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.
This is probably a dumb question, but I'll risk it. What if a person is on nicotine patch? Will the patch be low enough for the cut off to test positive for nicotine?
At the hospital where I worked, (this thread, pg.1) any level of nicotine or admitting to using nicotine patches was grounds for dismissal as well as not being hired during pre-hire drug screening.
This was a brand new hospital with a totally non-smoking campus.
Within the same system that owned/operated it, the other hospitals that had employees who were smokers, were considered "grand-fathered in" as of the month, date & year the non-smoking policy became activated. Any new hires at these hospitals were to be under the new non-smoking
policy. LMAO. It's hilarious, when you really think about it...bizarre to say the least!
But on the flip side.... this particular hospital system underwent high employee turnover amongst a myriad of other problems due to its lack of proper marketing, CEO and administrative skills.
I can see it coming, I don't smoke but I really think allowing companies not to hire based on LEGAL behavior is wrong. Obesity causes more health problems, burdens the system more, and costs more than smoking. I am waiting for companies to not hire a person based on BMI.
"Obesity is associated with a 36-percent increase in spending on healthcare services, more than smoking or problem drinking. More than 40 percent of U.S. companies have implemented obesity-reduction programs, and 24 percent more said they plan to do so in 2008."
Ok I am going to risk the flames on this one... Just because people smoke does not mean they take more, or even longer breaks than non smokers.
The hospital group where my clinicals were at were in the middle of going non-smoking throughout the entire facility and the war was on.. non-smokers vs. smokers alike.. well the charge RN's and some of the heads decided to keep tabs on things on 6 floors to get a census.. who was off floor longer..
Well guess what?? 2/3 of the floors smokers took more breaks.. but on 5/6 of the floors were off the floor less time. (do not remeber the number but it was by more than 25 minutes)
I am a non smoker but I thought it was pretty funny when it came out.. sometimes when we non smokers are drinking our coffee and chatting a few minutes turns into a few more than we think..
My point is, maybe we shouldn't throw stones that the smokers "are always off the floor..."
Specializes in Telemetry, ICU, Resource Pool, Dialysis.
... i have seen nurses become smokers just to take more breaks.
huh???? surely you jest. i have been nicotine free for a year now, but when i used to smoke, i assure you that the smokers and i did not take "more" breaks. if i am allotted 1 hour total in a 12 hour shift - it's up to me how i utilize that time. if i choose to take 6 - 10 minute breaks, i may do so- whether you like it or not. or you can take 30 solid minutes and 2-15 minute breaks. what on earth difference does it make??????????????????????????????????
now i am decidedly a non smoker. i hate the smell of it, and it clings to everything. i truly am nauseated when i smell cigarette smoke on nurses i work with. i hate to work a sick a patient when i have a smoker in there with me.
wow, i hear ya. it should be banned just because you don't like the sm
ell. i become nauseated (for real) by the scent of most perfumes. i also dislike the smell of some shampoo, deodorants, lotions, body sprays, powders, fabric softeners, bad breath or body odor. i don't even like the smell of some types of chapstick. i don't think people should be allowed to use chapstick at work. i just absolutely cannot do my job effectively when i have to work with one of these types of people.don't even get me started on the odor of some of the food choices that my co-workers have warmed up in the microwave. there should also be a list of banned foods - just because i don't like them. i am all for a completely odor free workplace.
someone mentioned marijuana earlier, i forget who. now the smell of marijuana doesn't bother me at all. i don't partake of it. but i do favor legalization of it.
i don't have a comment for this quote - i just thought it was funny.
I can see it coming, I don't smoke but I really think allowing companies not to hire based on LEGAL behavior is wrong. Obesity causes more health problems, burdens the system more, and costs more than smoking. I am waiting for companies to not hire a person based on BMI.
"Obesity is associated with a 36-percent increase in spending on healthcare services, more than smoking or problem drinking. More than 40 percent of U.S. companies have implemented obesity-reduction programs, and 24 percent more said they plan to do so in 2008."
Well marijuana is illegal, as far as I know cigarettes arent.
So since when is it the job of employers to legislate what you can and can't do on your off time?
Illegality has nothing to do with the matter. They can discriminate on anything other than what's protected...
That was my point...
By the way, having marijuana in your blood does NOT mean you smoked it. Just like having nicotine in your blood does not mean you smoked it. You could live with a smoker...
I'd assume they would still deny you with minimal nicotine. I am not sure how much nicotine is in a cigarette but the 14mg patch satisfies me and I smoke a pack a day so I am pretty sure it will pop on the test.
Patches are not less nicotine, they are basically the same amount of nicotine eventually tapered off.
So smoking will get you fired (or not hired) and quitting by using the patch will also get you the same outcome. It seems like you are da##ed if you do and da##ed if you dont. Hmm. I would think that a patch would be the exception, if not then the rule is rediculous. I cant help it now that I started smoking as a teenager and am now addicted, I cant change that. But if I decided to abide by rules, even if I dont agree with them, by using a patch to do so....
By reading people's posts on here, you can tell who is a smoker and who is not.
So smoking will get you fired (or not hired) and quitting by using the patch will also get you the same outcome. It seems like you are da##ed if you do and da##ed if you dont.
Yea but smoking is like alcohol. There is no such thing as I am quitting. You quit or you don't. :)
I'm still a smoker. When I've quit i won't need the patch...
The employers know this. Why hire someone on the patch who most likely is going to go back to cigarettes. Then you wasted money because you have to fire them...
I don't agree with the smoking rule but I do understand it.
But alcoholics do quit, but will still always be considered an alcoholic. They are always addicted to alcholol. So are smokers. But they are two totally different things. I would give up just about anything if I never started smoking, but work is stressful enough. To go without a cigarette for 13 hours will make me unbearable to be around and my mind will be mainly on my craving after about 5 hours. I do somewhat understand and agree that hospitals should be smoke-free, unfortunately, lol, because its supposed to be a place to heal. But I think some take it too far. I honestly cant help my addiction. I did quit once, but when my son died I started smoking again. I couldnt help it. It is such a relief to go downstairs now at work to have a cigarette when it gets so stressful Im ready to pull my hair out. Then when I go back to the floor Im refreshed and ready to conquer whatever is thrown at me.
mizfradd, CNA
295 Posts
At the hospital where I worked, (this thread, pg.1) any level of nicotine or admitting to using nicotine patches was grounds for dismissal as well as not being hired during pre-hire drug screening.
This was a brand new hospital with a totally non-smoking campus.
Within the same system that owned/operated it, the other hospitals that had employees who were smokers, were considered "grand-fathered in" as of the month, date & year the non-smoking policy became activated. Any new hires at these hospitals were to be under the new non-smoking
policy. LMAO. It's hilarious, when you really think about it...bizarre to say the least!
But on the flip side.... this particular hospital system underwent high employee turnover amongst a myriad of other problems due to its lack of proper marketing, CEO and administrative skills.