Nurses and smoking......

Debbie_LPN · Jan 30, 2005

I'm glad to see so many responses about people who understand how hard it is to quit. This came to mind yesterday after my friend made the comment about me smoking.....would you rather have me, a nurse who porbably smells like smoke but does her job, is kind and compassionate, and is always there when you need me, or a nurse who doesn't wear gloves, is constantly in a bad attitude, and just doesn't care take care of you?

It all boils down to patient care. :)

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 31, 2005

would you rather have me, a nurse who porbably smells like smoke but does her job, is kind and compassionate, and is always there when you need me, or a nurse who doesn't wear gloves, is constantly in a bad attitude, and just doesn't care take care of you?

A patient should never have that kind of a choice to make.

And the reason why i say that is the majority of the migraine pts. that used to be admitted on the med-surg floor i worked on would point out how strong the smoke smell was to them, and ask for someone else. Out of the 60-some people employed on that floor, only one smoked, so it wasn't a huge problem. But i figure, if the pt. points it out, then it's definately a problem.

Although i firmly believe that a pt. should never be put IN a place like that where they would HAVE to point out the obvious.

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Jan 31, 2005

Smoking bias has been around for quite some time, and in certain degrees this is acceptable. But until smoking is considered illegal...then it is within the rights of people to do...just like eating high fat foods, drinking, not exercising, or anything else found to be harmful to your health!

I can no more tell a patient they can't smoke than I can force medications on them that can save their lives! It is not my place to judge, it is just my place to inform..and I feel the same way with people I know that smoke! I can let them know it is bad, and I leave it to them to choose...anti smoking bias is geared to discriminate for a choice that is legal and within a persons right to choose...and I don't condone discrimination.

Also, most anti smokers forget it is an addiction, and people need more help and encouragement to stop than to badger them constantly...it does NO good! Have you ever told a diabetic over and over again to quit eating that high sugar foods only to have them do it anyway? How about being supportive if they are receptive and helping them choose something different, or just being supporitve and getting them help they need...I find it does a lot more good than badgering them!

Be supportive and try to promote health...PROMOTE health not shove it in someones face! That is the difference~! PROMOTE...not badger or show bias...

And where do I get my liberal view...a 1 pack smoker per day trying to cut back to quit! I was HELPED and had those around me at work, they PROMOTE nonsmoking by quitting and forming a quit smoking group...and with their help and support I actually think I can do it! No, they don't badger me...they say "hey..if you want to, we are...and we are supporting eachother! Come join us if you want to!". And you know...their open caring and compassion made me step back and think hard...and their positive NO PRESSURE attitude was soothing and now I am down to 1/2 pack after 14 years of smoking...and on my way to the patch so I can quit (tried quitting at 1 pack a day with patch...no go...so hopefully with their support and the patch at only `1/2 pack I stand a better chance of quitting for GOOD!).

So before you badger that smoker..think to yourself...'what can I do to PROMOTE health in a positive way!'...it can make all the difference in the world..and it can be as easy as just changing a few words before you say it ...

BTW...I don't tell smokers to stop...but I ask them to let me know if they are thinking of quitting and I will help 110%!!!!!! It is nice to know someone will be there to support you...and in some cases...it is just the thing that gets a smoker thinking of quiting in the first place..and that is a big step!

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 31, 2005

BTW...I don't tell smokers to stop...but I ask them to let me know if they are thinking of quitting and I will help 110%!!!!!!

Anytime we'd gotten a new pt., who also happened to be a smoker, we would ask them to let us know if they were interested in quitting. Never lectured. The doctors were the ones that got on their (loud) soapboxes.

I'll never forget the woman i saw who was 8 months pregnant, lived 2 blocks from the free clinic, absolutely no prenatal care (said she couldn't afford it), yet she smoked 2 packs a day. The OB that checked her out gave her down the road for it, and while i think he could have handled the situation in a better form, i couldn't help but wonder (to myself) "you live 2 blocks down the road from the free clinic that doesn't require ANY sort of payment, you say you can't afford prenatal care, but you can afford a carton a week? Even thought i used to smoke, I do not understand that."

Debbie_LPN · Jan 31, 2005

Yah! Thank you TriageRN_34!!!!!! :flowersfo

allamericangirl · Jan 31, 2005

:blushkiss ELOQUENT!!! Triage RN Bravo and thank you.

pmchap · Jan 31, 2005

Well - what a thread of debate... I (being a teacher as well as a nurse) have always struggled with the concept of how to effectively inform someone about health choices. The respratory nurse who goes for a smoking break probably says more to the patients then the chastising that the nurse gives them about cutting the ciggs. The PE teacher who huffs and puffs to walk around the track while lecturing about health & fitness. Both fall into the same boat. If we as professionals expect that our patients take what we say as valid and truthful - then we must live what we say.

I have never smoked - that does not mean I don't recognise it is difficult for people to quit (my hospital has a policy of providing patches for any employees or patients who wish to quit - free of charge). I am overweight - but I am actively working on the problem - while I recognise that there are a million & one reasons for people being over weight - it truely does come down to what goes in & what is used. Even if your thyroid is up the creek - you can still lose weight. People who undergo banding - but dont change their lifestyle cant possible expect anything other then short term benefits. For me it ment selling the second care and riding my pushbike to work. I love my food and still eat roughly the same amount - to compensate I have to do more exercise - hence the bike riding. (I started at 40kgs overweight and am now about 25kgs over - 10months so far - but it is working slowly).

To illustrate my point more clearly - if I want a nurse to learn how to give an injection I tell them, then show them, let them practice & then assess them. If I tell them & then show them the wrong technique - how can I ever expect the nurse to learn how to inject patients properly?

We as nurses are suppose to look after the total patient - that includes more than just the acute illness that they where admitted for. If our actions promote unhealthy choices then aren't we being hypocritical?

Cheers

Peter

Compton · Jan 31, 2005

Well put TriageRN...

purplemania, BSN, RN · Jan 31, 2005

smoking is a crutch, just like overeating and other behaviors. When we learn how to handle stress we need the crutch less often. As for waiting till Boards are done, there will always be some sort of stress to contend with, so waiting till a "perfect" time is not effective.

Our city does not allow smoking in any building in which a child might be a customer (so bars are excluded).The exception is a business with separate venting systems for smoking areas. It is one thing to decide to maintain an unhealthy habit for yourself, but to thrust it upon others is unconscionable. I have asthma. Smoke and certain perfumes give me a restricted airway. It is like good manners versus bad. I have a responsibility to others to behave appropriately.

Compton · Feb 1, 2005

smoking is a crutch, just like overeating and other behaviors. When we learn how to handle stress we need the crutch less often. As for waiting till Boards are done, there will always be some sort of stress to contend with, so waiting till a "perfect" time is not effective.
Our city does not allow smoking in any building in which a child might be a customer (so bars are excluded).The exception is a business with separate venting systems for smoking areas. It is one thing to decide to maintain an unhealthy habit for yourself, but to thrust it upon others is unconscionable. I have asthma. Smoke and certain perfumes give me a restricted airway. It is like good manners versus bad. I have a responsibility to others to behave appropriately.

I kinda have a different opinion about smoking. Personally, I enjoy smoking... cigarettes, cigars, even hookas. There is something very relaxing about smoking that you can partially blame on nicatine, but I think I just like the act of smoking. If there was a cigarette that was not addicitive and horribly bad for you I would probably continue to smoke. But, unfortunately there isn't so I smoke only occasionaly. Anyone see where I am coming from?

nursebear69 · Feb 1, 2005

Sadly at my place of work, about 90% of the nurses & aides are smokers. I don't have a problem with their smoking habits, to each their own.....but what i do have a problem with is the fact that the aides that smoke in MY facility are ALWAYS gone for a "5 minute" smoke break(once every half hour on eve shift).............guess who's left watching the floor???:stone

I agree. most of the aides and nurses at the nursing home I work at smoke, too. I don't. They have a right to, dont get me wrong. It irritates me that smokers,in general, have the extra "breaks" for smoking. It doesn't sound the same if us NON smokers take a "5." I'm lucky sometmes to get the 1/2 hour supper break in before i have to plunge into the next med pass. It's not once q1/2 hour....but it still adds up. On the other hand....I have my vices,too. Smoking is never a good subject to argue about. If we NON smokers give a CON, the smokers have a PRO to add into the conversation. I tell my aides that if their work is done/caught up, then go ahead(on their smoke break). it may be an issue that doesn't get resolved. HAPPY NURSING!!!

mattdixon · Feb 1, 2005

I've been smoking less than a year, and it was mainly due to being very stressed out and depressed at the time. it started with just a few cigarettes a week but escalated to over a pack a day.

I've been weening myself off of them, but I can assure you after being a non-smoker for 21 years and being a smoker the rest... it's probably the hardest thing to do in the world to quit.

I've also encountered many many people that think because they don't smoke and I do that they have a "Right" to tell me where to shove it and every opinion they have on it.

I'll give an example. about 2 and half months ago at a local Fair they had a section of the park that people could smoke and such. Well there happened to be some middle aged non smokers in the area that insisted I get away from them and get down wind of everyone else. I told the woman that initially said the first one liner, that this is the only place in the park that I can smoke and I'm sorry if the wind was blowing it at her, so I proceeded to get as far away from her as I possibly could. She then responds "all you people are the same, you don't care what you do to yourself or others around you" Well this could be further from the truth, when I'm going to my nursing classes or just walking around school smoking a cigarette I speed up to get away from people so they won't get it in their face, or risk being late by getting far behind people in front of me for the same reason. I never throw the butts on the ground and make it a must to put them in the appropriate places.

So all I guess I'm really saying is before you start casting stones, think about some of the things you do and try not to say rude things to smokers or anyone and be their judge. Just because you don't smoke doesn't mean you can bombard them with rude comments and your opinions, it just doesn't give you a certain "right" they're not entitled to. Just because we smoke doesn't mean our feelings don't get hurt when someone is overly rude to us because of our terrible habit. Some of these people casting the stones are some of the same people that get piss drunk and take the chance of driving home risking someone elses life. We all only have one judge and that's God.

Just think about how you would feel before you speak about a situation.