Do You take your patients out for smoke breaks?

PANurseRN1 · Sep 17, 2006

Nope, and if they get mad, too bad so sad. I didn't sign up to breathe toxins when I became a nurse. The time I spend taking a pt. out to smoke could be spent on someone who is truly ill.

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Sep 28, 2006

I don't take my patients to smoke. Also I am not allowed at my facility to tell a patient they aren't allowed to leave to smoke. I tell them that it is hospital policy that they aren't allowed to leave to smoke and that I am not responsible if they hurt themselves outside. I make the patient tell me that they are going off the unit and tell them they cannot go within 1 hour of receiving pain meds. So this a sticky situation for most nurses. I find most patients usually will go even if I say they can't so having them be honest with me is better.

:penguin:

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Sep 28, 2006

If the patient has a doctors order to go out and smoke then they can go out by themselves. Sometimes nurses or techs who smoke will go out with them. I don't, I don't have time and I don't want to be subjected to second-hand smoke. Believe it or not: I once had a pt return from OR with a total hip, PCA Morphine.....she asked me to take her outside on her bed so that she could smoke!!! To top it off she said she was a RN who works full-time on med/surg. Very hard to believe!

nurse_atnite · Sep 30, 2006

Well, I am an occasional smoker at a facility that will be going smoke free in a few months....I can honestly say that I have only taken a smoker out once.....didn't like the situation.....never did it again and soon won't have to worry about it. I really didn't like being the one responsible for that patient outside puffing away, but I also feel that if the patient is stable enough to go smoke we are not the ones to deny that request! :yeahthat:

GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Sep 30, 2006

The staff that smokes takes out the smoking pts. They are usually very happy to get an extra smoke break. Non smoking staff can take them out of course, but prefer not too. I do not, since I do not smoke.

CaseManager1947 · Sep 30, 2006

Our facility is going totally smoke free October 1st. People cannot even smoke in their vehicles, with windows rolled up in their cars in the parking lot... weeeeellll now. I don't know about that one going over too well, but I sure will be glad not to see patients with their IV poles out in front getting that early morning drag before the docs start rounding. UGH! As a reformed smoker (and I think we're more obnoxious, frankly), I applaud the hospitals' stand in doing this. It's not just our hospitals, but all facilities citywide are doing this, so people can't say "I'm checkin' out AMA so I can go to St. Elsewhere, they let u smoke over there>" Some probably will AMA, even so.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Oct 1, 2006

but I also feel that if the patient is stable enough to go out to smoke we are not the ones to deny that request!

If they are stable enough to go out and smoke then they are stable enough IMO to be discharged.

PatLPN · Oct 2, 2006

Yes, I do take them out for a cigarette. I work in a SNF w/ an acute rehab unit & we have supervised smoking. For many of these residents, that is all they have to look forward to & I started working in LTC, hoping to make a small difference in these people's lives & they do appreciate the smoke breaks. Of couse, it helps that I also smoke. I try & put myself in their shoes.

Kymmi · Oct 2, 2006

I think the policy for LTC facilities should allow the resident to smoke because that is their "home". I know at the hospital Im at we are not allowed to deny a patient the right to smoke however we are also not allowed to enable them either. They must sign a AMA form for smoking and be able to get themselves to the smoking area. The form states the hospital is not responsible if they become injured while out smoking. I also know that if a patient has a MI or whatever while smoking and ends up on the ground unresponsive its a phone call to 911. Essentially its a release form stating that the patient is leaving the hospital parameters AMA and therefore any outcome is their responsibility.

lvs2nrs3535 · Oct 2, 2006

At my LTC facility we have an MS patient who is no longer allowed to go out and smoke by himself. Any of you familiar with MS know that control is a huge issue with them, and having that last bit of control taken away has been very difficult for him, (and made life VERY difficult for us, when he is unhappy life is not good.). I do take him out to smoke, once a shift. I find it hard to do sometimes, I would rather not, it is hard to walk that line between professional and 2 people out for a smoke. I am a smoker, working on becoming a nonsmoker again, (I had gone three years without smoking, prenursing school, lol).

Because of his situation, going out to smoke is in his careplan. This makes it very difficult for me as a charge nurse when I have someone, (RN or CNA), who refuses to do it because of their personal beliefs. I am sorry, but if you have never been a smoker, than you cannot understand what it is like to go through that withdrawal. And to refuse to do something that is actually on a patients care plan, well that makes my job harder. This is such a hard subject. I dont know what I am going to do when my quit date comes, cuz it will be very difficult to take him out to smoke. Big sigh. The things we have to deal with as nurses. I just know that I can see both sides of this problem. How about the gov finally makes this lethal habit illegal? (Oh yeah, I forgot. they make waaay to much money on tobacco. silly me.)

lauralassie · Oct 4, 2006

no...I don't. wouldn't take a diabetic to buy a candy bar

crb613, BSN, RN · Oct 4, 2006

I don't have time .....But I would if I did....providing they are stable & able to go out.