can get away with wearing more. Musks and woodsy scents are 'heavy' and a little goes a long way.

Overall, isn't it just simpler to forego perfume/cologne at work out of concern for patients & to avoid hearing complaints?

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here here I am also a migraine suffferer who gets instant severe migraines with strong perfume smells. I just started a new job and the registration person always smells like she bathed in perfume. It does not seem to bother anyone else on the floor. Any suggestions on how to tell them they are making me ill?

If one more person tells me they're wearing "just a bit" I'll scream. I don't care how you put it on, or whether it was eau de toilette or body spray, and neither does my migraine. I recognize that people are free to wear what they want, and I will never call someone on wearing a scent in public, but I do throw people out of my personal office for wearing scents (that's when I get the "explanations".)

And ditto on the hospitals with "no scent policies" but stinky products. There's only two brands of alcohol rub that don't give me some form of headache, and I'm not always guaranteed to be in a facility that uses those two. I sneak around doing old-fashioned hand-washing, avoiding the infection control dude.

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i prefer my natural woman's scent...:) :)

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:eek: I have asthma. I do not wear any scents at all because when I walk into a room with a pt/family member who as perfume on it talks my breath. This is an awful feeling and I do not want my pts to feel this way.
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thought this would be interesting. what's your policy? i wear a light body splash if any.

The hospital where I work is a "smoke free and fragrance free facility." Sometimes I feel that I am the only one who really abides by that rule. I am careful with what soap I use lotions etc. There are plenty of staff that smell like they bathed in glade:roll As far as the smoke free policy. Staff and visitors can only smoke in their cars!!! It is stated in our hr policy that motorcycles and convertibles are not considered an acceptable vehicle to smoke in!!!!:nono:

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I support not wearing perfume at work (hospitals or clinics). Mainly for allergic reactions but also smells can trigger unpleasant memories that break your concentration :eek:

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thought this would be interesting. what's your policy? i wear a light body splash if any.

I don't think nurses should wear any type of cologne or perfume. What about the patient that has asthma or terrible allergies? What if that patient went into an asthmatic seizure?

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I am allergic to STINKING and FILTHY patients.

I wheeze when I get near them. The dust mites and lice leap onto my skin and BITE me. They make me hyperventilate.

When they all start bathing ONCE a week, I'll quit wearing perfume to work.

They can take away my perfume bottle when they pry it from my cold, dead hand.

:p :angryfire

This everyones allergic to everyone is getting out of hand!

I wish I wasn't allergic to scents but I am. Scents give me a terrible sinus headache, takes my breath away, and it takes days for it to go away. Where I was working, my co-workers would always wait on customers with cologne on. Thank goodness for them. I also have a friend that use to get very annoyed with me because of my allergies. Guess what? She now has allergies. She did apologize for being so insensitive but I'll call that "poetic justice". Hope you or someone close to you doesn't have to suffer from someone else's insensitivity to them.

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