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 CCRN, CNRN, Flight Nurse.

Let's look at this from a different prospective.... When a patient says they have pain, we treat them for pain. Why? Because they say they have pain. When a person says they have a sensitivity (by whatever manifestation) to certain scents/odors, then THEY HAVE A SENSITIVITY!!! Who are we to say otherwise. We are not inside that person's body, experiencing what they are experiencing. For us as nurses to say otherwise is not only insensitive, but also unprofessional.

Something to think about.....................................................

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
Let's look at this from a different prospective.... When a patient says they have pain, we treat them for pain. Why? Because they say they have pain. When a person says they have a sensitivity (by whatever manifestation) to certain scents/odors, then THEY HAVE A SENSITIVITY!!! Who are we to say otherwise. We are not inside that person's body, experiencing what they are experiencing. For us as nurses to say otherwise is not only insensitive, but also unprofessional.

Something to think about.....................................................

great analogy :balloons:

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Specializes in Telemetry, ICU, Resource Pool, Dialysis.

I think the whole point is that unecessary scent does NOT belong in the healthcare setting. By that I mean body spray, perfume, aftershave and the like. There is no need for it, at all. I don't usually get close enough to other people to actually smell their deodorant - most deodorants don't travel that far. And if you have some problem that you feel you need to wear these things, then you should probably make an appointment with your doctor. I'm irritated by some perfumes/scents, and others smell good to me. But it's not about me, and my sensitivities, or likes and dislikes. It's about the patients, and what they should or should not be exposed to. They have no choice but to share the same space with us. Would you force them to eat something that made them nauseated? Force them to watch a certain TV show? Keep their room at 95 degrees, even though they wanted it cooler? Force them to listen to the rap station you like, even though they're offended by the language? And by the way, if your perfume is bothering people; lingering in the bathroom, hallway or stairwell, it's your first clue that you're wearing WAY TOO MUCH!!!

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Specializes in Case Management.
Let's look at this from a different prospective.... When a patient says they have pain, we treat them for pain. Why? Because they say they have pain. When a person says they have a sensitivity (by whatever manifestation) to certain scents/odors, then THEY HAVE A SENSITIVITY!!! Who are we to say otherwise. We are not inside that person's body, experiencing what they are experiencing. For us as nurses to say otherwise is not only insensitive, but also unprofessional.

Something to think about.....................................................

Oh, Ok so all drug seekers really have pain!!!Come on!!!

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Specializes in Case Management.
I think the whole point is that unecessary scent does NOT belong in the healthcare setting. By that I mean body spray, perfume, aftershave and the like. There is no need for it, at all. I don't usually get close enough to other people to actually smell their deodorant - most deodorants don't travel that far. And if you have some problem that you feel you need to wear these things, then you should probably make an appointment with your doctor. I'm irritated by some perfumes/scents, and others smell good to me. But it's not about me, and my sensitivities, or likes and dislikes. It's about the patients, and what they should or should not be exposed to. They have no choice but to share the same space with us. Would you force them to eat something that made them nauseated? Force them to watch a certain TV show? Keep their room at 95 degrees, even though they wanted it cooler? Force them to listen to the rap station you like, even though they're offended by the language? And by the way, if your perfume is bothering people; lingering in the bathroom, hallway or stairwell, it's your first clue that you're wearing WAY TOO MUCH!!!

It was not my perfume lingering, it was all the other people whom she did not confront. It was all about I was getting attention she was not getting and she attacked 2 women in an office full of women who wore perfume!!!

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Oh, Ok so all drug seekers really have pain!!!Come on!!!

Not to split hairs, but yes..I'd maintain that they do. It may or may not be a physical pain, but it's pain for sure.

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Specializes in CCRN, CNRN, Flight Nurse.
Let's look at this from a different prospective.... When a patient says they have pain, we treat them for pain. Why? Because they say they have pain. When a person says they have a sensitivity (by whatever manifestation) to certain scents/odors, then THEY HAVE A SENSITIVITY!!! Who are we to say otherwise. We are not inside that person's body, experiencing what they are experiencing. For us as nurses to say otherwise is not only insensitive, but also unprofessional.

Something to think about............................................. ........

Oh, Ok so all drug seekers really have pain!!!Come on!!!

You get the point :angryfire

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
You get the point :angryfire

No need to stress. When someone doesn't agree with you or just likes to take the contrary side.................it won't happen. :)

1. They cannot understand your point (and refuse to explore yours) which is fine............everyone is entitled to their own opinions/beliefs

2. Or, they take pleasure in seeing you stressed ;)

To sum the OP,...............there were more in favor or NOT wearing scents to work versus wearing. Ta da............the end :chuckle

J/K :balloons:

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GR8RNPJT, could she have singled you and the other woman out because you and the other woman wore scents that bothered her and everyone else in the office that wore perfume/colonge that didn't bother her?

My experience is that not ALL perfume/cologne trigger a response, it's the type (e.g. Channel) and/or the amount worn.

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Specializes in Case Management.
GR8RNPJT, could she have singled you and the other woman out because you and the other woman wore scents that bothered her and everyone else in the office that wore perfume/colonge that didn't bother her?

My experience is that not ALL perfume/cologne trigger a response, it's the type (e.g. Channel) and/or the amount worn.

Funny you should ask. I wear "tommy girl" as I stated earlier I don't take it to work, I put it on at home. Her manager wears tommy girl and brings the bottle to work, applies it again during lunch in "ms sensetive"'s bathroom.

I used to say to her, how do you know it is my tommy girl when your manager wears the same thing? she works in the same room, and it doesnt bother you, but you see me down the hall and start screaming about me?

This woman is a psychotic nut, and that is why I avoid her hallways, stairwell and bathroom. Because I was being blamed for perfume in the bathroom when I was 4 floors down doing chart review.

I have a feeling I am hitting a little too close to home for some posters on this BB!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
So the pt. was medicted because she complained about someone's perfume? Please tell me I am misreading this!

I was being tongue in cheek. The patient requested Ativan. The reason I said "claimed to have an asthma attack" was she wasn't actively having one when I saw her, but I didn't mean to imply she didn't have one or that I didn't believe her, because I do. Asthma is primarily an illness of reaction to irritants.

I haven't been real involved in this thread. However, because I've personally seen patients react to perfume, and have been personally inconvenienced (my load is heavy enough without having to pick up someone elses work) because the perfumed tech can't go into a room (that's two patients I have to do tech work for, not that I'm above that, but you know what I'm saying), I'm for a ban on perfume/cologne in the work setting.

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Specializes in ICU, telemetry, LTAC.
She was medicated with Ativan...not an asthma drug, but a mild tranquilizer, giving the impression that her response was "all in her head."

As an asthma sufferer, I will tell you it's not possible to relax when you can't breathe. However, I have never had ativan, or any benzo's at all for that matter. If given in conjunction with a breathing treatment I can see where it might be effective, as not being able to breathe makes a person VERY anxious.

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