Do You take your patients out for smoke breaks?

Nurses General Nursing

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We do, but I don't agree with it.

Specializes in Tele, ICU, ER.

I smoke, and if an ER patient is stable enough, I'll let him go though I "escort" him/her and I DO document.

That said, I smoke, until January 1st, 2007. Last year I went on a diet (lost 70lbs and keeping it off!) so this years resolution is the smokiing! But... I've smoked for a million years and I LIKE it - so it's gonna be way tougher than the weight.

It's an addiction sure enough, and I agree with the poster above who recognizes that when you're stressed out and sick might not be the best time to suddenly quit cold turkey.

As an RN, I KNOW it's bad for me, as a human, dangit I LIKE it and don't want to give it up. Addiction sucks.

I used to take them out until I quit. Now I can't stand to be around the smoke. I understand the urge to want a cig, so I try to find someone to take then out.

I work in paeds, so it doesn't apply. Honestly, it never occurred to me that nurses would be expected to take patients outside for a cigarette break. What sort of message does that send?

Having said that, the last time I worked in adults, smoking was still permitted in the ward areas and patients had ashtrays on their bedside lockers! It kinda boggles the mind now, to even think of it.

Specializes in Med-Surg.

I did when I worked at a nursing home- not that I necessarily agreed that the patient should be smoking, but they are adults, and since it was a longterm arrangement/home for them, I felt that if I had the time, I would rather they be safe and attended.

Now what I did have a problem with was that one patient I had complained to management, and they actually instituted designated smoking times. I was an STNA at the time, and I was really offended that his cigarrette was a priority over, say, a wet brief or someone needing to be washed up.

I work in a busy med-surg step-down unit now, on nights, when most petients are sleeping. Most of our patients are genuinely too ill to smoke, and those who do can generally take themselves. I'm not sure whether I would help a patient go out to smoke, since it's a different situation... good question...

Specializes in Educator, OB, Critical Care.

Smoking causes cancer!! NO, I do not take them outside. I work in a CCU

I am probably risking a torrent of angry posts here, but to be quite contraversial I have to say that smoking CAN cause cancer but not does not always !! There are many other factors as well that can cause cancer and be detrimental to ones health !! There is the awful polution from car fumes that is in the air all the time, so maybe we should be stopped from driving our cars. Then there is the pesticides that is on our food, so maybe we should stop eating !! There has been on our news recently about a strong link between pesticides and cancer. Then there is the risk of using mobile phones and brain tumours, so perhaps the use of all mobile phones should be stopped. There is also the possible link of electicity pylons and cancer, so perhaps we should go back to the days of candle power. In everyday modern life there are huge risks, so me or any other nurse taking a patient out for a smoke to me is not an issue. I would take a patient (provided they were able to go outside) for a smoke. That said it doesnt mean that as a nurse or a human being that I do not care about the health of my patients, as I do. But these patients are adults, and as such have a right to make an informed decision, and to deny them this is an infringement of their human rights.

There are more and more cases whereby younger people are found to have cancer, where they have never smoked, drank, they eat healthy and exercise, so every day living such as car polution and pesticides have to play a part.

I do and I have no problem with it. I of course tell my patients about the hazards of smoking and I give them the hospital brochure about quitting the habit...

No, I do not take them out for smoke breaks...I keep telling them it causes cancer and cardiovascular problems...I hate to remind them of it but it's my job as a nurse to educate the public even if it's a topic they dislike.

Specializes in CCRN, TNCC SRNA.
I am probably risking a torrent of angry posts here, but to be quite contraversial I have to say that smoking CAN cause cancer but not does not always !! There are many other factors as well that can cause cancer and be detrimental to ones health !! There is the awful polution from car fumes that is in the air all the time, so maybe we should be stopped from driving our cars. Then there is the pesticides that is on our food, so maybe we should stop eating !! There has been on our news recently about a strong link between pesticides and cancer. Then there is the risk of using mobile phones and brain tumours, so perhaps the use of all mobile phones should be stopped. There is also the possible link of electicity pylons and cancer, so perhaps we should go back to the days of candle power. In everyday modern life there are huge risks, so me or any other nurse taking a patient out for a smoke to me is not an issue. I would take a patient (provided they were able to go outside) for a smoke. That said it doesnt mean that as a nurse or a human being that I do not care about the health of my patients, as I do. But these patients are adults, and as such have a right to make an informed decision, and to deny them this is an infringement of their human rights.

There are more and more cases whereby younger people are found to have cancer, where they have never smoked, drank, they eat healthy and exercise, so every day living such as car polution and pesticides have to play a part.

For me it is not about the cancer. 1) Although ciggarettes dont ALWAYS cause cancer, they dont promote health either and health promotion is supposed to be one of the roles of the nurse. Ciggs have more CONS than pros. 2) I do NOT smoke and I do NOT wish to be around it. These are MY lungs and I am not going to kill them because someone else has an urge to suck on a cancer stick.(Yes other things do cause cancer but ciggarettes have been PROVEN to cause it as well) 3) I am in ICU so smoking is not an option for my patients anyway

For me it is not about the cancer. 1) Although ciggarettes dont ALWAYS cause cancer, they dont promote health either and health promotion is supposed to be one of the roles of the nurse. Ciggs have more CONS than pros. 2) I do NOT smoke and I do NOT wish to be around it. These are MY lungs and I am not going to kill them because someone else has an urge to suck on a cancer stick.(Yes other things do cause cancer but ciggarettes have been PROVEN to cause it as well) 3) I am in ICU so smoking is not an option for my patients anyway

Hi

I can understand your concerns with regards to cigarettes not promoting health with regards to possible pysical problems, and agree that health promotion is supposed to be one of the roles of the nurse. I have always tried to promote health, however, I guess I look at things slightly differently, and thats one of the reasons that I chose to do Mental Health Nursing before starting my nurse training. (In the UK we have to decide what path to take before we enrol..not sure how it is in the US). I have always thought differently to many people that I have known throughout my life, and consider stress to more of a problem than smoking. It can cause both mental health and physical health to deteriorate so badly that a person cannot function and cannot cope with everyday life. I have also seen the effects that medication prescribed for stress or depression cause many problems such as the horrendous side effects and withdrawal symptoms when coming off them. These are powerful drugs which I dont feel does the body any good. Ok so they are needed in some cases, but quite often just mask problems. On many an occasion I have sat with a patient (either in the smoking room or outside) with a cigarette, and talked with them or just listened to them, and this has eased their anxiety and made them feel valued and uplifted them more so than the drugs. I have also seen people in such a panic cos they cant have a smoke and this has aggravated their problems. I have also seen this with my friends and family as well, and often I meet friends who have problems for a coffee and a smoke and a chat and this has also been done for me as well, as found this to be more effective than anything else. I think its the fact that there is someone there that does not judge them that will understand their need for a smoke and a chat, and they feel that person cares.

So smoking to me is not such an important issue, yes it can cause health problems, but stress can cause so many more and does horrendous things to the body.

I think that some countries are so hooked into the whole smoking issue that other issues are very much overlooked, such as stress, and also alcohol. I have seen more problems, physicaly and mentally related to alcohol than I have related to smoking, yet we are still allowed to drink alcohol on a plane for example wen it can make people roudy and aggressive and sick, yet we cannot smoke, which often calms people down.

Sorry if I have offended anyone, it is not my intention to do that, but think we need to get out of having tunnel vision with regards to smoking. Yes it can cause health problems, but can also have a good effect in that in can help to relieve stress and tension. And on a positive note, if a person is less stressed then they will smoke less, and possibly give up altogether. I have heard people say that want to give up or cut down, but cannot due to the stress in their life at that time.

Specializes in CCRN, TNCC SRNA.

No offense taken.We are here to discuss our opinions as adults :) . You are focusing on mental health only with your views. (Who has tunnel vision?) Do you think that letting a critical care or coronary care patient have a ciggarette would relieve stress? Not likely. It would cause much more problems. MH patients are a bit different. They are physically able to smoke as most other patients are not. So that all depends on the type of the patients that you have. I work in critical care so my answer would still be a definate no. You have compared smoking wth other things that cause cancer, but the fact remains that smoking still contributes to it. I have had patients addicted to pain meds and sang that same stress song when I could not give it (before it was time to). How can a patient who has just been taken off a vent or have recently had surgery have a smoke when they request it? Your example is in a MH setting. That is like comparing apples and oranges.

So yes, your views on smoking do work, but maybe in a MH setting only , which I totally understand, but it would never work for critical care and since that is my area ,(In the US we decide at any time what area of nursing we would like to follow) then no, it would not be in the patient's best interest to have a ciggarette, because I do care

I cant understand why you brought up alcohol on a plane. That is not a hospital setting-totally different. The passengers are not there due to illness. :)

I couldn't if I wanted to, I'm a school nurse :) Not that I would want to.

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