Hospital will not hire smokers

imintrouble, BSN, RN · Jun 21, 2014

It's a slippery slope we are on.

It's a bad day when ones smoking status trumps their intelligence.

Most people have no problem with the smoking slope we're sliding down.

Wait til it's how fat you are. Or how old you are. Or how attractive you are.

Or what kind of dangerous personal activities you engage in.

Then when the outcry comes, you won't be able to stop the slide. Precedent will have been set, and nobody cried foul.

Twinmom06, ASN, APN · Jun 21, 2014

our hospital hasn't hired smokers since 2012 - nothing new

klone, MSN, RN · Jun 21, 2014

I don't give much credence to "slippery slope" arguments. They said that if we start allowing gay marriage, it would be a "slippery slope" and suddenly people will be able to marry their pets. No, it doesn't have to be a slippery slope.

Nola009 · Jun 21, 2014

Do you see the dichotomy of your statement?
It's ok to not hire smokers and infringe on their private time...but it's not OK to force vaccinations.
If they can enforce one thing they can enforce another. It's slippery slope.

What I see is that smoking is indisputably unhealthy for the individual smoking and those around the second-hand smoke. They are asking that their healthcare employees NOT openly engage in self-harm. It's removing a known carcinogen. Yearly vaccines are adding a virus and other components such as Thermosol (mercury) which is something I oppose. Simply put: Having employees refrain from a certain substance (ie: crack, heroin, or cigarettes) is acceptable, but FORCING me to ingest a drug or chemical is a whole 'nother issue. There IS infact a difference.

brianbooth, RN · Jun 21, 2014

I'm not going to come down on one side or the other of this debate. I'll just offer this:

Why do so many nurses smoke? Why, in the UK, were we the last 'profession' to go under 50% smokers? I'd suggest:

* nicotine is an appetite suppressant; five minutes of smoking can substitute for a 30 minute meal break

* it's not the done thing in nursing to say we're having trouble coping; if someone says 'I can't handle this', then they're a weakling, but 'I've had enough, I'm going for a smoke' is somehow more acceptable

* the smoking area is the one place where you can find out what's really going on in the workplace, at all levels

Wrench Party · Jun 22, 2014

There's nothing quite like riding home at the end of the day and going through a plume of cigarette smoke on my way out

of the hospital. I can't even begin to tell you how disgusting I find it.

Side note: my state banned smoking inside public places and restaurants about 5 years ago, and it has helped contribute to our downtown's economic recovery. Families and the rest of us can enjoy our meals without reeking of cigarette smoke. I can also enjoy going to concerts and shows and not smelling like an ashtray. Most importantly, I can breathe and not have to leave a show early because I could no longer tolerate cigarette smoke.

GrannyRRT · Jun 22, 2014

In some places a Firefighter applicant must sign a form saying they have been smoke free for one year prior to hire. Other Public Safety officers such as Police and Corrections have enforced no smokers at hire. The tech companies have had this rule for many years before the hospitals finally got on board. They were concerned not only about the insurance rates but also about the contaminants still on a smoker damaging sensitive equipment. We now have studies to back up concerns of 3rd hand smoke.

Smoking is not a protected right. Obesity is not either except in the city of San Francisco. There was a Texas hospital which did reject applicants above a certain BMI. I haven't followed it after the head lines. But, if that is what it takes to see a healthy lifestyle should be part of healthcare, so be it.

Edit: it also is no fun covering the patients of a coworker who takes frequent smokes breaks and then takes a regular break because the others don't count.

laKrugRN · Jun 22, 2014

I can understand the concerns with allergies to cigarette smoke but man there are gonna be some crabby people working! Haha. 8 to 12 hours without a smoke is killer. I also agree with GrannyRRT, it is very frustrating to keep covering habitual "smoke breakers" who go out every hour to smoke. When I was a CNA, I was often left to 40 patients to MYSELF because my co-workers would leave me to smoke. I'm a former smoker myself, but I always put my patients first over my cravings. I can honestly see both sides to this argument, I can see how the smokers are feeling oppressed. I'm not sure if there is a right or wrong answer to this debate.

Dranger · Jun 22, 2014

Nicotine tests are standard at the hospitals around here. So what? Don't smoke, you shouldn't anyway.

elkpark · Jun 23, 2014

I think it's rediculous and I hope lawsuits ensue. Sure, they can control what you do on their time, but not on yours.

Lawsuits over what? As long as employers are not violating state or Federal employment law, they are welcome to set whatever standards they like for their employees. Nicotine addicts are not a protected class. People who feel that strongly about smoking can look for employers that don't have those restrictions.

malamud69, BSN, RN · Jun 23, 2014

I don't give much credence to "slippery slope" arguments. They said that if we start allowing gay marriage, it would be a "slippery slope" and suddenly people will be able to marry their pets. No, it doesn't have to be a slippery slope.

Yes-yes! Nicely said...it is what I like to call the Fox news argument....Locusts! Frogs! Plague! The end of days....propaganda is easy to accept when you don't think for yourself...Although I do believe Louie Ghomert from Texas seems to want to marry his "pet" (goat?)...He talks about it enough!

hope3456, ASN, RN · Jun 23, 2014

There are 29 states that have "smoker protection laws." http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoker_Protection_Law. I worked with a CNA last night who took excessive smoke breaks (10 in 8 hours). Making my case to go to Mgr/HR. Any words of advise would be appreciated.