Her perfume stinks!!

Nurses General Nursing

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I am really sensitive to certain smells... flowery perfumes, vanilla (especially candles) and (weird) microwave popcorn. Often, they make me physically ill ...sweaty, nauseated, dizzy and headaches. There is a RN that wears (bathes) in perfume everyday. I very nicely explained to her my sensitivity and asked her if she could please refrain from wearing her perfume at work. I started with stressing I did not want her to be offended nor do I enjoy the fact that i have these sensitivities.

Anyway, she replies that she has ALWAYS worn perfume. I am the only person to EVER complian and that perfume is "WHO SHE IS" and she will NOT stop wearing it and I should stay away from HER.:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire Which trust me, I tried before finally talking to her.

I tried a couple more unsuccessful times to explain (still nicely) to her and even mentioned how we are not even supposed to wear perfume for OUR PT'S SAKE. Again to no avail and her complete hostility. I have since brought it to the attn of my manager, who did speak to this RN numerous times...but she still does not listen. I have even talked to my director about this, she talked to "stinky" and she STILL wears it...has not even toned it down.

I am so annoyed with having to waste my energy on such a ridiculous thing. I am sick of having dizzy spells at work and leaving with a headache. At this point I really cannot stand her. She is so selfish...and I did end up telling her that. I had to tell another co-worker about her perfume once and she was so nice about it, went and tried to wash off what she could.

I can't be in the med room with her...and even after she is out, her stink remains. Even if she simply walks past me, and I cringe every time we have pts in the same room. :uhoh3: I am sooo frustrated... but now what??? I have to go to HR for something so, so dumb!!?!:banghead::banghead::banghead:

I too am very sensitive to scents....

I tell my kids "if it arrives before you do, and it is here when you leave, it is too much"

I also am very sensitive to the wax strippper and wax.... gives me a migraine and makes me feel sick.... I often have to tell the person doing the waxing... "can you please open a window??" they look at me like I have 2 heads.

I would keep talking until someone listens.... this is not just in your best interest, but your patients also.

Good luck!

Faye

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Specializes in Trauma/Burn ICU, Neuro ICU.

Okay. A little different - my Mom! She is awash in her perfume, and I can't stand it. Makes me feel ill. She gets SO offended because I don't want to hug and kiss her, but then it's all over me, and stays there. I've tried to talk to her about it, but she'll never stop wearing the stuff.

I think MIA-RN has a good idea. Try that suggestion.

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I'm really sensitive to strong scents as well. Makes me want to gag. Perhaps you could "accidentally" douse her with water?

On a more serious note ... She also shouldn't be wearing strong perfume around her patients. What if someone has allergies or asthma?

You could always try that approach ...

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I just wanted to let you know that I feel for you. I am also sensitive to scents. I worked sitting next to a women for several years who was a heavy smoker and didn't bath frequently so she covered up all her smells with a cheap perfume. She bathed in it and it made me ill. I went to my boss and a note went out and nothing helped. She was told personally and that did no good either. My only help was when she was fired for something else. Some people are just inconsiderate. I even have problems with my husbands deoderant. He can't put it on right before bed or it makes me sick. And he won't wear unscented! I hope you find relief somehow but I'm sure this is just a miserable time for you. Good Luck!

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I love perfume and scented lotion and bubble bath, etc! But...before work, I use unscented soap, unscneted lotion, unscented deodorant, and not a drop of perfume. There are a lot of scents that just throw my allergies into a tailspin, so I try really hard not to make other people crazy. When I'm home or out in the general public, I wear the scented stuff, but not very much.

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Specializes in DOU.
I've also noticed that some cigarette smokers (not all) will splash on excessive amounts of perfume or cologne as an attempt to mask the smell of the tobacco smoke.

Although I don't like the smell of cigarette smoke on clothing, I have to admit it is merely unpleasant, but doesn't make me sneeze. For that reason, I'd rather be cooped up with a smoker than a perfume-wearer. Perfumes must contain some specific ingredient I am allergic to.

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

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??

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Specializes in ICU/ER.

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.

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

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Specializes in Clinical Risk Management.

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!

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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.

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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.

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