Smoking nurses

Nurses General Nursing

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I am not a nurse yet, but my sister-in-law is and she smokes. I smoke as well and would like to quit before even starting my classes. I heard that "you can't be a nurse unless you smoke". I feel like I am such a hypocryt for smoking and wanting to be a nurse at the same time, but I also know from reading all of the threads that nursing can be a very stressful job. I am sure that I am not the only one with this problem, but I do feel guilty. Does anyone else? Not judging in any way.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
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All I hear is a lot of crying and tit for tat. Non smokers don't get breaks because they plain old don't take em, and play the victim role. Smokers say " so you stink too" and " so you're fat". Many things cause lung cancer, not just smokeing. The old Polio vaccines given in the early 60s was made in the cell of a certain monkey that happened to contain a virus that caused lung ca in humans. Not new information. I've had many pts with lung ca that never smoked or second hand smoked. Had many pts who smoked many years and died of old age. There's alot more to it. The real issue here is about removing freedom. Think about that.

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

One is always free to smoke or drink or do anything legal of that sort....but I don't think it should be done in a place that is so heavily involved in healing and health-promotion as a hospital. NO tit for tat here...JMO....it's hell to be a patient who has to deal w/noxious smoke or perfume or cleaning solvent odor when sick. Just makes sense to me. No one is infriging on freedom at by asking folks not to smoke AT A HOSPITAL.

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Millions of babies are killed by abortion. Millions are killed in the world by terrorist. Thousands are killed in this country by drunks. And in the news the past two weeks, how obesity has become an epidemic in this country and is killing people. It would seem so trivial to attack a co-worker for going outside to smoke.

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Originally posted by TrdNur

I agree that it is setting a poor example for a nurse to smoke, but lots of other things also set a poor example such as obesity, now I'm not meaning to pick on obese nurses, but as some have mentioned earlier everyone has some type of failing or vice. I smoke and I'm not proud of it, but I try not to let it interfere with caring for the patient to the best of my addicted ability. One thing for sure is if I'm ever in a health crisis and the nurse that saves my life smells like cig smoke or is fat as mud I'm sure I won't mind at all how she smelled or how fat she was. I will only be thankful that she or he knew the right thing to do and did it. I'm sure some of you won't believe it but I have been named in more patient satisfaction surveys than any nurse at our facility (smelling like I do) lol.

I am also a smoker and have to agree with you. If I am ever in a health crisis, I could care less is the nurse smelled like cigs or not. So much is said against smoking yet at my last two places of employment(hospital and nursing home)many couldn't wait to go for happy hour 2-3days/wk. No matter that many call out sick the next day, or most likely drink and drive and put innocent people at risk and unfortunately there have been cases of being under the influence of alcohol and working. What about those who come into work reeking of perfume??? YUK!! If we are banning smokers, then why not make health care facilities fragrance-free as well.

I do understand and respect others when it comes to second-hand smoke and never smoke in areas not designated for smoking. Nor do I smoke if I am with others who do not smoke. But, I still believe that it is MY RIGHT to decide if I want to smoke or not. As for taking more breaks because I smoke??? Don't I wish. I have 2 coworkers who claim that and all I can say is that they spend too much time on the phone talking to boyfriends/children on work hrs, I have a smoke if and when I get a break and that's it. Plus, the fact that we have to go outside in the cold, it's usually for all of 5 minutes and not our allotted 15 min break. So, that theory that smokers take more breaks is not true in most cases.

JUDE

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I smoke, I don't get breaks, what am I doing wrong?????

If some is going to be a slacker then they are going to be a slacker, whether or not they smoke.

If I want to freeze my butt off in the freezing cold at 0200hrs because I have done my work and the next round is at 0230 and there is someone on the floor then why should I not?

I don't leave the floor without telling the other person, I make sure if I get a break the other person does too. If the work is not done, if something happens, if my co-worker can't cope then I don't get a break.

I don't smoke inside my house, or any one elses. I don't smoke indoors period. I don't smoke in front of other peoples children. I don't smoke while walking in the street. I don't smoke if I'm working in a multi-building ( Too far to walk, I'm lazy!) I don't smoke in the car.

I have no life, I live on the front verandah huddled in blankies swathed in a cloud of sweet smoke and I like it that way.;) On the plus side all my children are still alive and I havn't murdered my ex...............yet! If I have to give up the cigs I make no promises!

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Aussienurse, you rock!

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Originally posted by Aussienurse2

I smoke, I don't get breaks, what am I doing wrong?????

If some is going to be a slacker then they are going to be a slacker, whether or not they smoke.

If I want to freeze my butt off in the freezing cold at 0200hrs because I have done my work and the next round is at 0230 and there is someone on the floor then why should I not?

I don't leave the floor without telling the other person, I make sure if I get a break the other person does too. If the work is not done, if something happens, if my co-worker can't cope then I don't get a break.

I don't smoke inside my house, or any one elses. I don't smoke indoors period. I don't smoke in front of other peoples children. I don't smoke while walking in the street. I don't smoke if I'm working in a multi-building ( Too far to walk, I'm lazy!) I don't smoke in the car.

I have no life, I live on the front verandah huddled in blankies swathed in a cloud of sweet smoke and I like it that way.;) On the plus side all my children are still alive and I havn't murdered my ex...............yet! If I have to give up the cigs I make no promises!

Have to agree with semstr,lol, you rock!!! Love your sense of humor too.:)

JUDE

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I'm not and have never been a smoker. I used to complain, in my head, about the smokers always getting breaks to smoke. In those days it was still okay to smoke in the hospital (and, yeah, I've been around long enough to remember when doctors and nurses smoked at the nurses station. Frightening.) But then, I realized it was up to me to take a break if I needed it, just the way the smokers did off the floor or in the bathroom. I realized they were a lot smarter than I was, and more organized as well, they got breaks. I wanted to take breaks so I figured out how to make it happen. Used to be a lot easier to do. Now, getting a break is a lot, lot harder.

I can remember going into one of the first hospitals in my area that banned smoking and thinking how really nice it was not to be smelling fresh and stale smoke everywhere.

I'm rambling and it's far to early to be doing that. I'm going back to work.

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Hummm??

My migraines are triggered by perfumes, aftershave and body spray. Does that give me the right to refuse to work with co-workers who use these products? Some but not all facilities FROWN on use of such sprays but they don't send the users outside and heck the spray isn't doing my health any good.

I am not for smoking but if your gonna talk about patient rights and the way things smell and how this can make people sick, just thought I'd give you something else to think about. And if you think Migraines are easily treated I can tell you first hand they are not.

So here's a case where nurses use these products, doesn't harm them but those of us who are ravaged by the migraine world suffer. Any thoughts?

C

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I am violently allergic to lavender, in all it's forms. The CN on my old unit knew this however felt that aroma therapy would be a good thing to introduce into the unit. One anaphalactic shock later did she change her mind? Nope, it was for the good of the residents and therefore stayed. I moved to another unit, she decided to make aroma therapy an institutional-wide policy. I made my case to the board and to the union with the backing of the ER doctor who treated me and she told them that lavender was not used in the therapy. I told them that my life was at risk. This is an on-going thing at work now with no end in sight. At what point do we draw the line?

I don't harm any-one but my self as I don't smoke near non-smokers but the hospital I work at is able to put my life at risk because of a therapy that has no proven benifit to client care. How is that right?

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definitely NOT right aussienurse2....just plain WRONG!!!

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