Nurses Smoking

justme1972 · Apr 27, 2008

I find it ridiculous that people who spend their day working around the smells of urine and feces as well as the occasional charred flesh and internal body smell would make an issue about the smell of cigarettes.
These people need to foucs on their own weaknesses and leave others alone.

So you don't think that the patient's being exposed to the same matters?

If you had severe allergies or had a respiratory disorder, would you want Patty-puffs-alot to swing into your room after she's been toking the car for 15 minutes before she came in?

JENNLEE · Apr 29, 2008

:nono:JITTYBUG,
I personally dont like anyone who smokes, those who do lacks self- confidence, under stress, anxious of some impending doom.........by the way if you really care a person, you might as well tell frankly to him or her, even though hurting, the bad effects of such things, RIGHT!:redbeathe I would like to thank MR. BRIAN ( THE FOUNDER of this organization) who guided me, how to participate in this forum. THANKS A LOT!

then you must not like anyone who does ANYTHING bad. that is a very strong statement you made about not liking anyone who smokes.

twistedpupchaser · Apr 29, 2008

If I knew at the age of 11 how hard it would be to give up, I would never have started. I have tried giving up a number of times over the past 20 years but havn't quit yet. I have cut down though.

BTW: I have never taken "extra" breaks for a quick smoke and always wash my hands and take a "mint" before starting/returning to the ward.

joshuaha · Apr 29, 2008

The thing that you have to understand about cigarette's is that they are extraordinarily addictive. Of course, tobacco companies know this and have for many years. If one has been smoking for 20+ years it is not really a "will power" issue but a neurochemical imbalance. For people in my generation (20 somethings) there is no excuse to even start smoking whatsoever. We are fully aware of the absolute implications of the behavior. Indeed, we all heard about the dangers of this substance from our earliest youth. So remember these people are addicted and dependent on nicotine. Lets try to be supportive in assisting them on the road to recovery. I am not saying however, that we should tolerate smoke in public places. Second hand smoke has been directly linked to almost as many health issues as 1st hand smoke. I for one, do take great care of myself. I don't eat meat, I run 25-30 miles a week, do my strength training, avoid sugar etc and I don't need anyone trying to undo that Remember this, the only person that you can count on to handle your health is You! The individual is the only one truly responsible for their own well being.

AtomicWoman · May 1, 2008

The thing that you have to understand about cigarette's is that they are extraordinarily addictive. Of course, tobacco companies know this and have for many years. If one has been smoking for 20+ years it is not really a "will power" issue but a neurochemical imbalance.

If there's one thing I've learned helping people quit smoking it is this: there is very little one can say that applies to ALL smokers. And that goes for this idea that the smoker is physically addicted to nicotine, that she or he has a neurochemical imbalance, etc. The smoking habit is extraordinarily complex and it varies from person to person. For some people, yes, the physical need for nicotine is very strong and that need keeps them going back to cigarettes over and over.

But I have seen too many people who were READY to quit, who said "That's it. I'm done." and who did just that: they quit. They tell me later (and I have some long-term former smokers now, so I feel as though the quitting wasn't just temporary) that they just stopped thinking about cigarettes, as if they had never been a smoker. And they might have been a smoker for 20, 30 or 40 years. Once they were ready, they quit. In my experience, for most of these people, the power of habit and the *emotional* meaning of cigarettes had been the most important factors in their continued smoking, not a chemical imbalance or a physical addiction.

Now let me stress again that this is not true for EVERY smoker. And it doesn't mean that some people don't physically (or chemically, if you prefer) crave cigarettes. And it doesn't mean that if someone has tried to quit and couldn't, there's something wrong with that person.

But there's an entire industry that has a vested interest in convincing smokers that they are "helpless" in the face of cigarettes and therefore need: gum, patches, Chantix, etc. And of course, the cigarette companies benefit from that, too! Because if people believe they are addicts with an overwhelming need to have cigarettes, they may give up trying to quit more easily. I have, on more than one occasion, told a smoker who called for an appointment that "If you are really that ready to quit, you don't need me, you know!" They never believe me, and over the years, I have come to realize that what I do is provide the smoker with a ritual, a way to mark the end of an era in their life. And I'm OK with that. :)

Again, my point is that we can't make generalizations about what cigarettes and the smoking habit mean to everyone. Smoking is a complex mixture of emotional, social, mental and yes, physical aspects that vary in intensity from person to person.

Ms. Nurse Assistant, LPN · May 1, 2008

There was a discussion on a radio station about how nurses and physicians who smoke kinda set a bad example for their patients and the healthcare field in general.

so to the posters here do you think that as an Nurse it is your responsibility to set an example to your patients by not smoking, and leading a very fit and healthy lifestyle?

Jules Anne · May 1, 2008

I imagine that this will be a hot thread! Personally, I think that health care professionals who do not take care of themselves do set a bad example for patients. I used to weigh 174 pounds which is quite heavy on a 5 foot 4 inch frame. I was not healthy and felt that I needed to start taking care of myself so that I could be an encouragement to my patients. So I began exercising and eating well and have lost 30 pounds. It is my personal belief that I am in a position to influence those I come in contact with to improve their own health.

However, I know that those who do not take the best care of themselves usually wish that they could. I don't look down on nurses who are smokers and honestly use them as an example when counseling patients who are interested in quitting. I tell them that quitting is going to hard, look at the health care professionals who are smokers. Being a smoker doesn't mean you have a lack of knowledge or are a bad person, it means that cigarettes are addicting and the important thing is to keep on quitting.

That being said, I would never blast a nurse who is a smoker. We all need to respect and support each other. Nursing is a stressful field and different people deal with that differently.

HM2VikingRN, RN · May 1, 2008

I think that we need to lead by example. In other words quit smoking, and lose weight if needed. (I am working option B at this moment.)

KeechieSan · May 1, 2008

I have another view on this. I myself am not a smoker, and never have been.. but I really don't think it matters whether or not a nurse is. Nursing is a profession, a job.. anything someone does in their personal life shouldn't really reflect on their job, as long as it isn't illegal or something like that. I think that as long as you don't smoke at work, who cares? Everyone knows its bad for you, its no secret!

I don't think I explained myself well, but yeah... my point is no, it doesn't matter to me.

TrailBlazerRN · May 1, 2008

There was just a recent thread from this month on this topic. I'll link you.

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/nurses-smoke-good-bad-indifferent-296271.html

I do feel that nurses who smoke set a bad example. But in the end everyone is human. Yes, I dislike smoking, but I'm not going to label a heathcare provider who smokes in any way bad. It's a personal decision. However, I am opposed to nurses who care for their patients and smell like smoke. Smoke at home!

StrwbryblndRN · May 1, 2008

In this day no one should be so committed to their jobs that they have to change their lifestyle. Or even feel the need to change for your pt's. If I do change, it would be for me and only me. (maybe my family) If I am happy with the choices I make then so be it. I take care of my patients without question of my scent or physical capabilities. If I find I can't perform my job then I will see to it that I do what I need to do. Other than that it does not matter one way or the other how I live my life.

By the way, I am a smoker but do not smoke at work. Am I am also overweight. What I am doing about it now has nothing to do with what my pt's may think of me.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 1, 2008

The topic of nurses and cigarette smoking has been discussed extensively and exhaustingly on these forums. There are many existing threads on this website about the very same issue, and some of the previous posts regarding smokers have had bickering and highly emotional undertones. I can freely admit that I have gotten judgmental at times when it comes to this particular topic, since I (unfortunately) grew up with parents who smoked inside the home and car.

Whatever y'all do, please don't dehumanize an entire group of people based on their bad habit. I dislike cigarette smoke, but many smokers and nonsmokers are competent healthcare providers.