Fragrance Sacrifice

vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN · Jan 21, 2016

Hi all!
I am wondering for all the nurses have you sacrificed smelling good for the health of your patients? I am wanting to wear my "Smell Good" But don't want to seem like it will choke my patients. Is a little okay or non at all?
Thank you!!

As a student, we have strict no fragrance rules while in clinicals. That being said, I really like wearing scented moisturizers. I moisturized daily.

First I considered light fragrances from bath and body works. Then, I felt like it would be a waste of money to spend good money on hardly scented lotion.

I ended up continuing to use my scented body wash. But instead of layering scented lotion and body spray over it, I just moisturize with a lightly scented baby oil.

I use jergens lotion sometimes, also. It has a very light scent. In the summer, I wear sunscreen lotion.

imintrouble, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2016

I don't wear any scent to work. It's only three days a week after all.

AceOfHearts<3 · Jan 21, 2016

Before I was a nurse I had a migraine exacerbated by a coworker dousing himself in cologne. Others weren't as sensitive, but I could smell him before he even walked into our office area. Now I work on a cardiac/respiratory floor, so no scents is really important- although one of the attendings hasn't gotten that message and puts it on thick.

poppycat, ADN, BSN · Jan 21, 2016

When I had knee replacement surgery 2 years ago I was doing really well until a PT came into the room. I don't know what she was wearing but it immediately made me sick to my stomach. I wouldn't want a patient to have a reaction like that from me wearing perfume so I don't wear any.

My skin is extremely sensitive, too, and just about every perfume I've ever tried has given me a rash.

loriangel14, RN · Jan 21, 2016

If you have showered and put on deodorant you should smell just fine. I used to work with a woman that doused herself with perfume. It made me feel sick.

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jan 21, 2016

No, no, no, no, NO! I cannot stress highly enough my detestation of perfume. I am highly allergic and suffer severe effects from being even in the same room as someone with perfume on. And I extend that to any strong fragrance including laundry detergents and body lotions. I have had to work entire 12 hour shifts wearing a mask because someone I worked with thought it was ok to wear perfume to "smell good", which face it...it doesn't Perfume smells utterly rancid and putrid to me. Perfume has no place in a hospital. I have had occasions where I have had such a violent reaction to perfume it was akin to being punched in the face, where I've recoiled and nearly vomited right there in the ICU. I can't help it...my body reacts. I have asked people nicely, I have asked people firmly...regardless of how I approach them, 9 times out of 10 I either get indignation, anger or complete denial as a response. People take it as a personal attack that I cannot physically cope with their stench. I have found HR to be mostly unhelpful in these situations. I've had to send a 1:1 sitter away as I simply couldn't have her in my patient's room for the 12 hours. I wouldn't be able to look after the patient.

I tried so many times to approach people gently, politely, kindly...but in the end I just resorted to wearing a mask because nobody wants to hear it. So I ask you, please don't wear perfume to work. Save it for other times. Some people really suffer. Did you know that most perfumes are xenoestrogenic? That means when someone who has an estrogen-fed disease comes into contact with it, it can have severe consequences? The same goes for air fresheners. We had an electric motorized air deodorizer in the ICU and I've had to beg people to take it away and leave it out on the stairs because I can't even be in the same room as it. I would have to go to the ER. The headahces, nausea, dizziness and asthma were just too much to bear. Please consider others. I shouldn't have to smell you unless I'm intimate with you (which I'm not going to be at work), not from the other side of the unit. Some people's fragrance can take the skin off your face at 20 feet. What you think is "light fragrance" is choking chemical soup to another.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2016

We used to have a resident who bathed in cologne. You could smell him from 2 floors away. It was hard not to gag when he was standing right next to you. Leave the fragrance at home.

JerseyTomatoMDCrab, BSN · Jan 21, 2016

I have, since I started as a CNA in assisted living up until this day, had a "work fragrance." It's not always the same scent but it's always a mist rather than a perfume (much less heavily saturated with fragrance) and always a very light smell. This is for 2 reasons. 1) I love to smell nice, always have. 2) I like to have a "work specific" smell. Something that I only wear to work. I don't know why, I just like to. I've never had a complaint. I've had lots of patients when I worked in the hospital tell me I smelled terrific which was nice. If anyone had a problem with it, I would stop.

I met lots of doctors who used cologne. I loved it, I always enjoyed the smell of men's cologne and the patients didn't care. Plus I preferred it to the select few residents who didn't wear deodorant and clouded the unit with a less pleasant aroma...

Neural · Jan 21, 2016

I work with quite a few Somali staff who mostly work in housekeeping. You can smell their scented oil from a hundred yards away, and it lingers for hours. Despite our hospital policy, they're allowed to still do it for religious reasons because it's a "ceremonial" oil.

Personally, I don't wear cologne and use unscented antiperspirant. However, I am prone to break-outs on my neck after shaving if I don't use a high-quality (Armani) after-shave lotion that's scented. The unscented ones I've tried don't seem to work very well. I only put a tiny bit of the scented lotion on.

Natasha, RN, BSN · Jan 21, 2016

Even though we're told we can't wear perfume, there's always SOMEONE who wears perfume/cologne

There is that "one person" on my unit that does that as well. Speaking as one who immediately sneezes and gets watery eyes from other's fragrances that are either too strong or horribly scented, I appreciate the no perfume rule. However, subtle scents don't bother me at all. But even a subtle light scent may be detectable by the patient, and they are, after all, the ones we are most concerned about.

We have a sweet little old lady who volunteers at the info desk, and when she brings things up to our unit, one can tell she visited simply by the thick aroma in the air. Granted she is not directly caring for patients, but the hallway/area she was in causes many to flap and wave their hands to clear the air... nurses, patients, and visitors alike. :yes:

allnurses Guide · Jan 21, 2016

I work in an allergy practice. No fragrance allowed, although it astounds me how many patients come in smelling like they took a bath in perfume, despite the signs we have posted not to wear fragrance. :dead:

sjalv · Jan 21, 2016

I wear cologne in my regular life, but not at work. For reference, I work in a cardiac ICU. I notice that several nurses/techs on my floor wear perfume/cologne/scented body lotion. To be fair, most of our patients are sedated/intubated, but I still don't see the reason for it.