Job Offer Rescinded Because Test Positive for.....Nicotine?

[SunnyPupRN]

I was looking at nursing positions and clicked at a hospital to find out more about its policies. I'm not a smoker, and I really can't stand it, but even I found it a little fascist that a hospital would rescind a job offer if you tested positive for nicotine. Not only that, but you cannot reapply for an entire year!

Sounded pretty punitive for a legal chemical/drug, as distasteful as nicotine is. I wonder how else this hospital thrusts themselves into staff's personal, legal activities. It being a 'faith based' hospital, would they bring your birth control practices up? What else can administration meddle in?

[Callisonanne]

Now I am an avid nonsmoker but I too this is a bit strong. I don't agree with smoking while at work and if you smell like an ashtray it needs to be addressed. I hope they don't start testing for caffeine... :sofahider

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Cigarette smokers are not included in a protected class of people. As long as they are not discriminating against potential hires for attributes that are in a protected class such as age, religion, racial/ethnic background, national origin, creed, etc., then it is perfectly legal for the corporation to openly declare that they will not hire smokers.

This practice might not be fair, but it is legal. Let's face it: money talks and bull crap walks. Since statistics prove that smokers drive up healthcare costs, an increasing number of companies are looking to restrict the hiring of potential employees who smoke. It is all about the almighty dollar.

[healthstar, BSN, RN]

Yes, I know many hospitals that do not hire smokers.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

This is not all that rare anymore. I've seen other threads about it.

Not only do health issues factor in, but the fact that smokers take multiple smoke breaks, leaving their co-workers to pick up the slack, leadind to employee dissatisfaction.

And last but not least, patients complain when their caregiver smells of smoke.

[MN-Nurse, ASN, RN]

What else can administration meddle in?

I would imagine they meddle in providing health insurance for their employees. This may have something to do with the nicotine aversion by management.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

Theoretically they'll have a healthier work force. Of course, all those smokers who gain weight instead of smoke may become a problem.

[SunnyPupRN]

Commuter,

True, but isn't it true that even nurses in the Impaired Program (I'm talking Florida here, and I'm not even really sure of the name of the program) can work, having identified themselves or relieved of duty for having substance abuse issues? I am not exactly sure of the implications, but I know I have worked with nurses who were not permitted to have access to narcotics drawers and who had to have other nurses administer their drugs for them.

If we can "forgive" our colleagues in those situations, shutting someone off from re-applying for a year for nicotine seems pretty harsh!

Yes, I know private companies can call the shots. It just makes it seem like this whole 'nursing shortage' thing is a bunch of hot air when companies make the work environment so un-inviting [do I even have to say staff ratios, again?]...and remember...I'm not a smoker...but I do agree with the above poster - if the smell of smoke is obviously clinging to you, that's one thing. But testing for what people do on their own time is a slippery flippin' slope. I'm with her - if caffeine is on the pee stick, I'm going to Welding School.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

it just makes it seem like this whole 'nursing shortage' thing is a bunch of hot air when companies make the work environment so un-inviting.

there is no nursing shortage at the present time in the u.s. instead, there's a glut of unemployed nurses in many job markets across the country.

since there's no real nursing shortage, employers can choose to do things that weed potential new hires out before they are even hired: demand no smokers, hire only nurses with bsn degrees, hire experienced nurses and reject all new grad nurses, refuse to deal with nurses who are in the impaired nurses program, and so forth. the corporations who employ us can be especially picky these days.

[melmarie23, MSN, RN]

oh you better believe that faith based hospitals have a say in their employees birth control options. I work for a Catholic facility and if you have their insurance and see their docs, birth control is not covered (have to pay out of pocket if you want it) and the doc's cannot be prescribe birth control. Not only that, but they dont do tubals there either after delivering a baby.

[SunnyPupRN]

Yes, I get the thing about multiple breaks. But even non smokers who just like to take breaks do that. That can be taken care of with good management.

Health insurance is a legit issue, I think. But then what? Test them for sexually transmitted infections? Have a quiet no hire policy if they have a hx of endometriosis or PID because they might eventually need multiple surgeries for pelvic pain that would be costly? Slippery slope. Maybe a pre-hire process will start to include family histories, too. Was your dad an alcoholic? Oh, you might be predisposed. You might have to go to an expensive treated center. Let's require that you not drink and test you for ETOH randomly, within one hour of our call in. Sounds far fetched, right? But there was a time when employers didn't look at your credit history, either, and now they look up and down years of your payment history - mortgages...stuff that's pretty removed from your job.

[Sun0408, ASN, RN]

If smokers are the target now, I can see future rulings against high BMI's, cholesterol and blood alcohol.. All are bad choices yes, and cause a strain on health care and it's cost..

You may not be a smoker, but I am sure they will not stop at just that.. You are right, it is a slippery slope.