Wearing Cologne to work Yes Or No

[KarmaWiseRaven]

Hi i need an opinion, Tell me what you all think. I like to smell good when I'm at work so i wear cologne. Not a lot just a splash i always have. The good stuff Armani, Polo, CK, well you get the picture. Lately my Coworkers mostly female are looking at me different. Saying things like they know when i'm in the building and its going to be a good day or something to that fact. One Coworker asked me to pick up some Curve So as a joke i did i really dont like the sent of it. I never had this problem before. Now i know in nursing school they say not to but i do because it's just who i'am. Should i stop wearing it or just keep on doing what i'm doing and hope this thing about me wearing cologne dies down. You all tell me. TY

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Vito, how is it you knew what I was thinking and typed it at the same time?

[lovehospital]

STOP wearing the cologne today. It's against your school policy and hospitals don't allow it either. . We are allowed any perfume, cologne, perfumeed body lotion, etc. at my job and with good reason. Use soap and water in the shower before work and put on deodorant and you will be good to go.

Please respect your patients. TY.

I dont understand,one minute you say it is against hospital policy but you say it is allowed at your facility? Confused...

[Batman24]

I dont understand,one minute you say it is against hospital policy but you say it is allowed at your facility? Confused...

Sorry for the confusion. I just edited my post and added in the not. To be clear...it's NOT allowed.

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

No one in health care should wear anything scented while at work. I for one, and am not alone, am highly allergic to cologne, perfume ect..even the "good stuff". What smells good to one person smells horrible to others...and in health care you can cause medical problems with wearing such things. I personally get plugged up and get a migraine instantly. If you were my nurse, you wouldn't be for long.

[DonMonsieur]

Being in nursing school you might be exposing yourself to some risks from the instructors and or facilities that you meet for clinical. At my nursing school, should we be barred from our main training facility, we are also removed from the nursing program and therefore cannot graduate from that school as a nurse.

I would also be worried that, should you excel as a nursing student, your instructors may become distracted by the refusal to obey a policy, the many comments from others regarding your scent, or even the scent itself, which may ultimately be detrimental to your success.

[november17, ASN, RN]

You know, it's funny. I'd never wear cologne to work. Every morning I shower before I go to work, I use unscented deodorant, and unscented laundry detergent. I've had several patients comment that I "smell good" which is weird because I go out of my way to not have any strong smells. They've even asked me what cologne I wear, and I'm like, "Uhh...nothing?" I even had one lady tell me I was lying. I dunno what the heck those people are smelling because I don't really think I smell like much at all except maybe hand sanitizer (which they vehemently deny is the same odor they can smell). Just saying , you can smell okay without cologne if you have good hygiene.

I actually put a dab of cologne on my shirt each night when I get home from work (joop! and there's something about adam) just because I like the way it smells and it helps me forget about work a bit...I'm pretty sure the patients aren't smelling that dab because I put it on my clothes and wash pretty thoroughly every morning.

[Jaybird310]

I've never worn cologne period. I've always used aftershave. I have an unscented one I use on nights I have to work and then there's the ones I wear on my off days. Too echo everyone else it's not a good idea to wear it to work when you work in health care and come into direct contact with patients. I know that nothing gives me a headache quicker than some wearing too much or too strong of a scent. Therefore cologne or even aftershave is a bad idea, just your everyday deodorant should do the trick. That being said I've had patients who's noses are so sensitive they've commented on my deodorant before.

[SARRIEB1953]

Many perfumes also make a scented body powder,may try this for a hint of fragrance with out being overwhelming.

[RedWeasel, RN]

my problem is that I am paranoid that my deodorant isn't working. I am always worried that if pp start discussing their deo (what they wear etc) they are trying to hint. But I shower RIGHT before work and I have always worn deo...I even keep spray stuff at work to use halfway through. There is a girl at work who always says she stinks but I have never smelled her (no I am not going to try either). The thing is nonscented doesn't work. I am now trying the clinical strength stuff but it seems stickier...I love powder scented deo at first but then it just stinks....who knows....I guess baby powder itself could be an option since we use that on pts...is anyone else paranoid they stink? I have never been told I am - I am just paranoid about it....

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

When I'm in clinical, I always use unscented deodorent so that I don't offend. I've never realized that I should be getting the unscented laundry detergent as well. This is why I just love this site, I get tons of small how to's!

I used to suffer from bad migrains. A few years back a friend took me to the clinic for a shot and I actually needed 3 before I was able to tell the nurse that her perfume was making me puke. I'll never forget the smell, but it taught me how sensitive pts can be. Her perfume wasn't overpowering per se, but with a migraine everything is too much.

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

Originally Posted by Pepper The Cat

I don't care how "expensive" your scent is - it can still cause people to be ill. There is one nurse I work with who wears perfume dispite our "no scents" policy because she states " I only wear a little and its expensive" but to me, it smells like mosquito repellent. If I were a pt already feeling unwell, this nurse would make me really sick.

Wear your pefume off - duty.

Why do you let her get by with it? Unless you like mosquito repellant?

I have told her - she says she doesn't care, its an expensive perfume and she only wears a little.

[SmilingBluEyes]

considering how I get migraines from it, I vote NO, and if I were a patient I would write it up on a complaint form.

It could send some into anaphylaxis even. Being clean one thing, smelling like cologne, not necessary in a hospital. Save it for a date or at home, please.