I overheard a disturbing conversation of nurses who were saying that overweight people should not be working in healthcare. They were basically saying that patients do not respect health advice or treatment from a worker who is unhealthy themselves. I am posting this topic because I wonder if this is a shared sentiment among the medical field? Or from patients? Or has anyone experienced anything related to this? Like getting fired, or discriminated by either pateints or a facility and such? Are there ever clauses in facility contracts that employees must maintain optimal heath to represent the industry's interest? (I am in Vegas & yes casinos do enforce waitresses/dealers with a +/- 5 lbs. original hiring weight monitoring weekly). I hope this is not what nursing school meant by "take care of ourselves before we can take care of others." Honestly, I dont think like this but wonder if others in healthcare do? Is this really a "thing?"
BTW, they were referencing a theme of nurses who gained weight from emotional overeating. They were not referencing a physiological underlying condition. ~ Thank You ~
Why Are So Many Nurses and Healthcare Workers Overweight and Unhealthy?
I've been very interested in this topic, mainly because my hospital adopted a no hiring smoker/tabacco users policy several years ago. The policy actually states that new employees will be nicotine free - verified by a blood test and... our health insurance makes existing nicotine users pay a higher premium than other employees.
Basically I wonder when health insurance is going to say, BMI above "magical level" you must now pay more or do without or loose weight to get to "magically acceptable level".
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Basically I wonder when health insurance is going to say, BMI above "magical level" you must now pay more or do without or loose weight to get to "magically acceptable level".
Some already do. My employer has a program where you have to do a physical screening. Height, weight, blood pressure, CMP. Those who meet the criteria of BMI
I think there is a consensus that the key is that a person has to do the job they were hired for.
So, for example, a nurse doing telephone triage from a desk- Weight is pretty much not an issue.
But, at what point does the job become role modeling, or helping others change behavior?
I gave an example earlier of a cardiopulmonary re-hab nurse. If a person in that job was an obese sedentary smoker, might their effectiveness be reduced?
Or do some folks believe that weight is just never a factor?
I think there is a consensus that the key is that a person has to do the job they were hired for.
So, for example, a nurse doing telephone triage from a desk- Weight is pretty much not an issue.
But, at what point does the job become role modeling, or helping others change behavior?
I gave an example earlier of a cardiopulmonary re-hab nurse. If a person in that job was an obese sedentary smoker, might their effectiveness be reduced?
Or do some folks believe that weight is just never a factor?"
Anything that impairs the ability to do one's job is a factor - using extreme obesity as the example that "proves" that all overweight nurses are unfit to practice makes about as much sense as citing anorexic/bulimic nurses to "prove" that fat-phobes are prone to malpractice because of their obsessive preoccupation with size.
In 45 years at the bedside, I've met many fat nurses ... We do just fine in a code, thank you.
Well, that would be shooting yourself in the foot - most, if not all, fat nurses have a wealth of information about what doesn't work.
You certainly have the right to waste your time on expensive gimmicks and unsustainable fads if that makes you feel better. Just prepare to wind up fatter than you were when you started.
A fat nurse advises you that reducing refined carbs and increasing protein and greens will help flatline your glucose and responding insulin levels and you're going say, "Nope I don't believe you and I'm not going to do it!"?
Because you've never opened up the Internet and don't already know this yourself? Or just because they're fat you have to reject sound advice?
Without reading most of the topic, I live in Michigan, the only state that I know of to have a law on the books that people cannot be discriminated against by their employers, based on their weight.
I myself, as a nursing student am slightly morbidly obese. 5' 10" 254 lbs. I'm a heavy-framed man, but I definitely have extra fat. 3/4 of my class is heavy and overweight. One of my good nursing student friends, also weighs over 350 lbs and is about 6' 2"
Years ago I and another nurse were assisting a MD to float a swan - the patient was heavy and vented. He said to us, "See here girls? Never get fat". I was so shocked I was speechless.
It's funny that you bring this topic up because I actually did a speech on this I was stating that overweight people shouldn't be allowed to work in healthcare. But my reasoning was because they didn't allow smoking. I was like being overweight is just as bad or worse than smoking
dortizjr1
30 Posts
I've been very interested in this topic, mainly because my hospital adopted a no hiring smoker/tabacco users policy several years ago. The policy actually states that new employees will be nicotine free - verified by a blood test and... our health insurance makes existing nicotine users pay a higher premium than other employees.
Basically I wonder when health insurance is going to say, BMI above "magical level" you must now pay more or do without or loose weight to get to "magically acceptable level".