Nurses and other healthcare staff smoking alongside patients!?!

[SweetPEI]

I Just have a rant...

I am sick and tired of having to be bombarded with the scent of smoke in the psychiatric facility I currently work at. Where used to work, granted it was a med-psych unit and not an entire facility, no smoking was allowed... period. Not by the patients and definitely not by the staff. In fact, if staff member did smoke, they had to walk to a designated unsheltered area that was about 200 feet away from the building. Patients got the patch, but nothing more.

Now I work in a behavioral health hospital and which treats children all the way to the geriatric population. Everyone besides those on the child/adolescent units are allowed to smoke. We don't have designated smoking times and it is really up to staff deiscretion how often and when they let patients smoke in the designated patio areas. My issue is that I am subjected to the smell all the time and on one unit there is a backdraft that they say they are working on and I literally feel like I'm smoking.

My charge nurse got upset with me one day because we had a patient with severe muscular dystrophy who would have had a hard time holding her cigarette on her own. The charge asked me to sit out on the patio with her and assist because she feared this patient would burn herself. I respectfully refused. She was surprised, especially because I am usually very helpful. I simply told her that it was not part of my job description to cause harm to my lungs, especially considering I have asthma, just because a patient needed to smoke. I don't understand why this patient could not have had a doctors order for a nicotine patch when smoking was not something she could do without the assistance of staff. She couldn't argue with me and she didn't.

Then the other problem is that at least 60-70% of all the nurses in the facility smoke. This does NOT include other healthcare staff. I think this is ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, there are many bad vices we all have that really shouldn't be since we are in the business of health promotion, but to me smoking really stands out because it affects everyone around you. It is quite unfair that I have to be prepared to use my pump at work because of the smoking. My asthma is usually not that bad and it only really affects me during spring time. I am in the process of filing a complaint because at the end of the day as I see it, If i do get an asthma attack related to the smoking that is an on the job injury...

That's my rant...

[tothepointeLVN, LVN]

I guess you just came across as putting your needs before the patients while at work. I'm sure your a loving caring person and want the best outcome for everyone but I don't think change in your facility is going to come quickly enough for you.

Also supportive can mean many things it doesn't automatically mean agreeing with you. You got good advice and perspective. I think thats supportive

[SweetPEI]

My "supportive" comment had nothing to do with people agreeing with me. It was about the negativity. I don't want people to just agree with me. I had a concern, one of the main reasons why I created a poll. I want to know, without abrasiveness- how much people really care about this situation

[fathertod]

You need to advocate for your patients wants and needs, so if it includes smoking, you should consider encouraging that activity while providing educational information that smoking can be adverse for your health if you continue to do it.

[SweetPEI]

I hear you fathertod. I'm all about advocating for patients. The bigger problem is the staff increasing in it and us non smokers feeling the effects. The second big problem that I had was my charge nurse getting mad at me because I refused to sit with a patient and hold her cigarette up to her mouth while she smoked. Again I say I understand why these psych patients smoke, however when it involves staff members "funking up" the air in a nurses station it is problematic. This is a psych hospital that, like I said earlier has all categories of psych. So, of course, we have to be in an area of protection to chart and do other work. Locked in a nurses station that reeks of smoke residue is not cool. There are other units with less violent patients with a little less "security" but again when you're having to be next to coworkers that take your breath away it sucks. When I interact with the patients I am bombarded with it, but must I when I interact with the staff too?

[SweetPEI]

I think many overlooked the title and poll of this post. Its more about the staff than anything else. Also about the One incident where I refused to sit with and hold a cigarette for a patient who was unable to do it for herself

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

You know your journey has just begun in health care.

There are alot of things that will sprout up to make your path less straight or even.

Smoking is likely just to be the tip of the iceberg I suspect.

I hope you find some compassion, understanding and good will as you go along.

[fathertod]

I know this won't be a popular statement, but I would rather sit outside and have a smoke with a patient and simply talk to them and be there with them, rather than letting them do it alone. Its part of the companionship part of nursing, you talk and empathize, it is the simplest thing you can do for a patient. Essentially, you cannot let your own personal beliefs override your patients beliefs and choices.

[SweetPEI]

That is perfectly ok if you are a smoker. Are you suggesting I take up smoking to create a relationship with my patients?

There are too many healthy ways to gain a patient's trust.

As a staff member how would it look if I sat out and smoked with a patient to build a relationship with them, then in the same token try to build a relationship with

another patient who also has respiratory problems in addition to her depression who complains that the smoke bothers her?

[fathertod]

You would look like an adaptable and supportive nurse who is capable of being with and advocating for your patients. While you maybe inclined to take up smoking to have a better relationship with your patient, you may want to reconsider that course of action as it can be adverse for your health. Additionally, remember not to be judgemental when it comes to rendering care for your patient and you really don't have to worry about what the other patients think since your individualized relationship with each patient should stand as an independent thing in its own right. I hope you do not "judge the sinners too harshly" because I am sure that there are aspects of your own life and habits that they would not approve of.

[SweetPEI]

You would look like an adaptable and supportive nurse who is capable of being with and advocating for your patients. While you maybe inclined to take up smoking to have a better relationship with your patient, you may want to reconsider that course of action as it can be adverse for your health. Additionally, remember not to be judgemental when it comes to rendering care for your patient and you really don't have to worry about what the other patients think since your individualized relationship with each patient should stand as an independent thing in its own right. I hope you do not "judge the sinners too harshly" because I am sure that there are aspects of your own life and habits that they would not approve of.

No, the smell of smoke would irritate the patient and her respiratory problem. Not only would she then complain of her peers smoking, she would also avoid talking to me because I have become part of her issue. I clearly see you are here to create trouble.

I started this thread to vent about my situation at work and to get an idea of how many healthcare staff have concerns with other healthcare staff smoking. You seem preoccupied with smoking patients. At no time did I refer to anyone as sinners. Furthermore I openly said that we all, myself included, have vices that make us look like hypocrites when promoting healthcare to our patients, however, smoking is one that can affect everyone else around you. I treat every one of my patients with dignity and do not pass judgment on them. That is not my job. My job is to promote healthy behaviors and they are receptive to that and that did not come engaging in unhealthy behaviors with them. Please stand down.

[fathertod]

Please consider the implications of what bothers you and your patients. It is the inability to have a simple discussion about the original cause of the root problem, which is smoking. You have problems with it at work, and your patients also have a problem with it, thus, it is the same problem smoking in general. You are trying to enforce your own personal worldview of socially and behaviorally acceptable health practices on your co-workers and your patients. Are you actually able to provide a non-biased opinion relating to this issue, in my opinion no you are not. You are simply prosthelizing.

[tothepointeLVN, LVN]

You seem like you want to change everyone and everything about you instead of taking the sensible part and changing your place of employment ( or opinion on the matter ) You seem to be taking the role of advocate a step too far. If your miserable at work with your asthma leave but don't count on getting radical change just for you. I'm sure your smoking coworkers are happy with the situation. Right or wrong that's the way it is.