Imagine a weigh in as part of your employment application… followed by a reassessment throughout the year. Could this be a reality in the future? Since hospitals stopped hiring smokers - it does bring up the question: How far could employment requirements go?
Whilst hospital staff should be shining examples of health and happiness, the reality is, we are really just normal people; Some mothers and fathers, many of us struggling to manage long shifts combined with our other responsibilities.
Nurses work long hours, and throughout the day must put their needs aside for their patients, making it especially hard to stay healthy. I do believe it is possible to stay healthy and fit on the job. However, it does take a tremendous amount of planning, focus and discipline.
Some argue that patients will not accept our advice or education when they think we do not care for our own bodies as they think we should. In this situation, stick to the research and facts. Regardless of your own health issues, it does not have any effect on your patients.
Let me say this, I'm 40, not a young twenty-something pretty girl. You know, the ones always complaining of jealousy. I've got PCOS, oh no!! I gotta worry about "the diabetes"!! I'm overweight. Most people think, old, fat, which equals unhealthy, undesirable.
Results from my last physical which happened within this past year.
Sugar-91
HR- 74/NSR
BP 105/65
Cholesterol- 175
You live your life once people. Enjoy your life. If enjoying your life means an extra slice of pizza or bacon, eat it. This comes from a nurse, who just had to help with the death of another nurse today. Life ends for us all. Some, more suddenly than others.
Yes, there are heavier people who stay quite healthy. There are young drivers who are great drivers. There are smokers who live into their 90s. But, statistically speaking, we all know the facts.
Drivers in their teens and early 20s have to pay higher premiums because they are more prone to accidents. Smoking is the cause of many diseases, Poor eating habits and too many calories puts one at a statistical risk for all kinds of chronic illness common in the first world. Lack of exercise is big problem as well.
This topic again? Not only would weigh-ins be incredibly discriminatory, but they are also unnecessary. Overweight candidates are already working against the odds during the interview process, as evidenced by countless studies that show hiring managers are less likely to hire overweight applicants. Now, on top of this already problematic discriminatory practice, you want to ask prospective employees to list their weight on their application? Why, so you can make sure not to miss anyone?
This topic again? Not only would weigh-ins be incredibly discriminatory, but they are also unnecessary. Overweight candidates are already working against the odds during the interview process, as evidenced by countless studies that show hiring managers are less likely to hire overweight applicants. Now, on top of this already problematic discriminatory practice, you want to ask prospective employees to list their weight on their application? Why, so you can make sure not to miss anyone?
I just watched the video and do not understand the comments slamming the OP. She is saying exactly what you all are saying. Did you watch the video?
Thank you for pointing this out - I completely misunderstood the OP's stance on this because I did not watch the video at first. I agree with what she is saying! :)
I will admit, I did not! I made a quick judgement based on a cursory look at this thread and assumed she was advocating for weigh-ins (as many other posters have on prior threads). While I stand by my opinion, it should absolutely not have been directed at the OP. I am in complete agreement with what she says in her video - very well articulated!
Did you even watch the video? The OP is not advocating weigh-ins. That was a question she posed.
I just watched the video and do not understand the comments slamming the OP. She is saying exactly what you all are saying. Did you watch the video?
I agree with your post.
We know from previous threads on the same topic that weight seems to be a highly emotional, contentious subject. I'm surprised at how some posters who I normally regard as very level-headed, are reacting in this thread. I can only assume that the reactions have more to do with hurt and insults from the past, rather than with OP's video. Some even admit that they haven't watched the video. In those cases it's hardly fair to criticize the content of the video or OP. Honestly, I think that the OP has become the target of some undeserved ire.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Results from my last physical which happened within this past year.
Sugar-91
HR- 74/NSR
BP 105/65
Cholesterol- 175
Some of your biometric results are better than mine. I am currently in my mid-30s, 5'1 tall, less than 18% body fat, and fluctuate between 118 and 120 pounds though I was once obese.
Anyhow, my total cholesterol is 300+ according to results from three months ago. My LDL reading is 252 by itself, yet I outwardly look like a bastion of great health. While at the airport recently, a TSA screener even commented, "I can tell you spend a lot of time at the gym!"
I may be muscular with a lean body fat percentage and normal BMI/weight, but I am also insulin-resistant, hypothyroid, hyperlipidemic, and so forth. The moral of my story is to not judge a book by its cover.
First off no one has 12 smoke breaks unless you let them. They have their 15 min/lunch break to smoke. technically 3 a shift. If more is happening someone is letting them get away with it. If you hate it so much then do something about it instead of complaining. If you do and nothing gets done then live with it or find another place to work. solution given problem solved.....but you can never solve all the problems but this is my motto and I live by it. If you don't like it try to change it. If you get no results you tried and spoke up.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I am amazed at all the rude comments. As one poster said.......ageism at its finest.. Although I would not call it anyone's finest.
The OP is older and has more experience than you think. All of you were younger once upon a time.....and new to the site. Would you appreciate this type of posting directed at you??? I think not.
No one is forcing you to look at the video.......or to post. If you do not care for this or other videos, I suggest you bypass them without making comments.
Further comments posted in this vein will be removed.
If the article and the video are about not being judgemental of the overweight healthcare worker, perhaps a subject line that says that would be less apt to those of us who have lived through all those other threads about how fat people shouldn't be nurses wouldn't be predisposed to think this one is more of the same. "Being Overweight Doesn't Make You A Bad Nurse" or "Let's Not Judge", perhaps. I read the post; I disagree with the premise that health care workers should be examples of health and fitness and if there was sarcasm there, I didn't catch it.
I didn't watch the video. If there was a warning in the header that there was a video, I didn't catch it or I would have bypassed the whole thread without making comments.
My comment about wanting the videos to be under a separate forum so that those of us who didn't want to watch videos wouldn't encounter them is about data usage. Videos use more gigabytes than text. I don't want to click on a header and have a video start playing because I pay for my internet by the gigabyte. When I had a house with cable and hot and cold running WiFi, it wouldn't have mattered. Now it does. I'm sure I can't be the only person with this concern.
Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.
If the article and the video are about not being judgemental of the overweight healthcare worker, perhaps a subject line that says that would be less apt to those of us who have lived through all those other threads about how fat people shouldn't be nurses wouldn't be predisposed to think this one is more of the same. "Being Overweight Doesn't Make You A Bad Nurse" or "Let's Not Judge", perhaps. I read the post; I disagree with the premise that health care workers should be examples of health and fitness and if there was sarcasm there, I didn't catch it.
I didn't watch the video. If there was a warning in the header that there was a video, I didn't catch it or I would have bypassed the whole thread without making comments.
My comment about wanting the videos to be under a separate forum so that those of us who didn't want to watch videos wouldn't encounter them is about data usage. Videos use more gigabytes than text. I don't want to click on a header and have a video start playing because I pay for my internet by the gigabyte. When I had a house with cable and hot and cold running WiFi, it wouldn't have mattered. Now it does. I'm sure I can't be the only person with this concern.
Regarding the misleading title......all it says is "Overweight Healthcare Workers". It does not refer to them as obese, fat, or anything negative. It is very neutral. The author does not control what images that brings to your mind based on your personal experience.
As far as a warning for videos......There is a Hot Pink VIDEO label attached just under the OP's username. This label is also very visible in the forum list of threads/articles, so you can see that it is a video before you click on it. The video does not start automatically. You have to click on the image. So look before you click on a thread with a Hot Pink Video label and you won't have to worry about watching any unwanted videos.
NurseGirl525, ASN, RN
3,663 Posts
Let me say this, I'm 40, not a young twenty-something pretty girl. You know, the ones always complaining of jealousy. I've got PCOS, oh no!! I gotta worry about "the diabetes"!! I'm overweight. Most people think, old, fat, which equals unhealthy, undesirable.
Results from my last physical which happened within this past year.
Sugar-91
HR- 74/NSR
BP 105/65
Cholesterol- 175
You live your life once people. Enjoy your life. If enjoying your life means an extra slice of pizza or bacon, eat it. This comes from a nurse, who just had to help with the death of another nurse today. Life ends for us all. Some, more suddenly than others.