Out of nursing program cause i am smoker!!!

[misstaz25]

Help, I am at risk of being out of the nursing program because I am a smoker.

I really could use some advise on how to deal with a very unfair instructor. I am a first year PN student and we just started clinicals in Nov. I have an instructor that is absloutely against smoking. Of 18 students in the class only about 6 are not smokers. We were informed that if we as much as smelled of smoke during clinicals we would be docked in our grade.

One day another student and I got busted for smoking. Please no lectures on smoking and how bad it is. I really would like to quit. Anyway, our grade for the day was docked in every area it could. I would be fine with that. What I dont feel is fair is the way the instructor handled it after that.

A few days after the incident the instructor pulled me into her office when no one was around. She flat out asked me if I had smoked, and I said I will not lie, I did. She asked why after knowing her clear views on smoking I would do that, was I just that addicted? I told her yes, it is an addiction. This teacher than asked me about the other student and if she had smoked also. I felt uncomfortable about her asking me about another student, but I admitted she did also. I told her that I was sorry and would make sure it didnt happen again during clinicals. In fact I had just done another clinical the day before and told her in no way did I smoke before or during that clinical. This lovely woman told me that I need to think about what my punishment should be for disobeying her rules. Now remember my grade got docked for smelling of smoke. She also threatened to tell my mother about the incident. My mom works at the college but in a totally unrelated department.

A few days later she pulled me and the other student aside in a public hallway to lecture us and give us our punishment. She stated that we would write a 2 page paper with 2 references on how to quit smoking. Also we would write a 2 page paper on lying. Now I never did lie to her, she asked me if I smoked and I told her yes I did. If I wouldnt have confessed she wouldnt be able to punish us at all. Then to top it off she wants a 3 page paper on patient abandonment. She informed us, this is on the very last day of class before Christmas break, that we will have an incomplete in her class until she recieves these. I feel she is out of line and that she did this in a public hallway is just aweful. She wanted to make an example of us in front of the other students and I feel she handled this poorly.

I am furious. I have read the policies and procedures for the program I am in and nowhere does it say anything about smoking. In fact I dont think she can even assign extra papers because of it. My grade was docked as we were warned would happen. How can she make up extra punishment when I was punished by my grade? How can she make up extra assignments when we were told our grade would be docked. I earned a very hard A in her class. I got a 98% on her final.

Also this woman is a constant overeater and is constantly snacking on candy and other fattening treats. She flat out admits she cant live without candy. Yet she has the balls to judge anyone that smokes. She actually will pick out little things to dock grades on just because someone is a smoker when a nonsmoker can do clearly worse and recieve a better grade. I wrote in a letter to her that her behavior toward me and the other student was rude. In public to degrade us and ask us to write about effects of smoking and lying. How would she like it if she was asked to write about her eating habits and lack of exercise and how her fat butt is bad for her health? She can walk around with a jelly donut in her fat hand, but god forbid she smells smoke on a student.

She called me at home tonight to inform me that if she does not have these papers in hand by Weds of this week she will not let me continue in the program. I am considering taking her actions to her superiors and filing a greivance with the college regarding my grade.

Is it fair for a teacher to withhold your grade because of something like this? I have wrote her a letter pointing out how unfair it is and that I will not write extra papers for being a smoker. I admited to her I was wrong to smoke during a clinical, and said it will not happen again. My grade for that day was lowered because of it. I expect the grade I earned for the semester. I completed her course and than on the last day she throws 3 papers at me as a punishment!!!

I wrote her a letter that I expect the grade I earned and will not be treated like a child and will go to the board if she follows through on her threat. I feel I should add I am a president and deans list student. I have a print out of the points in her class and have earned a 96% fair and square. The class is over and I have an incomplete at the time deans and presidents list are being made, so she has taken that from me.

Please no lectures about smoking, if i could just quit I would. I want to know if her behavior is even justifiable? What are my legal options in this?

[Beverage]

I quit smoking about 3 weeks into my first semester of school. We were told we couldn't smoke in our uniforms or during clinical (lunch or breaks) so I put a patch on and gave them up. I've never been more motivated in my life to give up cigs and keep moving towards my RN.

[tiggerforhim]

I have already clearly stated this will not be an issue anymore. I will not smoke on the morning before clinicals or during. Please quit be so self-rightous and calling me immature. I have also stated I am writing the papers. Please read all of the post before commenting.

I am not angry because I got caught. I am upset that she made up extra punishment after the incident. I am upset that I paid almost 3,000 for that one semester of school and she could threaten all my hardwork over her principles. Just my books for last semester were $886. I am a dean's list student. I have earned a 96% in her class. I am upset because I am a responsible student and she has taken this one incident and made a huge stink over it. Even mentioning telling on me to my mother should be punishable. I am 30 years old with 3 children of my own. I don't need stupid threats like that.

Yeah, you can throw in my face all the students that didn't get into the program and I did. I also went to school for all prerequisets getting straight A's and making the presidents list. I spent over $8,000 going to school last year and it will be another 20,000 or so before I am done. I earned my spot in the program.

I really dont want to hear anymore stories of how people are allergic to the smell of smoke. I am a respectful smoker and dont do it around nonsmokers. The state I live in resticts all smoking inside public buildings except bars where you have to be over 21 and it is posted on the door that it is a smoking building. Even the hospital here has a back area semi-sheltered for smokers on their breaks. This is not an issue at these places if I was an employee, only an issue with her.

Personally I feel I should be able to smoke in the morning before I am on her time. Don't worry, I won't. What it comes down to is she doesnt want anyone that smokes to be a nurse.

I can understand that many nonsmokers don't like the smell of smoke at all. I don't like the smell of many purfumes. However I am nice enough to keep my mouth shut when I run into someone with strong purfume or body odor. I am also nice enough to not comment on the fatty eating a big mac or going through the buffet for the 3rd time. Why is it society is willing to allow open season on smokers? Everyone has their vice in life. If you say you don't you are either insane or lying. I don't care what people's vices are: smoking, drinking, caffeine, junk food, overeating, not exercising, chewing tobacco, biting fingernails and the tons of other bad habits there are out there. If everyone got bashed like smokers do there would be a riot going on.

Being a smoker is not something that should disqualify you to be in healthcare. I really don't care that there are now laws about not smoking in public places. That is fine and I understand why. What I have a problem with is societies smoker bashing. What I do at my own home, in my car, or on campus in a smoking allowed area should be my own business. In case no one has noticed the anti-smoking laws and high taxes have not got smokers to quit. Smoking is not illegal. When they make smoking illegal then they better shut down McDonalds and all other fast food. Could you non-smokers please lighten up a little?

When you give up even one freedom to better society, you deserve to have none. Ben Franklin

I'm sorry, but this is an absolutely terrible attitude to have going in to health care. Your habit, unlike going to the buffet 3 times or eating 4 Big Macs for lunch everyday and just hurts you, can kill someone if they are sensitive enough to the cigarette smoke and you come in smelling of smoke. You seem unable to recognize that. I'm not addressing smoking on your own time, etc. but in the clinical setting, around compromised patients, you could seriously impair someone, whether it's a co-worker or a patient. I used to smoke. I don't now. I actually have issues with smoke. I have a right to clean, healthy air. I'm actually not going to address the instructor's behaviour because I had some stuff like this happen to me in nursing school, at this time. But the other issue is something that gets my goat, sorry. I have very high standards for myself and my co-workers, and stuff that makes the job harder makes me pretty upset, and smoking is one of those.

[nurse4theplanet, RN]

Maybe I'm way off base here, but I see the bigger issue as being Patient Abandonment.

The instructor assigned a three page paper to be written on this subject.

I'm interested in knowing who the student reported-off to when she left the clinical floor to go out and smoke.

I know in my clinicals that I had to report-off to the licensed primary, another student, and my clinical instructor in order to leave the floor.

The S.N.'s right has been discussed at length. Was her pt.'s right to care addressed? What would a resonable Nurse do?

That depends. Patient abandonment is a very serious acusation...shouldn't be thrown out there just for an added punch.

IF this student reported off to her nurse before leaving the floor (and it doesn't matter if she lied and said she was going to the cafeteria for a coke), THEN it is not patient abandonment. As long as another qualified, licensed staff member knew that they were in charge of the patient while the OP was gone, then calling it patient abandonment is etreme and very unjust.

HOWEVER, if the OP did not tell anyone qualified to watch her patients while she was off the floor (even if she was caught up in her duties), then it can be labeled patient abandonment. AND that would actually be grounds for termination in my program. A paper would have been a slap on the wrist.

Maybe the OP can respond and tell us what happened.

[carol72]

she is being an a class bully. she has issues. there are better ways for her to handle this than playing the role of psycho nurse/instructor. her treatment of you is unjust and yes, i have never smoked.

[fllabornurse]

Your choice to smoke is exactly that. How you choose to deal with your instructor is also completely up to you, however, keep in mind that your instructor probably knows many of the staff at surrounding hospitals so while you may win the short term battle, you may also find that you made a bigger mistake in not bending to the rules.

Unfortunatly I have watched many friends try to "buck" the systems at area hospitals only to find themselves on a black list and unable to find jobs at local hospitals.

If I might suggest, do the papers, get through the program and then do as you want. Trust me when I say that there are MANY nurses who smoke (no I'm not one of them).

Good luck in your program!

[puggymae]

I forgot in my earlier post to note that it is illegal for instructors to talk to your "mommy" (or daddy, or husband, or friend, or sister.....) without WRITTEN permission that details exactly what information is or is not to be shared, length of contract (one time only, all semester, length of course), and if the student is to be present or not.