CNA'S suffer second hand smoke

PAERRN20 · Mar 12, 2011

Well, if none of the CNA's smoke, then they should hire a CNA that smokes, that should take care of that.

That is just too much. I'm all for residents rights, but I agree, if they aren't able to get themselves outside or even hold a cigarette, then they shouldn't be smoking. I would refuse to do that. They are in LTC, have nursing support, and should be started on a Nicotine patch...I can't think of a more supportive enviroment for smoking cessation.

DeeAngel · Mar 12, 2011

I think they need to band together and speak with an attorney about a hostile work environment.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Mar 13, 2011

When I was a floor nurse, we had a head injured patient. His guardian announced to me my first day there that he got his meds outside. She told me I was to hold the cigarette and give him a puff for every pill.

I told her, politely of course, that I did not smoke and would not hold a cigarette for anyone. She told me she was going to tell my supervisor since "the other nurse did it". I told her I'd be happy to help her find someplace else to take the man where nurses were dumb enough to hold a cigarette for someone. I'm surprised I didn't get fired!

No one should have to expose themselves to cigarette smoke.

dinah77, ADN · Mar 13, 2011

When I was a floor nurse, we had a head injured patient. His guardian announced to me my first day there that he got his meds outside. She told me I was to hold the cigarette and give him a puff for every pill.
I told her, politely of course, that I did not smoke and would not hold a cigarette for anyone. She told me she was going to tell my supervisor since "the other nurse did it". I told her I'd be happy to help her find someplace else to take the man where nurses were dumb enough to hold a cigarette for someone. I'm surprised I didn't get fired!
No one should have to expose themselves to cigarette smoke.

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Wow, good for you! As a nurse who suffers from chronic sinusitis and allergies, I would quickly lose cool with anyone who told me I had to help someone smoke as part of my job....please.

casi, ASN, RN · Mar 13, 2011

Are Asthma attack and any other problems caused by second hand smoke workmens comp?

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Mar 13, 2011

I think it would depend which side had the better attorney.

ktwlpn, LPN · Mar 14, 2011

At my LTC facility, the CNA's are REQUIRED to supervise residents who smoke, as part of their job. The admin. say to send someone else if a person doesn't want to go, but there never is anyone else to send. I feel so bad that many of them have never smoked, and are forced to inhale cig. smoke for their freakin job! Does anyone know if employees have any say in this matter?

Wait until the day all of your cna's refuse to do it-guess who will have to? That's right-YOU... Happened to me once-in between my med pass from H#ll, treatments,nourishments,etc and a hospital return I smoked the guy. We do have a ventialted room-I just had to stay in it long enough to light him up and then I stood outside the door.I never got a break that day and I remember the cna's waving "goodbye" at 3pm as I was finishing my charting.....

GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Mar 14, 2011

We have this issue at work. I work psych, and the patients get to go out 4 x a day to smoke. This is no problem as long as one of the CNA's smoke. They don't mind getting an extra smoke break for themselves. It really stinks when none of the staff working that shift smoke. A non smoker then has to take them out. I had to take them out a few times when CNA's refused, and I really wasn't happy about it considering I was pregnant at the time.

rainbowsandsunshine · Mar 18, 2011

OMG, we battle with this a lot at our facility!

The unofficial policy is that the CNA who 'smokes' the resident is given a reduced assignment to compensate for time lost while outside doing the smoke breaks. However, anyone who is a non-smoker is allowed to refuse the smoking assignment. This leads to a whole bunch of shift switching and juggling, trying to find a smoker who will take care of the residents... Then, the worst complication is when the floor is REALLY BUSY and the CNA's are all busy and the nurses are all busy. The residents are begging for their smoke break, but nobody has time to do it. Then the staff gets in trouble for putting other priorities (incontinent care, transfers, showers) above the smoke break.

It is ridicules. I agree that residents should have the right to smoke, but if the CNA's are too busy doing legitimate care to take them, we should not get in trouble. I mean, how would they feel if we said, "oh sorry, you'll have to sit in that soaking wet incontinent brief, filled with BM for the next 30 minutes while I take out the other folks to smoke". I'm sure that would not fly!

CNABESS · Mar 24, 2011

I am happy to say I work on a smoke free campus. I would absolutely refuse to smoke a pt. I do not smoke, or allow smoking in my home or yard. Smoke is a migraine trigger for me. If a facility has this as a policy, they better hire several CNAs and nurses who are smokers. I would also make it clear at my hiring that I would refuse to do this. See, now I have another reason to be happy in my workplace. Thank you all for the uplift.

nursetiffany. · Mar 27, 2011

I'd try to find a CNA that smokes as well to take them out. :)

JDZ344 · Mar 27, 2011

This has come up at work- when there have been no smokers on to "take" a patient outside. I am a ex-smoker, I have no wish to breathe in cigarette smoke and I suffer with a respiratory condition so I will not be doing it. I will, perhaps, drop a patient outside and go back for them later. I will NOT be responsible for what happens to them outside because I will not stand with them.