Can you believe this?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I understand the push for "customer satisfaction" but I think that the following situation is taking it too far. A few days ago we had a patient on the floor who was in constant pain. She had MS PCA, Ativan, Phenegran for her pain/anxiety/nausea. The doctor had ordered a bed alert put on her because she was so unsteady from this pain and the pain meds. Well, she was with it enough to insist on going outside to have a cigarette. We explained that #1 she would have to go out in a wheel chair and that no one could take her out at this time, we were all busy (imagine that). #2 she was a huge fall risk and couldn't hardly stand up without tipping to one side, so we didn't think that she was up to the trip #3 she had a MS PCA, which we don't really allow to just freely float outside of the building #4 her doctor DID NOT want her to leave. We babied her, gave her all the meds she could have, bent over backward to try to please her. But, she was adamant and we called the house supervisior to take care of the situation. Well, house went in to talk with patient. SHe comes out and says that one of us needs to stop taking care of the patients and take this woman out to smoke. NO surprise to anyone I'll bet. But, the story gets more interesting when we find out that the patient doesn't even have any cigarettes. So, the house supervisior buys some from a staff member. BUT, the patient wouldn't accept them because they weren't menthol. So, house calls everyone in the hospital that she knows smokes to find menthol cigarettes to buy. I was so mad that I couldn't even speak, except to say "we appreciate the support :uhoh3: ) Her response was that this woman might write a letter to the editor or something. Isn't there a line between patient rights and doctor/nurses orders/knowledge? I guess now we have to give the patient whatever they want and we have to reinforce their bad habits/behavior. UUGH!

Speaking of bending over backwards; we had a pregnant pt who accused the dietary guy of rape....two days after the fact. He was fired, she was provided a sitter for the duration of her stay. This was about two weeks. The sitter was required to go down with the pt to smoke. Pt didn't have cigs so would panhandle for them outside. My thought is...let them write it up, let them sue. These loonies don't have a case, and I'm not about to leave pts who really need me to attend to these nutcases!! No matter what my CSM says.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
....Nobody is going to let a alcoholic have a drink in a hospital or a drug addict shoot up....

A little off topic, but just wanted to say that I have seen a few instances where beer was prescribed for an alcoholic patient....They even ask the patients what kind of beer they'd prefer.

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I do smoke but not in the workplace and I would never stop my patient care to watch some body have a drag but non smokers have to understand the addiction. I have cared for heroin users who say smoking is harder to give up.

On the other hand- if they can't walk out under their own steam they don't go out.

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Token Male, the issue with beer is slightly different however in that usually the main reason for prescribing it is for chronic abusers to prevent withdrawels

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

I thought we used ativan and librium for that

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Do use ativan and librium alot but for whatever course of treatment the patient is in for I see some physicians find it easier to prescribe the beer. Seems to be on patients who are not going to be in as long

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That is total crap!!! Hospitals should have smokers sign a waiver, saying the hospital will not support smoking as the surgoen general has warned it contributes to the development of lung cancer. They should offer a nic patch...period.

If I were ever asked to halp a pt smoke, I would get a note from my doctor so fast about MY asthma, why the heck should I risk MY health by inhaling thier second hand smoke??? How would worker's comp/risk manager's like them apples???

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I guess that the part about her giving in to the patient and letting her leave the floor and making one of us go with her was not as shocking to me as the fact that she didn't even have cigarettes and the HOUSE SUPERIVISOR not only found them for her- she PAID for them and had to find the RIGHT kind-menthol. UNBELIEVABLE!

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No, it doesn't surprize me in the least that this supervisor bent over backwards. Hospital administrators are not in this business to help people, they are in this business to make money, and if that means giving into patients addications instead of doing what is best for the patient, they will do it.

On a brighter note, my hospital is going completely smoke free in July. That means no smoking in any of the buildings, on the grounds, not even in the parking lot. They are offering smoking cessation classes to all employees.

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Really makes me mad how whiney and childish some people can get when they don't get to smoke. I've taken care of a few just like the one described. In horrible, awful pain, just eating the nacotics, but boy they could get up and run outside for a smoke!

I used to smoke when I was younger and I'm glad I gave it up! What nicotine makes people do. We used to get the docs to prescribe patches for a lot of them, for some it worked and others, no deal, had to have that cigarette! I think they shouldn't allow smoking in any healthcare facility, it's a little hypocritical to say we are looking out for the health of patients and let them do something that is harmful. Quitting smoking is tough but eventually you get over it, now I can't even stand the smell when someone else smokes around me. Makes me gag!

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Specializes in all things maternity.

Not long ago, I recieved a transfer from ICU at 11 pm. I was extremely busy and had not even recieved report on this patient before they brought her up. The report I recieved from the nurse on arrival was that she had JUST been taken off a insulin drip, her blood sugars were extremely unstable, we were to do hourly blood sugars on her, BUT she had a written order from her doctor to go out and smoke. Sheeshhhhh!!! I tried to fight this one.......did not get me anywhere. Supervisor told me that this woman had been making such a royal hissy fit in the unit about not being able to go smoke that her doctor had been called in and released her from ICU just so she could smoke. The rest of the night she put undue burden on two units because I had to either stop what I was doing and accompany her outdoors....she went out 5 times in the next 8 hours...or the poor ER department nurses had to keep running out the back door to check on her. Thank God that the ER nurse on duty that night had some compassion for me and we were able to work together with this train wreck waiting to happen. I felt that they had no concern for my license so I left that job within 6 weeks. :angryfire

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trust me, it is contraindicated. smoking is NOT helpful to most people recovering and who are ILL enough to be in the hospital in the FIRST PLACE. Yes,I concede, there are cases where patients have a psychologic/physiologic need to have their nicotine. IF that is the case, rather than seeing a dr write an order to "assist pt with smoking", he or she NEEDS to instead write the order: "Nicotine patch PRN" . that will do nicely for me.

I know that I'm rather late on this, but I was wondering if the Nic patch was contraindicated, not the smoking. :) I KNOW that smoking in contraindicated. I'm allergic to cigaretter smoke big time, I have Raynaud's and nothing makes it worse that cigarette smoke.

That's why I was asking if there's any contraindications to the nic patch.

Katherine

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