can of worms-smoking

Nurses General Nursing

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do smokers really take more breaks. maybe this should be a poll. seems to me that it is not really more breaks, just more smokes. i.e., when someone has to be walked out to the car, stop afterward and have a smoke. when something has to be walked down to the lab, stop afterward and have a smoke. i know that not all smokers do this, but some will make impressions for all. i know that we are all supposed to take our 15's, but on pm shift, most of us only take our dinner. smokers that i know on both of my jobs HAVE to take their 15's. everyone seems to understand this need. interested in opinions from both sides of the issue, and maybe a few x smokers can log in.

OK, Todd SPN, I have to respond to your post before going any further...

Guess what I smoke, trying to quite but it is my vice to break stress right now.

The statement you made was ignorant "Clearly, non smokers make better employees"

I think you might be barking up the wrong tree with that comment. You just made a generalization and obviously have a predjudice against smokers.

Here is some advice: think before you type.

I agree that there are some that take a smoke break, every time they leave the floor plus their scheduled breaks, I am not going to argue with that.

But think of how some of us feel. I don't like being generalized with a couple+ of bad apples. I try and respect everyone around me, make sure that I was up after my break (yes I do take them if I can, the amount allowed of course), I wear a jacket or gown over my scrubs so as not to offend any patient, family, nurse or physician. And guess what if it is crazy, I will try to make sure that everybody gets a break, cuz all of us need one. And getting off the unit for 15 minutes, acutally helps me reorganize my thoughts, get a plan together for the rest of the shift and clear my mind...smoking or not it helps me do better when I get back. And if it is crazy busy, I don't leave the floor...

So again, think before you type please.

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I am sooo lucky work with the same 5 women everyday and none of us smoke!

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

I am thinking Todd was being TONGUE-IN-CHEEK---- before anyone else gets too upset....

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Hey Blue eyes

Not too upset here but I thought it was ignorant. I think that just because "I Smoke" some nurses do get the idea that "Oh, she must be lazy" guess what I see plenty of nurses who do not smoke make a judgment against me while they sit there on the phone for 2 hours.

Just think that people should realize that every one handles their stresses differently...I smoke, some sit and complain, some gossip, some are crabby all shift, some cry, some don't talk at all, some question everything everyone is doing, some eat...we are all different.

I tend to hide the fact that I am a smoker, just because of this kind of thing, I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression of me as a nurse becuase of my bad habit.

Really not that upset about it but I have a right to my two cents too right???

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Point is, if it interferes with work, or causes issues with co-workers and such, then it is a problem.

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Deb, you are most likely right about Tod . . tongue firmly planted in cheek.

I agree with Tweety and the rest who say that there are all kinds of ways to be unavailable and waste time at work and smoking is not #1.

I think gossiping may just be #1.

I have never smoked and hate being around it and feel bad for those who do smoke . . . . it seems as though you are a slave to something. Of course, food calls me . . . :D

Russell - congrats!! I never worked anywhere where you could smoke since I've only been a nurse for 5 years but the older nurses tell me that they smoked at the nurse's station and the patients smoked and the docs smoked.

Weird.

steph

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Smokers have always taken more and longer breaks where I have worked.

Have never undeerstood why people in the medical field smoke-it's an addiction that should be treated!!

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Have to want to be treated first, combination of a stressful job and any other factors do not help it as well.

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Yes, I smoke. I'm not proud of it. If I was addicted to other substances like alcohol or cocaine, I'll bet my employer would see that I got treatment.

I don't think it is right to blame the smoker. Personally, I take my lunch, both my breaks and no more. I would take my breaks whether I smoked or not. I'll be damned if I would give my company 2.5 free hours per week of my time. Some people who don't take breaks wear that as some special kind of badge. Don't be a sap. I'm sure you all have a company policy regarding lunch and breaks. Enforce it. If the smoker is allowed to go outside the policy and get away with it, it is your fault if you are in charge. If you are in school and the instructor allows more breaks than policy allows, complain; I'm sure you are in the majority. Don't let the tail wag the dog. It is not smokers fault they get a break every hour. It is the instructor that controls the class. Put the blame where it belongs.

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Todd . . . absolutely great post!!

Thanks.

steph

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At my nursing school, we are told that if we show up to clinicals smelling like smoke that we will be sent home and recieve a U for that day. Again, I smoke but on my 8 hour clinical day I smoke at home b4 putting on my uniform and not again until I get out.

Also I would just like to add that there are many of us who grew up in abusive situations and have had very hard and difficult times. I do not overeat, I do not drink, I do not abuse illegal drugs. I smoke, and if thats the worst thing that became of me after the suffering I have endured then feel free to slam me. I don't abuse my breaks, I take them and if you don't then thats your problem. If it is too bad that I can't take a break then oh well, like I said, I have no problem not smoking on a 8 hour clinical day. Hate the fact that I smoke and am trying to quit, not only is it disgusting, but really expensive.

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Yes, I will admit it, I smoke. Not proud of doing so, but it is a fact, and at this point in my life, even though I would LOVE to quit, I will not attempt to right now.

I have met others who abuse :"I'm going out to check the weather!" (Our way of saying I going out for a smoke:imbar ) BUT, as someone earlier said, I have worked with non-smokers who are on the phone WAY to much (talking to the kids, getting calls every hour :( ), or are reading a book, or surfing the net, at work. Just because I "go outside", why am I a pariah?

At one facility I worked at, about 1 out of 3 people smoked. When us "smokers" would go outside (usually only 1 smoker would go at a time), we would take a non-smoker so that they could "check the weather" also!! Luckily, at this facility, smokers were not regulated to a "smoking hut", where even seasoned smokers can choke because of the smell and smoke; we were outside, away from the hospital, in a wide open space. It gave the non-smoker a break so that they didn't feel that they were being slighted.;) It worked very well to establish harmony between the smokers and non-smokers.

I also agree, NO MATTER WHAT THE REASON FOR A BREAK, if you are busy or others need help, it is not the time. Sometimes when I get flustered, when I am overwhelmed and am a little lost on what I need to do next, I go outside, smoke, and start clearing my mind: take out my "cheat sheet", look at what I need to do, what I have already done, make a plan on what to do next.:)

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