Nursing and smoking....can it hinder your career?

[Juryizout]

Hey, guys. I just got the new issue of Nursing Made Incredibly Easy and it contained an article, "Warning! Smoking may be hazardous to your career!" regarding nurses who smoke. Have any of you that are in a hiring position ever decided NOT to hire a nurse because she smokes? Do hospitals routinely test for nicotine when someone is going through the interview process? I know they test for illegal substances, but was just putting the questions out there.

Thanks for your responses!

[33762FL]

To answer question of legality - it is perfectly legal not to hire someone because they smoke. Smokers are not a "protected class" when it comes to equal opportunity employment.

[sarah16493]

I agree that the smell of cigarette smoke is very bothersome in a medical setting and that a nurse lighting up outside the hospital doesn't look to professional; however, I believe it is wrong for healthcare facilities to deny applicants who smoke.

Its a legal drug and any adult has the right to puff as much as he or she wants. Yeah, smokers are at risk for health complications, but so are people who are obese, do employers have the right to deny somebody based on their BMI? No way. Some people are obese because of certain conditions, but most obese people in America are obese because they live sedentary lifestyles and don't carry out a healthy diet, therefore, for most this is controllable, just as is smoking. Employers could approach this differently; like requiring employees to refrain from smoking during work hours, and to offer more employee smoking cessation programs. Just my thought on the topic.

[RED1984, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

I smoked for 10 years, and quit when I became pregnant with my son. After quitting, the smell of smokers disgusted me! The smell was overwhelming... That being said, I agree with "smoke free workplaces" but don't agree with employers not hiring people who smoke. There could be rules enforced to allow smokers employment at such facilities like- if they smell like smoke or cigarettes, they are sent home etc. I know some people who only smoke occasionally, like on weekends when they are having drinks or whatever. I don't think that it should be fully discriminated against, but do think there should be rules and boundaries regarding smoking while working in the healthcare field.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

All the hospitals in my area are "smoke free," meaning you cannot smoke anywhere on the hospital campus, not even in your own car.

[Morainey, BSN, RN]

I work with a lot of smokers. It makes me so aggravated when they say, usually guiltily, "I'm just gonna step out for a minute, ok?" Then they disappear for 15-20 minutes. It's not as bad on night shift, but on days, we'd have to take a quick report on all of those people's patients and then watch them until they came back 30 minutes later, smelling like smoke with fresh iced coffee in hand. Not cool.

[GM2RN]

its a legal drug and any adult has the right to puff as much as he or she wants.

not exactly. if an employer does hire someone who smokes, they can require no smoking in the facility.

yeah, smokers are at risk for health complications, but so are people who are obese, do employers have the right to deny somebody based on their bmi? no way. some people are obese because of certain conditions, but most obese people in america are obese because they live sedentary lifestyles and don't carry out a healthy diet, therefore, for most this is controllable, just as is smoking.

imo, employers shouldn't be denying smokers employment based on health reasons. everyone does something that someone, somewhere, would say is not healthy. however, the odor of smoke is nauseating for sick people in the hospital and for many who aren't sick. plus there is the whole issue of second/third hand smoke. many smokers are in denial about this and say that they don't believe there is anything to it, but it's a very real issue.

employers could approach this differently; like requiring employees to refrain from smoking during work hours, and to offer more employee smoking cessation programs. just my thought on the topic.

many employers do not allow smoking at work already, but it is largely a failure. smokers will agree to the policy with the best of intentions (or not in some cases), but the desire to have a cigarette is too great for many to resist, especially when they are stressed. when that happens, they sneak out for a cigarette anyway. it happens every night with certain people where i work.

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[sarah16493]

I would just like to say smoking is a health issue - It is addiction. Psychological professionals classify it as a disease. When I said "they can puff away as they wish," I was referring to his or her own time, like at home, in his or her car, etc. I understand that its extremely unprofessional to come into a hospital smelling like an ashtray, but that goes hand in hand with hygiene; if a nurse comes into the hospital smelling like skunk, cigarette, garbage, or whatever, they should be sent home. If they want to keep their job, they'll more than likely listen to the facility's guidelines. If not, guess what, pack up and go home. I don't like it when I go to a restaurant and the waitress smells like a cigarette, but guess what, nobody is coming after her?? This is discrimination and I don't care how you see it.

[Epic_RN]

If my hospital stopped hiring smokers, they would be understaffed. On any given day, you will see surgeons, RT, nursing staff, dietary, admin, maintenance employees on the sidewalk smoking (our facility is a smoke-free campus). My school did not have rules about smoking in uniform, the smokers just understood that your breaks were timed and coming back late would result in being sent home.

Yes, I smoke. Is it hard to go an entire shift without a cigarette? Yep. Do I do it? Yep. I hate smelling like smoke at work. What's interesting is that during nursing school I had an instructor pull me aside during clinicals and ask if I had gone to smoke on my break. I told her that I had. She was amazed -- she could smell smoke on me in class but not when I was in clinicals.

Oh, and by the way, I have NEVER taken advantage of breaks. I would smoke part of a cigarette and get back early just so I wouldn't inconvenience anyone and I never took more breaks than I was allotted.

(Please no lectures on the evilness of smoking -- I am an educated adult and well aware of them )

[Rick68fl]

Even if there was not such a policy, having a cigarette right before your interview may very well prevent you from being hired also, just because of the smell.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

Lately some large healthcare systems have gone on record that they will not hire smokers. I believe Cleveland Clinic is one of them. With the bad economy they have the leverage to be picky and get away with this. Already most places make smokers pay more for their health insurance!

Next it will be step on a scale, but they can already see if you have a weight problem, so there is nowhere to hide! Heck if they could find enough thin nurses, they probably wouldn't hire the overweight ones. LOL Nevermind the high stress and shift work contributes to obesity, HTN, cancer etc, that's not their problem!

[msgirl68]

I know that many nurses smoke and drink. Many the "glamorous" stress of bedside nursing makes

them take up and continue such habits. I used wo work with a team of very experienced and talented

NICU nurses, all with drinking meet ups after work. So go figure!

I don't smoke or drink but feel that the rn world could easily turn me into a drunk if I decided

to start.

A very kind and thoughtful Charge RN sent me into a horrible MS relapse late 2010, and I still

am suffering from damaged nerves on the right side of my body.

[Bortaz, MSN, RN]

Smoking can certainly hinder...and shorten...your career as a nurse...when you die of lung cancer or COPD.