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roser13, ASN, RN · Oct 24, 2011

"Should nurses not be allowed to smoke?"

I guess the bigger question is....do you want to live in a state/country that dictates your personal habits and behaviors?

What should we do about the nurses who drive over the speed limit? Or who don't eat the recommended daily portions of leafy green vegetables? Or who eat too much?

FancypantsRN · Oct 24, 2011

Well, nurses are still people and will smoke/drink/eat unhealthy, etc. I am still a closet smoker. Do I smoke at work? No. I don't smoke once I shower for work until I get home. Is it harmful? Yes, I know it is.... but I still do it. It's my time off. I don't go around patients smelling like smoke because I don't want to (I actually hate the smell of cigarette smoke). I drink alcohol sometimes too, but obviously I don't do that related to work either :)

I think it's a nice thing if smoking cessation is offered, but the person has to want to quit for it to be effective. As for our patients, we are compelled to encourage them to quit. It's the same thing as a nurse who does teaching on healthier eating habits then goes on break and eats a bag of chips/cookies in my book.

Babs0512 · Oct 24, 2011

Nurses are human beings who are at risk for all kinds of unhealthy behavior - just like any other human - we a fallible. I am a smoker, and I agree with the no smoking policies in restaurants, bars, and other public forums - I am aware that second hand smoke is bad for others - however - I have a problem with hospitals not allowing us to smoke in our cars or not giving us a place to smoke outside. Why you ask?

Well, it's discrimination. If you are going to ban smokers from smoking outdoors or in their cars - why not ban obese nurses? Or nurses with poor hygiene? Or nurses who show unhealthy eating habits in public? It's not any different.

I have always been a caring smoker - if I am at a family gathering outdoors, I'll move away from the crowd so they don't have to partake of my addiction. I do not smoke in my home, as I do not like my home to smell like cigarette smoke - and my husband quit 10 years ago. So, even in winter, I'll huddle in my unheated garage with my coat on and smoke. I have quit before, it's so dammed hard, but if employers want to help the smokers quit, great, but they should offer weight loss programs and personal hygiene programs as well. Just saying.

merlee · Oct 24, 2011

You say that you see nurses smoking 'quite often'. I doubt it. The number of nurses who smoke has dropped quite drastically since I became a nurse in 1974.

I am not a smoker, but I still resent the constant intrusion into the private lives of many of us. I was a normal weight until I had medical problems which caused me to need high-dose steroids, and I put on nearly 60 lbs in one year. And many meds cause an increase in appetite, or just weight increase. Are we to be blamed for everything???

Who are you? And why are you stirring this up? Please look in the archives for other threads on this topic.

Chandra Lancaster · Oct 24, 2011

I'm sorry to have made it sound rude, it was just something that I have noticed as a student. Many complaints have been made that nurses who smoke get more breaks than the ones that don't. I think that if there is a complaint about the ones taking more breaks, that the ones complaining should ask to take more breaks. I understand that smoking is a right, just as much as eating, drinking, exercising is. Thank you all for your comments. I like that you all agree that it should not be done around the patients. I personally do not like the smell of smoke either, but do not think less of anyone who smokes.

One thing that I was trying to say with employers offering smoking cessation help, is that if they don't want us smoking then I think they should help in some way. They should also offer help with overcoming obesity as well. But I am not trying to stir up trouble I just think that hospitals should provide healthy living habits for their employees as well as their patients.

Again, I am sorry if there was any offense taken, I really am not trying to cause any trouble, thank you for your input.

SeeTheMoon · Oct 24, 2011

Smoking is a bad habit. I tried to quit a few months ago but failed. Again. *sigh*

Anyways, I agree w/ other posters. I'm tired of the police state. And ditto to the obese nurses, nurses w/ bad eating habits etc. How long before they single them out too? Even if the obesity (for example) is not their fault but med or disorder induced?

If a hospital/facility chooses not to hire smokers, I *kinda* see their point but whatever...they way I look at it, they are probably missing out on some darn good nurses just b/c they smoke.

Altra, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2011

One thing that I was trying to say with employers offering smoking cessation help, is that if they don't want us smoking then I think they should help in some way. They should also offer help with overcoming obesity as well. But I am not trying to stir up trouble I just think that hospitals should provide healthy living habits for their employees as well as their patients.
Again, I am sorry if there was any offense taken, I really am not trying to cause any trouble, thank you for your input.

Do you think that hospitals are the only employers who should "provide" these things for employees? And how does an organization "provide healthy living habits" anyway? As a student, but presumably an adult, you might consider adults' decisions, habits, and choices are individual and often multifactorial. This will go a long way toward informing your eventual nursing practice with actual human patients.

SeeTheMoon · Oct 24, 2011

I'm sorry to have made it sound rude, it was just something that I have noticed as a student. Many complaints have been made that nurses who smoke get more breaks than the ones that don't. I think that if there is a complaint about the ones taking more breaks, that the ones complaining should ask to take more breaks. I understand that smoking is a right, just as much as eating, drinking, exercising is. Thank you all for your comments. I like that you all agree that it should not be done around the patients. I personally do not like the smell of smoke either, but do not think less of anyone who smokes.
One thing that I was trying to say with employers offering smoking cessation help, is that if they don't want us smoking then I think they should help in some way. They should also offer help with overcoming obesity as well. But I am not trying to stir up trouble I just think that hospitals should provide healthy living habits for their employees as well as their patients.
Again, I am sorry if there was any offense taken, I really am not trying to cause any trouble, thank you for your input.

I see your point. :) But I would like to say that from my experience, the "extra" breaks the smokers may get is leveled off pretty well by non smokers breaking to talk about what So-and-so is wearing, or "oh my gosh did you see that Gucci purse on eBay??"

I do agree w/ you that I think employers would probably get better response from employees if they were more proactive in helping w/ the process.

roser13, ASN, RN · Oct 24, 2011

Do you think that hospitals are the only employers who should "provide" these things for employees? And how does an organization "provide healthy living habits" anyway? As a student, but presumably an adult, you might consider adults' decisions, habits, and choices are individual and often multifactorial. This will go a long way toward informing your eventual nursing practice with actual human patients.

Double kudos, Altra, t'were it possible!

Babs0512 · Oct 24, 2011

merlee, I wasn't blaming weight - I was using it as an example. Hon, I wore a size 24 for years - because everyone figured "she eats too much". I couldn't lose weight. Just kept getting bigger and bigger. Until one day my doctor finally listened to me. I told him I'm not a big eater, yet every time I come in, I'm up a few pounds.

He sent me to an endocrinologist, who drew a boat load of labs, sent them to the mayo clinic - and when the labs came back, he said "you have the highest insulin levels I've ever seen" he diagnosed me with "metabolic syndrome" - then he said "you want the good news or the bad news first?" I said, "the bad" so he said "you have about 4 years to live" I said "oh, what is the good news then?" He said, "you are one of the few people who can actually say that a metabolic problem caused you to gain weight - everything your eating is turning to fat" so I said "whats the good news?" he said "We can treat this, but it's going to be an uphill battle for you." He started me on metformin, and I had to learn better eating habits and after losing about 40 lbs, I was able to begin an exercise program - and I worked for the next 65 pounds. I'm now a size 8-10 - and feel better than ever. But I will be on meds forever too. Now I'm trying to get all the extra skin taken off "tummy tuck" if you will. That's another battle.

I don't want to fight with you, I know what it's like to be obese - I was obese for the last 20 years of my life. I'll never forget how I felt. I have nothing against overweight people, in fact, I'm the first to defend them - as I "am" them.

I was using weight to make a point about discrimination regarding smoking. And yes, I am well aware of weight discrimination as well.

Good luck my friend, and blessing to you

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Oct 24, 2011

I don't smoke, but I think it's kind of silly to say that nurses should know better. You don't have to be a nurse to know that smoking is bad for you, not to mention that it smells disgusting, is a colossal waste of money, and is also bad for those around you who are forced to breathe it in. I don't know why *anyone* smokes!