Should smokers be admitted into the nursing program?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hey, I am a pre nursing student and trying to write a persuasive speech on why smokers should not be allowed to apply for the nursing program.

What do you think? Should they/should they not? Why

My reasoning was that A) they are being hypocritical by deliberately mistreating their body while giving health advise to patients and B) the nursing program is so competitive and by eliminating smokers, there would be more openings for admittance, let me know what you think

This has become comical... OP's name Elly Aker=Bellyacher

Merriam-Webster m-w.com

intransitive verb

: to complain whiningly or peevishly : find fault

— bel-ly-ach-er noun

Don't for get people who like to go tanning or dye their hair more then 30 times in their life or eat red meat or don't have enough fiber in their diets or or or.

One basic problem with this argument is with the drug test thing..they have a test that can tell if you smoked a cigarette in the last YEAR.

So if I have a wine at dinner on my day off, go take a drug test and pass, then i get the job or spot.

Just because you smoke does not mean that you smell like an ashtray or affect your respiratory patients.

I know many nurses that smoke at home but stop before they have to go in. The routine: Take a shower. Brush their teeth. Clean clothes. Dont smoke in the car. Dont smoke at work..and don't have a problem of smelling like smoke then. I have a friend that also lives in a smoking household who keeps her clean work jacket and bag of nursing stuff in a plastic bag to keep that smell free. (Good practice anyway when you think of the microbes you bring to the hospital and back home on your personal belongings) Hey. We're nurses. We all know we have to do some extras sometimes. Good thing at least we get paid well.

I just think to those who are so against smokers...and your health points are valid anyway....that perhaps a better start would be dealing with the issue in a realistic. browbeating people with 'oh you smell like an ashtray blah blah blah" (and all people who ever smoke automatically get lumped into a one size fits all catagory)...is not going to make one person quit!

When you study addiction theory you will learn that quitting can only work when that person WANTS to, and only for their reasons and in their way.

Interesting thread though!

Hmm... interesting. I smoked for 10 years and quit on March 10th of this year. I don't really have much an opinion but one thing is really clear to me: Nurses (and students) should not be allowed to smoke in their scrubs. Not because it "looks" hypocritical, but many patients can be allergic to cigarette smoke, and it smells nasty. Same reason we are not allowed to wear perfumes, body spray, strong scented lotions, etc. It really grates my nerves that I can't spray myself with one pump of some light smelling body spray but someone else can reek of cigarettes and that is fine. Otherwise, out of uniform or at home, if a nurse wants to smoke, that's her choice.

That being said, I do NOT think it should be a factor in regards to getting into a nursing program or not. There just needs to be emphasis that nursing students cannot smoke in their scrubs while on duty. But, I've had to write persuasive speeches on things I didn't really agree with before, but for the sake of your paper, you could at least write that the smell one's clothes can and will make someone uncomfortable.

Specializes in LTC, L&D.

I say weed out smokers from the nursing program because nurse smokers usually take many breaks during a shift and that isn't safe for a patient. Also nurses that smoke smell HORRIBLE!

Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.

Out of 64 students in our class, only 1 has admitted to smoking. Professors have encouraged this student to quit before the end of the program and our class has committed to help this student on their journey to be an ex-smoker. So far they have been smoke-free for a couple of weeks. That is true comraderie!! :up:

Hey, I am a pre nursing student and trying to write a persuasive speech on why smokers should not be allowed to apply for the nursing program.

What do you think? Should they/should they not? Why

My reasoning was that A) they are being hypocritical by deliberately mistreating their body while giving health advise to patients and B) the nursing program is so competitive and by eliminating smokers, there would be more openings for admittance, let me know what you think

I think a smoking, obese, unprotected sex having, wild partying nurse can take care of me all day long if all that is left outside my hospital door. I'd rather have him or her than the thin, nonsmoking, condom wearing nurse that can't think fast on their feet or is lazy.

And just to play devil's advocate, why would one of your points be that it provides more openings. That to me might be more flawed than point A.

In my job as a medication aide, I am surrounded by co-workers who go outside to smoke (every hour practically), and come in smelling like crap. To make matters worse some try to masquerade their smoke smelling body and clothes with some pukey smelling cologne. When I have to be near them more than a minute, I end up with a headache which I have to deal with for the rest of my shift. POINT BEING: If their smoke smelling body and clothes bothers me, a fairly healthy but over-weight, middle-aged lady, how is it affecting the weak, vulnerable elderly residents that these pukey smelling med aides have to give medication to, take blood sugar, and blood pressure tests, or even just being in their rooms making the beds or delivering laundry to? The second POINT BEING: My being over-weight is not affecting anyone else but me. Third POINT BEING: I know many of you will think I am making excuses, but the truth is that more than 15 years ago I had radioactive iodine which destroyed my thyroid, thus I have virtually no metabolism. I don't eat bon-bons all day long, and I get a fair amount of walking in through my job. I am doing what I can to lose weight with no success. Also, since I am the only staff on duty after 10 p.m. do not leave the building during my 12-hour overnight shift unless it's job-related. To do so I feel is irresponsible, but the other two overnight staff take smoke breaks numerous times during their shift. My feeling is: If I was hospitalized, or even a resident in the facility where I work, and a nurse, doctor, or med aide came near me for any length of time while smelling of smoke -- I would be complaining to the administration.

I am not a smoker, but I am so sick and tired of people telling others that they should not be able to do it. I feel that it is just a matter of time until the government makes them illegal anyway, so until then the smoker have rights.

The fact remains that certain hospitals now have a policy to not hire smokers. I work for a large (not health related corporation) and smokers pay a lot more for their health insurance than non-smokers. They also do not allow smoking anywhere on company property. For some areas, that means someone might have to walk/drive a mile to go smoke.

It is more of an issue with second-hand smoke, higher insurance costs as well as promoting healthy habits. Nurses also get close and personal with patients and if they smell like smoke (or BO or perfume), it can be unpleasant.

It is an addiction though and not an easy thing to break.

Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.
Nurses also get close and personal with patients and if they smell like smoke (or BO or perfume), it can be unpleasant.

Not to mention the fact that some patients can be allergic to perfume or cigarette residue (even from the smell on someone's clothes).

Many hospitals and health care networks do not allow smokers and test for nicotine in an applicants system. So yeah sure admit them and give them a couple of years to quit or else they will be jaded and part of the population of unhierable new nurses. I used to smoke but when I found out I was pregnant with my first kid I quit in a week. It's tough but doable and honestly if I were a smoker and was told I could not apply for a job if I did not quit, I would quit. And on a side note, now the smell of ciggarettes makes me feel ill (conditioned from morning sickness years ago) so if I do go to a docotrs or clinic and a nurse smells like smoke I will ask for another employee in as polite of a way possible. Unless I'm allready nauseous when I come in, then I'd just puke.

Im not a smoker but I fill that if I pay my taxes, work my *** off, and spend my hard earned money to better myself then by god I should be able to smoke drink eat big macs and set on my *** after working a double shift and watch jerry springer. Plus I am over wieght also. So I feel that if people can save others peoples lives then it should matter wheather they smoke or drink or are over wieght. I would rather save a million lives before my own.

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