No Smoking Campus

[TRAMA1RN]

i am curious how your facilities around the country are enforcing the no smoking policies that have become so popular. i don't smoke, so no smoking is fine with me. i have worked in a level 1 trauma center where security basically said they will not enforce the policy, and the other two hospitals i have worked have basically stated the same. i am just curious as to what other facilities around the country are doing. this is not smoker against non-smoker discussion! so please do not turn this question into that.

[mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP]

It's not enforced regardless of who is the offender.

[Penny8611]

My Dad was in the hospital a few months ago...I saw a guy on the corner out in front of the building with cigarette in one hand and his IV stand in the other. I just had to walk over to him and ask if the hospital staff knew he was out there. He said they did, and helped him get dressed. He had jeans under his gown, and a coat with one arm in one sleeve. The other half of the coat was just over his shoulder.

It was insane.

[lorilou22RN]

I used to work at a facility that went non-smoking. It was poorly enforced by security, there really is nothing they can do about visitors smoking! They did try to enforce with employees, but have proven unsuccessful. Because of no-smoking policy, they have no ashtrays, and one very hot/dry summer, a lit cigarette did start a fire in the grass/mulch area!

My current employer is going non-smoking in November, of course they will try to enforce with employees, yet they too will waste their time. Most workers WILL smoke in their cars. This is not something that the hospital can stop. Most hospitals have signs in their parking garage or lots which state "not responsible for damage to your vehicles while parked on the property". I was told by an attorney/family member that as long as they have that sign, they can not enforce what you do in your vehicle (as long as not illegal). They can threaten, but in the case of potential termination/disciplinary action regarding what you do on your breaks, in your property....well that was violation of civil rights despite the no smoking policy or the unpopularity of smoking at this time.

I am a smoker, and no I don't smoke all the time at work, but after I have worked 6 hours non-stop, and I have a bit of downtime to go to the bathroom, get a drink, and run off the floor, believe me my psyche craves that cig break. I will be a raging, .............you know what without 1-2 in a 12-13 hour period! The minute the hospitals get rid of all that fatty, fried, and poor meal choices in the cafeteria, well perhaps I'll take notice a bit more.

(hey a smoking smiley...on allnurses heheheheh)

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

My hospital went non-smoking 1-1-08, in conjuction with the IL non-smoking law. Overall, I don't feel that there's much of a difference. Seriously, if that's how you cope with a family member near death, I'm not going to rip you for smoking on grounds. Employee-wise, those that smoke usually do just go to their car....although security has been known to knock on car windows and tell people they need to drive off grounds to smoke.

[RXtech]

We are smoke free, too, but some employees sit in their cars and smoke, but they are not supposed to. I have never heard of security approaching anyone, or heard of anyone getting in trouble for it. I think the most ever done has been for administration to put memos in the timeclock room reminding people not to do it.

Honestly, I think it looks terrible for a bunch of hospital employees to be standing around the entrances smoking. But at least they are out in the fresh air while they do it. I have smelled a few of the people coming back from their cars and they really reek of smoke. I'm not saying this to bash smokers (I used to be one myself) but I would really hate to be a patient and have someone who had just been smoking in an enclosed vehicle leaning over me and taking care of me.

[crystalclear]

The hospital I did my clinicals at inforced the no smoking policy. No smoking on hospital grounds, not in your car. If you smelled of smoke disciplinary action begin. Its not that serious!

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

I've worked at two hospitals that are smoke free campuses. At both of them security was often out and about looking for offenders, but like previous posters stated, they did seem to go down harder on employees that were smoking than they did on visitors/pts. I often saw pts with IV poles, wheelchairs, and even PCA's dragging themselves all the way down to the sidewalk for a cigerette. I wish there was someplace closer to the hospital for pts to smoke so that they weren't endangering themselves so just for a cigerette.

[justavolunteer]

I am 'justavolunteer' at a hospital. All the hospitals in my area struck an agreement with each other to go non-smoking at the same time. We were told several months in advance that anyone caught after the date, including volunteers, could be canned. I know that there are employees who take lunch orders for the group and money, then go get the orders. The smokers usually jump up & volunteer to go get the food, so I suspect they are smoking on the trip.

I haven't seen visitors smoking, except way out at the end of the parking lot, or in their cars. I don't know if security would stop them or not.

I don't smoke myself, so I don't really have to worry about it.

I always wondered why smokers were allowed to take frequent breaks & leave their jobs to others while they were out. At least that doesn't happen so much anymore.

[SillyStudent, ASN, RN]

Our hospital is smoke free.

This basically translates to the following: The patients and families smoke whenever and wherever they want to as long as it is outside. Security tells them to put it out, the patient/family says no, and we all go on with our days

Nurses, therapists, and techs have been terminated for smoking on the campus.

[miko014]

Like I said before, we are non-smoking. We have had a lot of complaints from the neighborhood across the street because of hospital employees/volunteers crossing the street and smoking in people's yards and putting the cigs out on the sidewalks/lawns. They sent a memo about "no smoking on hospital property OR any property adjacent to hospital property - and remember, no smoking in your car, either!!!!!" Right. Whatever.

Here's the thing. If you or a family member is very ill, I'm not going to be the big bad nurse who says you can't smoke. I also don't like the thought of people hiding next to my car to do it - I'd rather it didn't blow up. IMHO, there should just be a designated smoking area where that is the only place you're allowed to go to do it. When we had that, security was good about "You can't smoke here, please go to the smoking area". Now it's just like "Hey we're a non-smoking facility. Please put that out. No? Okie dokie." It's stupid. I don't smoke, and I wish nobody did - we all know it's not good for us. But it's a choice people make, and as long as they don't hurt anyone else while they're doing it.

[GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN]

Our facility barely enforces it, funny thing is though, they never enforce it in the front of the hospital, people smoke within 10 feet to the entrance, but I have seen them enforce it in the back entrance??