pts going out to smoke

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Hi guys, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while. In other threads I often see some of you refer to your moms going out for a smoke. Does most everyones hospital allow this? None of our docs will write an order for

mom to go out, so it would be AMA in any case, but our staff will not let anyone leave the floor. I have literally seen a couple of people throw their selves in front of the elevators to prevent a mom from going down:uhoh3: I'm sorry, I'm not gonna do that. I don't have to like that they want to go down to smoke, but it is their choice right? Couldn't it be said that we are imprisoning them? What are your thoughts on this?

Specializes in critical care.
Actually, some of us take three ten minute smoke breaks INSTEAD of a thirty minute lunch break - so it is legal.

sorry, i guess we are talking about patients going off the floor to smoke & now nurses too......anyways let me just say...

probably with you, you are responsible enough to look at the clock & take 3 ten minute breaks. my co workers gets their 2 fifteen minute breaks for their morning & afternoon break & a 30 minute break AND on top of that gets their smoking breaks. i have nothing against people smoking but nurses/staff who does not smoke should not have to suffer covering for people who smoke then later in the day will be bugging their co-workers to help them because they are behind.it just does not make sense to me.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geri, Ortho, Telemetry, Psych.
sorry, i guess we are talking about patients going off the floor to smoke & now nurses too......anyways let me just say...

probably with you, you are responsible enough to look at the clock & take 3 ten minute breaks. my co workers gets their 2 fifteen minute breaks for their morning & afternoon break & a 30 minute break AND on top of that gets their smoking breaks. i have nothing against people smoking but nurses/staff who does not smoke should not have to suffer covering for people who smoke then later in the day will be bugging their co-workers to help them because they are behind.it just does not make sense to me.

Even though I am a smoker and I budget my time effectively, I have seen other nurses take advantage of the fact that they smoke; I find it rude and unprofessional. So I know what you mean.;)

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Specializes in OBSTERTICS-POSTPARTUM,L/D AND HIGH-RISK.

After many years of smoking, I finally QUIT! On March 30th it was my one yr. anniversary. When I first quit smoking I wasn't a pleasant person even with the patch. But it was my choice to quit. A person won't quit until they decide to quit. I don't want my patients smoking but I fully understand the need to have a cigarette. Our hospital went smoke free Jan. 1st. I still see patients and families smoking where they aren't suppose to. Our patients have to sign a AMA paper also. Our employees have to clock out and go across the street to smoke and then clock back in. I have heard that many of them use a patch while they are at work and take it off when they leave. I'm pretty sure that is not a good ideal or good for them. I feel for them because I understand the urge to have a cigarette but I also don't want them to smoke.(patients and fellow co-workers). I don't think this issue is going to be solved any time soon.:uhoh21:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geri, Ortho, Telemetry, Psych.
After many years of smoking, I finally QUIT! On March 30th it was my one yr. anniversary. When I first quit smoking I wasn't a pleasant person even with the patch. But it was my choice to quit. A person won't quit until they decide to quit. I don't want my patients smoking but I fully understand the need to have a cigarette. Our hospital went smoke free Jan. 1st. I still see patients and families smoking where they aren't suppose to. Our patients have to sign a AMA paper also. Our employees have to clock out and go across the street to smoke and then clock back in. I have heard that many of them use a patch while they are at work and take it off when they leave. I'm pretty sure that is not a good ideal or good for them. I feel for them because I understand the urge to have a cigarette but I also don't want them to smoke.(patients and fellow co-workers). I don't think this issue is going to be solved any time soon.:uhoh21:

I don't either.:deadhorse

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, Emergency, SAFE.
:deadhorse

Love that deadhorse!!

lol

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I had a problem with a patient actually in my last semester of nursing....and I was told by my instructor that a doctor cannot legally write an order to make a patient stay and not go outside to smoke because that is false imprisonment and assault & battery as well. I was told just to document, document, document...times left & times back & how many times a shift the patient went. Now mind you this pt had mrsa as well, had to wear a mask when out of room...and even made a stop in the gift shop every time they went down (& came back with no mask on every time, or it was around their neck not on).......scary huh? lets infect everyone else too.....:uhoh3:

Anyway there were other issues that I obviously can't mention in depth but I was told by my instructor during this that basically you cannot hold a patient against their will and it is false imprisonment/assault & battery to do so, even to verbally tell them they can't go...(you can only educate them about the results of smoking & throw a nicotine patch on them) ....and in a court of law it would not look very good regardless of the situation if the patient decided to file a lawsuit; because the thing that would be the issue was false imprisonment not that it was in the patients best interest to not smoke.....that goes out the window unfortunately.

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Ours is a smoke free facility. We do allow patients to leave for a smoke because a) we are not their babysitters b) they must have someone there to watch their baby, we don't do that c) if someone is fresh post partum and we tell them they cannot leave yet to smoke but they do anyway we document it that they left AMA and we cannot forcibly confine a patient.

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We recently went smoke free on our campus but our patients continue to smoke. They aren't supposed to smoke anywhere on our campus including the parking lot. So they just go out to their car and do it. It is their personal property so they feel that is their right.

I love the idea of making them sign out AMA when they want to leave!!!!! Maybe I should bring that up at our next staff meeting!

Right now they can come and go as they please. In the past I have loved taking smoking patients b/c I know they will be motivated to move!! Even though it disgusts me they are doing that to themselves/babies.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

If you do plan to make them sign AMA before smoking, make sure it's written in policy. I think that is the best way to go on non-smoking campuses.

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Specializes in NICU.

Where I work, if the mom wants to go out and smoke, she has to sign an AMA form. No doctor will write an order that it is okay for a mom to go out and smoke where I work.

Obviously, they are not allowed to leave if on monitors, pitocin, Preterm labor, etc. They have to take responsibility for whatever happens if they go do it against MD orders. I'm surprised that there are doctors that will actually write orders that it is okay to go out and smoke. They are taking on the responsibility if something happens. Not smart in my opinion.

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

So I have told you guys about my facilities no going anywhere off the floor thing. I had a smoking mom tonight, and I thought it was kind of funny. She was desperate to get out of there. She was being really good, not smoking in the room or anything, but she kept asking, "so when can I leave". When I got there, saw the baby was not eating all that great, I told her that our docs won't let the baby go home until he could eat at least 30cc with every feed. Baby had been doing 15-20cc every time. Lo, and behold, that baby ate 40cc with the very next feed, lol. I think he just woke up, the mom was really nice, actually, just thought it was kind of funny.

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Specializes in OB.

One thing I've always been curious about - at a nonsmoking facility, what are the hospital staff/security or powers-that-be actually going to do to a patient or family member that smokes on the grounds (not inside)? I know they have leverage over employees. And what effect would it have on the almighty Press-Gainey scores?

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