Allergic to my job?

Nurses General Nursing

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I like my job. I really do. I work in critical care at a large, well-known, awesome hospital. This is my first job out of nursing school and I have been working there for about 16 months. Unfortunately, I have pretty bad allergic contact dermatitis at my job. I have gone to a dermatologist that specializes in this and have figured out what I am allergic to. I started using new gloves and different soap, and while it worked for maybe a month, my hands are right back to where they were at the end of a shift: red, chapped, cracked, and they BURN so bad. And unfortunately, it doesn't just go away overnight. No lotion, cream, soap, glove, nothing seems to work to prevent this anymore.

The last thing I would want to do is leave my job, but I am at a point where this is really affecting my quality of life. I know this field is so diverse and there are areas of nursing that do not require so much hand washing and glove use as bedside nursing does, but with only being a nurse for 16 months, what are my options?

Your advice and just listening to me rant are kindly appreciated. Truly! Thank you.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Have you tried getting a second opinion? While many doctors are specialists in their field, they may not always be familiar with every single issue out there. I work with a surgical tech who had such a bad issue that she couldn't even scrub for the longest time. They did eventually figure out what she was allergic to and ordered in special supplies for her.

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Yes. I have been to 3 dermatologists, one of which specializes in contact dermatitis. They did the patch testing on my back. I had new supplies ordered in as well. It worked for about a month, but is no longer working.

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

Ok,

What, exactly, are you allergic to? Not "soap" or "lotion", but exact component. Was it identified? If yes, you need to go through things used in your unit and eliminate everything with it and chemically related to it from contact with your naked skin. If not, see below.

Change gloves supplier. For one time, buy a box in Walmart (no joke) and stop using all creams, soaps and lotions alltogether except for alcohol-based stuff you must have at work and whatever your allergologist prescribed, if any. Just wash hands with this alcohol based stuff and water and let them air-dry whenever possible. Use only your own gloves, and wait for couple of weeks. If there is an improvement, just continue this way making absolutely sure your gloves are latex-free. Do not hang around nursing station and try to use only one computer because people leave material from their fingers on keyboards and surfaces. Do not handle ANYTHING pertaining to patient care with naked hands (wound care supplies and everything with plastic details in particular, as this stuff is not latex free if not so certified, pads can contain latex, and linens can be washed with surfactant you are allergic to, and some people reach on liquid soap, shampoo caps and chlorhexidine wipes).

Also, what happens when you have couple of days off? Does stress aggravate it? ( DDS between contact dermatitis and exzema/neurodermitis is a thin line in reality).

"Patch tests" are in fact not very reliable.

I am sorry that you are going through it. I live with critically severe allergies and have to have minor, but constant accomodations on my job place. I hope your colleagues are as kind and understanding as mine.

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Thank you for your response. Your entire second paragraph was what I spent the first 8 months or so of my job doing. When the trial and error didn't work, I went to a dermatologist, who insisted I did this as well, all while giving me some pointers. When I returned 6 weeks later with my hands looking ridiculous, she referred me to someone who specializes in contact dermatitis. When I went through patch testing and was able to identify what it was I am allergic to, we got me some new gloves and soap (the main culprits).

I think one of the biggest problems I have is the soap. I am allergic to fragrance. I cannot use the soap they have at work because of components in it that I am allergic to. So I have tried softer anti-bacterial hand soaps than the harsh, alcohol based ones at work, but unfortunately I have not been successful at finding an antibacterial soap that does not contain fragrance, nor other components I am allergic to. If I could find this, maybe I might get some relief. I don't know.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Not helpful, but I just can't help myself...your title. I love it.

Allergic to my job. After today, in my best Beavis & Butthead voice...I think I might be allergic. To my job. Too.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
with only being a nurse for 16 months, what are my options?
An acquaintance of mine has less experience that you (less than 1 year as an RN) and works a desk job as a care coordinator for a company that operates group homes for adults with intellectual disabilities.

Developmental disabilities nursing is one of nursing's best-kept secrets. Most RN positions in DD nursing require no weekends, evenings, holidays, or hands-on direct patient care. Most DD companies advertise their job openings on sites such as Indeed and Craigslist.

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

Every bottle of every soap and pretty much everything else in this country has a small writing somewhere near the bottom: "questions? concerns? please call #" Call this number and ask company rep to contact you and email you list of products free of fragrance. Not 100% but they do it, and can even send you some free samples to try.

If you are in a large center, ask your manager to see what NICU/PICU is using, they got to have fragrance free stuff.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

If you are in a large center, ask your manager to see what NICU/PICU is using, they got to have fragrance free stuff.

Every NICU I've been in uses the same stuff as the rest of the hospital.

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.
Every NICU I've been in uses the same stuff as the rest of the hospital.

Well, ok, then they might know about some other fragrance-free soap they recommend for parents. They won't take money for one question.

We were recommended this one (fragrance and now also triclosan free):

Amazon.com : 12 oz Clear Consumption Natural Unscented Foaming Hand Soap Pump : Beauty

Unfortunately, that's the allergy lifestyle is all about. Either take blind risks, or eliminate everything you can and then ask and ask again before you try anything.

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Specializes in Oncology.

What soap do you use at home?

I'm curious if your doctor would let you take leave for like two weeks or however long it takes to let your skin totally heal then try going back with a fresh start.

Also, without getting into the realm of medical advice, I'm curious what you're doing to treat your dermatitis from a medical stand point, particularly systemic meds like antihistamines.

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So I have tried softer anti-bacterial hand soaps than the harsh, alcohol based ones at work, but unfortunately I have not been successful at finding an antibacterial soap that does not contain fragrance, nor other components I am allergic to. If I could find this, maybe I might get some relief. I don't know.

I'm sorry, I don't have an answer, I just wanted to interject that you don't actually need antibacterial soap (not to provide effective cleansing, anyway, if your workplace requires it that's another thing, though not a very evidence-based one). Plain soap is totally fine. It's the friction of the scrubbing that does the cleaning.

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