I'm not sure if this has been brought up or not and I'm curious if other hospitals do this........
There is a hospital in South Georgia that if you are a new hire they do a test, blood, to see if you have nicotine in your system. If you do they will not hire you and offer for you to come back and re-test in 30 days.
My husband smokes and he works there as an agency nurse, wehen we are between assignments, so is by-passed.
Anyone know if any other hospitals do this?
If so, how is this legal. I understand smoke-free facilities and policies, but as far as I know smoking is not illegal.
I'm not sure if this has been brought up or not and I'm curious if other hospitals do this........
There is a hospital in South Georgia that if you are a new hire they do a test, blood, to see if you have nicotine in your system. If you do they will not hire you and offer for you to come back and re-test in 30 days.
My husband smokes and he works there as an agency nurse, wehen we are between assignments, so is by-passed.
Anyone know if any other hospitals do this?
If so, how is this legal. I understand smoke-free facilities and policies, but as far as I know smoking is not illegal.
Let me hear you take on this.
Nurse Dianne:typing
It is legal because smoking status is not a federal or state protected form of workplace discrimination.
YEs, it is a crime, but that is irrelevant... The case has already been made that people can be tested and punished for something in their blood that at the time of testing has no effect on the person's faculties...
It was only a matter of time...
Besides, if you have alcohol, which is also legal, in your blood, even if you aren't legally drunk I am sure your job would not be to pleased...
. . .
Say what? One being a CRIME and one being LEGAL is irrelevant? OoooK, then.
Alcohol impairs the intellectual functioning of a nurse. Smoking a Marlboro does not. Nurses are prohibited from working in an impaired state.
You need to keep your oranges out of my apple pile. There's no comparison.
How about testing blood sugars for known diabetics? Or caffeine levels for coffee drinkers? Since when do we have to come up to astronaut standards...yet are so stupid we have to have scripts to know what to say to our patients???
Say what? One being a CRIME and one being LEGAL is irrelevant? OoooK, then.
Alcohol impairs the intellectual functioning of a nurse. Smoking a Marlboro does not. Nurses are prohibited from working in an impaired state.
You need to keep your oranges out of my apple pile. There's no comparison.
I think an argument can be made that cigarette breaks take time away from patients and that many patients and coworkers alike can be negatively affected by the smell of cigarette smoke, but that's besides the point:
It's not legally defined as discrimination, so it's fair game. They can refuse to hire people who show up to interviews wearing blue shirts if they wanted to.
I think an argument can be made that cigarette breaks take time away from patients and that many patients and coworkers alike can be negatively affected by the smell of cigarette smoke, but that's besides the point:
It's not legally defined as discrimination, so it's fair game. They can refuse to hire people who show up to interviews wearing blue shirts if they wanted to.
Then disallow smoke breaks.
How about Coke breaks? Lunch? Do they take time away from patients? What if, when I take my break, I choose to stand on my head and mumble?
I have no issue with an employer setting requirements for hiring, by the way. If they want to only hire 6' blond women, that's their business. But to compare this ban to marijuana use is just stupid.
How about testing blood sugars for known diabetics? Or caffeine levels for coffee drinkers? Since when do we have to come up to astronaut standards...yet are so stupid we have to have scripts to know what to say to our patients???
I didn't think merely being a non-smoker qualified me for becoming an astronaut. That's neat to know.
Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
i just ain't seeing it.
i'm pretty sure that he was referring to the post in which you stated, "finally you got something right."
but i digress.
anyway, i have heard of hospitals doing this. what i want to know is, did they also test all of the employees hired before to the beginning of the testing? are volunteers in this category? and what about physicians?
also, where is the line going to be drawn? i don't smoke, but i am overweight and my cholesterol is high (due to several factors, all of which are controllable except my family history). so i think i bring a great deal of expense to insurance companies as well. (so does my history of severe depression and all of the treatments that have come with it).
and what if you're using a nicotine patch because you're quitting smoking? wouldn't your nicotine levels be increased then as well?
hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN
1,381 Posts
It is legal because smoking status is not a federal or state protected form of workplace discrimination.