Smokers need not apply?

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So I've reached my 2 year mark & getting a little restless, toying with the idea of moving into a different dept or facility. I was looking at a website for another hospital & they have posted that they will no longer hire anyone that uses nicotine which will be screened for during the employment physical. Not an issue for me, but I found the bold underlined statement a little jarring. I understand that in healthcare we want to promote healthy lifestyles, but dictating personal legal habits to employees is a bit of a push don't you think? Is this common in other areas & just reaching my neck of the woods?

Oh, I don't see refusing to hire someone who's a smoker as indicative of intolerance and bigotry. It's a financial issue. Fact is that smokers take more sick time and unless you police it strictly they also cost you more per hour because they spend more time off the job taking their smoking breaks.

When January 1 rolls around and no one can discriminate against you for the purpose of setting your insurance premium based on whether you are a smoker or not, or have had multiple hospitalizations for bronchitis exacerbated by smoking, or for a nonunion of a cervical fusion related to smoking, then that will be one less thing for smokers to worry about. However, the other financial costs of having smokers on the workforce are not trivial, and smokers are not a protected class under the ADA.

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And I agree that maybe blood testing for alcohol should be brought up.

A test for alcohol would be virtually useless as it will only show up if it is in your system at the time. As far as I know there is no blood test which will indicate a)if the person ever drinks or b)how often the person drinks or c)if the person drinks a lot when they do drink. Unless someone has advanced signs of abuse such as liver damage, it's pretty impossible to tell a teetotaler from a social drinker from a heavy drinker simply by doing a blood test. Liver enzymes could be high, but that does not necessarily mean liver damage is due to alcohol use.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Oh, I don't see refusing to hire someone who's a smoker as indicative of intolerance and bigotry. It's a financial issue. Fact is that smokers take more sick time and unless you police it strictly they also cost you more per hour because they spend more time off the job taking their smoking breaks.

When January 1 rolls around and no one can discriminate against you for the purpose of setting your insurance premium based on whether you are a smoker or not, or have had multiple hospitalizations for bronchitis exacerbated by smoking, or for a nonunion of a cervical fusion related to smoking, then that will be one less thing for smokers to worry about. However, the other financial costs of having smokers on the workforce are not trivial, and smokers are not a protected class under the ADA.

I don't believe that smokers take more sick time....my hubby smokes and NEVER calls out sick....I wish he would quit....but should he be treated differently? I don't think so...but thank goodness he isn't in the medical field.

So the obese should not be treated fairly because they are fat an stuff their faces......I never said it was a part of the ADA.....but it is a slippery slope of exclusion......Smokers, the obese are easy political targets..... personally I think they should focus on controlling guns and improving the mental health system.

According to posters.....Smokers are disgusting people and stink, fat people are lazy and stink...blondes have no brains.....is bigotry.

Bigotry is the state of mind of a bigot: someone who, as a result of their prejudices, treats other people with fear, distrust, hatred, contempt, or intolerance on the basis of a person's ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics.

I understand they employers may hire whomever they wish...I just think it's a slippery slope.

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I don't believe that smokers take more sick time....my hubby smokes and NEVER calls out sick....I wish he would quit....but should he be treated differently? I don't think so...but thank goodness he isn't in the medical field.

Actually, most of the research I've seen on the subject suggests that smokers take significantly more sick time than non smokers. Your husband can certainly be an exception, but he is a study of one.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I get it I do..... I just think it's a slippery slope....that's all...sigh.

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Specializes in Cardiac/Telemetry.

So those who complain about the smoke smell, should we start banning family members who are visiting and reek of cigarettes and/or marijuana? Not a valid argument in my opinion, however I agree that employees who smoke should not smell of cigarettes or be taking extra breaks during work time. What an employee does legally during their own time is their own business. Insurance companies are in the business to make money so they use every excuse to raise the costs.

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Specializes in 7 Years ED, 6 Years TBI/PTSD unit VA.

Hospitals are big corporations wanting to ring out every cent they can from employees to Pts. I quit smoking 20 years ago...smoke a cigar PRN..etoh PRN. Its their company, they make the rules...what burns my ass is the number of FAT (ok ...im sorry..obese to morbidity) Nurses there are...and with cost cutting on the way Oct 1st the "cubby platoon" will be the next group of folks in the hot seat...BMI over your age group....cubby platoon.... hay if they can do it for smokers that clearly have a greater risk of health care costs...they can do it to the "Plump and big boned" folks (Men and Women alike). Get ready to hit the Gym ......you know...we need to make those number next quarter and cut costs... up and down, left and right, kick kick...lift those weights....

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hay if they can do it for smokers that clearly have a greater risk of health care costs...they can do it to the "Plump and big boned" folks (Men and Women alike). Get ready to hit the Gym ......you know...we need to make those number next quarter and cut costs... up and down, left and right, kick kick...lift those weights....

LOL. :D

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

BOLOGNA! Co-workers that are hung over and those that are obese do affect me when I have to pick up their slack for slow and poor performance. And is isn't for a 15 minute break... it's the entire 12 hour shift. There are also smells from obese co-workers and hung over co-workers that make me sick too!

I understand THIS post...especially about hung over co workers... or even nursing instructors...not to derail the thread too much, but I just had a moment thinking about one of my nursing instructors who would come in and teach a 1-2 hour course in 15 minutes...very sweaty, very shaky...

Now, there are some obese people that have odors, but I have never had any of my fluffy coworkers ever SMELL...it's usually the patients.

I think BO transcends weight, that's just my opinion.

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Specializes in Forensic Psychiatry.

There are hospitals in my area that are already bringing down the hammer on the chubby nurses. Smokers took the hit a while ago as many places on the west coast are not exactly smoker-friendly. With the job market as it is, employers are free to choose the employees that BEST fits their profile. When every posted nursing job gets a few hundred applications, then if they want to hire a host of smoke-free, child-free, vegetarian, runners with BMI's in the high teens/low 20's, that only require 3 hours of sleep a night - they can.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
I don't believe that smokers take more sick time....my hubby smokes and NEVER calls out sick....I wish he would quit....but should he be treated differently? I don't think so...but thank goodness he isn't in the medical field. So the obese should not be treated fairly because they are fat an stuff their faces......I never said it was a part of the ADA.....but it is a slippery slope of exclusion......Smokers the obese are easy political targets..... personally I think they should focus on controlling guns and improving the mental health system. According to posters.....Smokers are disgusting people and stink, fat people are lazy and stink...blondes have no brains.....is bigotry. Bigotry is the state of mind of a bigot: someone who, as a result of their prejudices, treats other people with fear, distrust, hatred, contempt, or intolerance on the basis of a person's ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics. I understand they employers may hire whomever they wish...I just think it's a slippery slope.[/quote']

And your beliefs should be how policies are made? Or how about evidence?

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Specializes in 7 Years ED, 6 Years TBI/PTSD unit VA.

[h=2]Howard Hughes airline and weight loss program coming to you soon:

What are the consequences of overweight and obesity?[/h][h=2]Health Consequences[/h]

Research has shown that as weight increases to reach the levels referred to as "overweight" and "obesity,"* the risks for the following conditions also increases:1

  • Coronary heart disease
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
  • Stroke
  • Liver and Gallbladder disease
  • Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
  • Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
  • Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)

*Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher; obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or higher. For more, see

Defining Obesity.

You wait....all you plump folks are next........................

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