Overweight Healthcare Workers

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  • Specializes in Step Down, PCU, Telemetry, Med-Surg.

Imagine a weigh in as part of your employment application… followed by a reassessment throughout the year. Could this be a reality in the future? Since hospitals stopped hiring smokers - it does bring up the question: How far could employment requirements go?

Whilst hospital staff should be shining examples of health and happiness, the reality is, we are really just normal people; Some mothers and fathers, many of us struggling to manage long shifts combined with our other responsibilities.

Nurses work long hours, and throughout the day must put their needs aside for their patients, making it especially hard to stay healthy. I do believe it is possible to stay healthy and fit on the job. However, it does take a tremendous amount of planning, focus and discipline.

Some argue that patients will not accept our advice or education when they think we do not care for our own bodies as they think we should. In this situation, stick to the research and facts. Regardless of your own health issues, it does not have any effect on your patients.

[video=youtube_share;oC0f8QBLB3s]

Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

Another dose of body shaming. :yawn:

allnurses Guide

Nurse SMS, MSN, RN

6,843 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Not even clicking on the video. Don't care.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

The problem isn't the video, it's the resurrection of the old argument that opens the door for all the same old crap.

allnurses Guide

Nurse SMS, MSN, RN

6,843 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Totally agree. The video seems just another way to try and present the same old argument and seems a bit self aggrandizing to boot, particularly since it is the OPs second post ever here. Shopping for fans I am guessing.

SmilingBluEyes

20,964 Posts

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

All that hand gesturing, sheesh.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN

102 Articles; 27,612 Posts

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Two-thirds of the U.S. population falls into the overweight and obese categories, and nurses have the same struggles as the general public.

Since only a small minority of nurses are normal weight, hospital systems and other employers that implement pre-employment weight requirements may end up with extreme difficulty attracting good candidates to work for their organizations.

My point is that a nurse's body weight is not an accurate indication of his/her education, skills, judgment, intuition or intelligence level.

Trauma Columnist

traumaRUs, MSN, APRN

88 Articles; 21,249 Posts

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

This is a legitimate concern: (I say as I sit here eating my XXL stuft burrito). My local hospital systems test for cotitine which is the nicotine by-product - it goes back 3 months.

They also offer discounted health insurance premiums for those that maintain a BMI under 29.

Here is some more info:

Support the program's objectives in all facets of your business, e.g., healthy foods in cafeterias, vending machines, meetings and business-related events.

Allow employees time for healthy activities. For example, extend lunch breaks for on-site health-related activities, such as fitness classes, yoga, walking clubs and cooking lessons.

Encourage work/life balance, e.g., urge employees to take their vacation time.

BabyFood26

203 Posts

Specializes in Home Health, Mental/Behavioral Health.

It's a touchy subject for some. However, this article and the author's tones are light-hearted, sincere and informative.

Nothing wrong with bringing this topic up again IMO. I think it needs to be spoken of openly more often actually.

I mean... I'm a size 14/16... Hips to spare. But I know being healthy is important. Especially for those of us with families at home. I'm open to the truth of my weight and how it may effect my health and how I might work to change that because it's a positive thing. It is anything but shameful (shaming).

And pertaining to the patients not respecting an overweight nurse... There will always be patients that won't listen. It can go either way. If a slender nurse is giving advice to an obese patient regarding healthy living, you think he/she is gonna have their listening cap on?? Not likely... more likely, the patient will be defensive and feel as though this slimmer individual could not possibly relate. Hence, my opinion that this subject in general needs to be discussed more.

I don't understand why people get so frazzled over the idea of taking better care of their bodies. That's really all that it is. Living a better quality of life. Leading fam/patients by example.

Like the aforementioned comments, I do agree that an employment screening based on weight is very unlikely in the near future. There are just way too many factors that come into the mix in this light.

Take it or leave it. But snarl at the helpful hands that are trying to feed you sustainable knowledge and insight... Well that's just self-destructive.

Rant complete.

NotYourMamasRN

317 Posts

Specializes in Float Pool - A Little Bit of Everything.

I like your post and video, I think it highlights the stereotypes that people often associated with healthcare personnel.

NsugaBuga

54 Posts

Specializes in Dementia.

I must say that when it comes to smoking, it's really annoying. If a smoker can have 12 smoke breaks a shift, then so should I... to run to Burger King for fresh fries;). And so if we were all smokers, how much work would get done? This occurs frequently and is not fair to the residents/clients/patients or the rest of the team.:no:

allnurses Guide

nursel56

7,078 Posts

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
The problem isn't the video, it's the resurrection of the old argument that opens the door for all the same old crap.
The same old crap that I think is a whole lot more hurtful to people who's reason why they aren't a vision of shining health and happiness is really nobody's business.

Reading the dismayed posts on these prior threads and the judgemental responses to them was and is a major eye-opener.

The thing is this particular unspoken mandate was never asked back in the dark ages, nor was it declared to be a requirement, tested for, or included in licensure testing. From that I conclude that even stating the issue in "should" or 'should not" terms implies that requiring periodic weight monitoring for nurses is a legitimate endeavor.

That doesn't mean it's wrong for an employer to promote healthy lifestyle choices or offer voluntary incentives. That's a good thing, but a healthier workforce is a good thing for everyone through lower insurance costs, fewer sick calls, as many jobs involve sitting at a desk all day.

edit to add: empowern, despite my discomfort with the issue overall as it pertains to nurses vs any other employee, or any other profession for that matter your video is engaging, well-presented, and informative as another poster mentioned.

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