Published
What are your thoughts on a nurse that smokes?
Does it bother you?
Do you look down on them; especially with them being a nurse?
I'm a nurse with a few extra pounds and do pretty well in engaging people about nutrition because I struggle right along with them, and am not afraid to admit it. I'd imagine it could be the same for smokers, who KNOW how hard it is to quit. If we are human, we are more approachable than if we come off as hectoring finger waggers.
No one is perfect. I don't like the idea of anyone smoking - my father died at age 48 from cancer and he smoked all the way through treatment, etc.
But it's an addiction, and we should be more supportive of our fellow nurses in general. I can't believe I'm even repeating this, but even "Abby" on ER told "Sam" last night - "we nurses need to stick together". So I wonder why a fictional show that I ususally find unwatchable makes more sense than inflammatory threads like this and the other one that passive-agressively slams CNMs.
Are you taking an ethics class? A "issues in nursing" class? Or are you a bored med student who had a nurse in a rush not stop and make sure your coffee cup was full?
Blee
I agree. No one is perfect, and we all have habits that are hard to break. Nurses can still teach pts what is right, without judging others.I never took up the habits, but I have habits that aren't good. You can still do your job as a good nurse, smoking or not smoking. Live and let live.
I agree that nurses are people too, and I really don't care if another nurse is thin, heavy, smoking or not. As long as he or she provides quality care that is the most important thing.
However, a RN who cared for my husband in the recovery area last week after his surgery reeked of cigarette smoke. THAT bothers me.
This person created a profile today to post two questions:
"How can nurses tell their patients the importance of not smoking or quitting when they themselves are smoking!! It decreases a nurses credibility when they walk into a patients room and do teaching on the importance of not smoking when they reek of cigarette smoke."
and
"Midwives are becoming more and more popular these days. Do you think that having a delivery performed by a midwife is less safe than one performed by a doctor?"
Someone is bored and wants to stir the pot, or they are a complete troll. Don't know if those are mutually exclusive, but in any case, I think it's time we just let it go.
Agreed. We are all nurses or soon to be nurses. We all have one thing in common, good quality patient care. We nurses do have to stick together, because between the medical staff, administration or jacho that are constantly telling us how to do our job we are finished.. IF we don't support each other we better just hang it up!
Nursing isn't just about Smoking and Obesity.Nurses have a whole lot of things and knowledge to share and give.And for sure whoever does it,knows the consequences of their own actions. WE (nurses) even spend more time to spend with our patients than our families.So why can't we just give them this maybe ten minutes of liberty for themselves. PEACE!
Excuse my language but who gives a **** if nurses smoke, drink, overeat, have sex what ever...we are all human and we each have our little guilty pleaseures. I smoke and i carry frebreeze with me. Niether my pts or my co workers can smell the smoke on me. And speaking from a pt point of view. I would much rather have someone who has been in my shoes and knows what I am going through rather than some one who has no idea what the hell is going on. I do not care what the nurse does on his/her spare time. Just as long as they proved quality pt care for either myself or my loved one. Ok, now I will get off my soap box
I can always smell smoke after my coworkers come in, and it turns my stomach a little bit, to be honest. Gum, mints, febreeze, etc, it still lingers unfortunately (sorry guys!) But... I just back up a few feet until the smell goes away, lol. I don't think I've ever even mentioned it in passing to a coworker.
As for the OP, I bet its someone from these boards who made a new acct to ask the questions they knew would cause drama that they did not want going back to them. Oh well. If it makes them happy I guess... but I think the response is pretty obvious on this one. Judge not lest ye be judged...
I personally don't give a rip if nurses/doctors want to smoke...I smoked for 12 yrs and have quit for over 5 yrs now...that does not make me a better person or nurse it just helps me understand the addiction.
My issue with this topic is image...we have banned smoking from our campus so instead of having a smoking room for staff we now make them go out to the sidewalk to smoke, so when pt's pull up to our hospital they see a crowd of staff smoking and throwing their butts and garbage on the sidewalk! I think the nurses are out numbered greatly by the housekeeping staff but they also where scrubs so pt's don't know they are not nurses. I do think it is very tacky and can make us look like hypocrites.
pinksugar
243 Posts
I also have to add that it doesn't matter if the nurse smokes or not, because the dangers of smoking are HIGHLY PUBLICIZED and have been for years. Unless the patient has been living under a rock since the 1990's they already know that they shouldn't smoke. The nurse smoking isn't going to change a thing.