I'm not a Nazi about anti-smoking, it's a personal choice and I don't believe there are any healthcare professionals who smoke without understanding the potential ramifications.
Here's my thing: Am I the only one who thinks it must be nice to run outside every couple of hours and hang out there for 20+ minutes??? what if every few hours I said "I'm going to go downstairs and just get some fresh air and look at the sky for 20 minutes." I bet it wouldn't go over very well.
there are only 2 nurses (out of 27) I work with who smoke, but they definitely get their breaks in, regardless. I'm not angry or venting at all, but someone just came up to me and said they'll be back in a few minutes and it got me thinking.
Also, any time we are allotted for breaks is way-exceeded by people smoking cigarettes. About 14 years ago, I did an informal study on someone who was burning about an entire pack during the 12 hour work day. I documented him spending an average of 3 hours per shift outside smoking. To me that's outrageous....of course the person was a supervisor and I was accused of trying to "stir the pot" so nothing was done.
Oh well, when they get COPD I'm sure I'll still be here to hook up their O2, etc....
I think non-smokers tend to get upset because smokers always manage to get their breaks but unless you've found that they are taking breaks without getting their work done, why is it an issue? Perhaps they are simply more efficient on the floor than the non-smokers because they want to get their breaks in. I know that's the case on my unit. We have some smokers and the non-smokers often complain but when I point out that they are also leaving on time and getting their work done (which many of the non-smokers can't manage) people don't have much to say.
If someone is off the floor that means someone else must be covering their patients. I really don't buy that smokers as a whole are a more efficient group. More likely, the more a person is off the floor, the more they are just passing off work to others, whether it be the covering nurse or the next shift.
When I work with a bunch of smokers, I take "NON-smoking " breaks as a joke if the smokers start taking too many extra breaks. I don't mind the breaks we are all supposed to get, its the "EXTRA" ones, like "the Looooong way to the lab", or the trip to the pharmacy that should take 5 min and it take 15-20, IN ADDITION to their regular breaks. THAT is when I take my non-smoking breaks. Gets the point across.
Also, as far as addicting...yes, smoking is. It is a choice. You can chose NOT to be addicted.
as far as "Fatties"(objectionable term here)- You do have to eat to live, you just have to make good choices. You don't have to smoke to live.
My opinion.....
Really, huh. Guess that means all alcoholics, drug abusers, etc. can choose not to be addicted, too. How simple! Why didn't we ALL think of that?
People CAN be addicted to food, too. Just for the record. And yes, they can make good food choices, but a lot obviously DON'T. You don't need soda, chips, and sweets to live, but that's how a lot of people eat. They can CHOOSE not to eat that way, either, but they do not. Go figure.
Specializes in Psychiatric/ER/Primary Clinic/Addiction.
I am a smoker. I get to smoke on my break. We can go to a gazeebo behind the LTC where I work. It is cold some nights and very dark. Our safety is def compromised but it is our decision. I have been in nursing for 25 years. I remember the head of the medical society smoking at the podium during an indoor conference when I was a student in 1984!. At the time after graduation, we were able to smoke in the hallways outside of patients rooms in the major hospitals in our city. Yes, we have all non smoking campuses now for the ACF but I still see the docs, nurses, and anesthesiologists smoking at the "corner" intersection in their OR garb. It does look terrible, but how are we supposed to quit smoking when we somehow haven't been able to for this long? I hate that I smoke, but I do feel it is my decision and that we are being chastized, I can understand that it is bad for patients and staff to have to inhale smoke, I don't argue that, but if we want to go out to our car on a break or at linch, we should be able to.
I am a smoker. I get to smoke on my break. We can go to a gazeebo behind the LTC where I work. It is cold some nights and very dark. Our safety is def compromised but it is our decision. I have been in nursing for 25 years. I remember the head of the medical society smoking at the podium during an indoor conference when I was a student in 1984!. At the time after graduation, we were able to smoke in the hallways outside of patients rooms in the major hospitals in our city. Yes, we have all non smoking campuses now for the ACF but I still see the docs, nurses, and anesthesiologists smoking at the "corner" intersection in their OR garb. It does look terrible, but how are we supposed to quit smoking when we somehow haven't been able to for this long? I hate that I smoke, but I do feel it is my decision and that we are being chastized, I can understand that it is bad for patients and staff to have to inhale smoke, I don't argue that, but if we want to go out to our car on a break or at linch, we should be able to.
Agreed.
I used to smoke, and I was a bartender and plenty of non-smokers said "I need a quick break", the other non-smokers just complained about it. No one ever said if you're a non-smoker you can't take a "smoke" break. The smokers were just always the ones to ask.
I think people are getting a little bit too upset about smoking IMO. If someone is not blowing it in your face, who cares?
If someone is off the floor that means someone else must be covering their patients. I really don't buy that smokers as a whole are a more efficient group. More likely, the more a person is off the floor, the more they are just passing off work to others, whether it be the covering nurse or the next shift.
I'm sure it differs by facility, perhaps to some degree even by the unit, but where I work we don't have a covering nurse. And when one nurse leaves the floor, no specific person covers those patients, whoever is available to do what needs done while the person on break is gone handles it. We don't do someone else's work for them. If you leave the floor and haven't done your chart checks, they'll be waiting when you get back. Same goes for your med pass. If you came back and asked if someone had done your work while you were gone you'd get a nice big laugh out of everyone. And if you tried to pass your work on to the next shift so you could take breaks, you'd get a nice chat with the manager.
Specializes in Care Coordination, MDS, med-surg, Peds.
cherrybreeze... chill, please...
Yes, I think alcoholics and drug abusers CHOOSE to do their DRUG of choice. No one makes them take a drink or shoot the drug. As far as their addiction, perhaps the mind/body/chemical reaction resulting in addiction is not their fault, but NO ONE made them chose the drug, and no on stops them from stopping.
Yes, food can be an addiction, and it is for many.
The fact remains, you have to eat to live. YOU choose how much you eat. You don't need to abuse drugs(alcohol, street drugs, notjust prescription), drink ANY alcohol or smoke to live, even in moderate medically approved amounts. The only exception is medications needed to treat illnesses, that would result in more ilness or death of not taken.
lol, this is funny.....LITERALLY. People arguing over food, drugs, cigarettes. If you smoke, smoke. If you dont, then fine. Just leave each other alone. geeez Let each person live their own lives and make their own choices.
I truely think we can find better topics to discuss........
When I worked in an office (before I was a student nurse) several co-workers used to take "non-smoking breaks" at the same time as the smokers took their breaks. We would just walk around outside. It was funny-- when we ALL started taking 20 minute breaks every 2-3 hours, management sent out a memo reminding people of the 15 minutes every 4 hours policy and started to crack down on the amt of time people were spending outside. hee hee!
I'm not a Nazi about anti-smoking, it's a personal choice and I don't believe there are any healthcare professionals who smoke without understanding the potential ramifications.
Here's my thing: Am I the only one who thinks it must be nice to run outside every couple of hours and hang out there for 20+ minutes??? what if every few hours I said "I'm going to go downstairs and just get some fresh air and look at the sky for 20 minutes." I bet it wouldn't go over very well.
there are only 2 nurses (out of 27) I work with who smoke, but they definitely get their breaks in, regardless. I'm not angry or venting at all, but someone just came up to me and said they'll be back in a few minutes and it got me thinking.
Also, any time we are allotted for breaks is way-exceeded by people smoking cigarettes. About 14 years ago, I did an informal study on someone who was burning about an entire pack during the 12 hour work day. I documented him spending an average of 3 hours per shift outside smoking. To me that's outrageous....of course the person was a supervisor and I was accused of trying to "stir the pot" so nothing was done.
Oh well, when they get COPD I'm sure I'll still be here to hook up their O2, etc....
I agree with you whole-heartedly. My coworker at my non-nursing part time job is a smoker, and a former LPN, had the nerve to tell me 80% of nurses smoke...I think he must be smoking SOMETHING ELSE besides cigarettes to make a rediculous statement like that! I went online and showed him at least 3 articles that stated 15-18% of nurses smoke, but he just had the attitude like "oh they just put whatever they thought would look nice on the survey"... :icon_roll
When I was in A+P I became friends with this random bunch of chain smokers. I had never had any friends who smoked so I always felt kind awkward or left out when I accompanied them during their smoke breaks. To make myself feel more included, I started bringing juice boxes and would insert my straw and sip away on my box of juice as they lit up.
Maybe you could start going outside for a juice box! :)
Another thing that I think odd.... the medical community will think that a fellow medical person who became an addict has an illness. We look at the overweight and have empathy. Why is it that folks look at a smoker with hostility? Isn't that a tad hypocritical? Nicotine is addictive.
Climbing off soapbox! :spbox::chair:
Because smelling someone's bacon-cheeseburger doesn't instigate an asthma attack for me.
Yep- I'm an evil smoker. Look at it this way- what I cost the world in health care expences I'll make up for by dying young and not drawing my pension or social security. You must work with some inconsiderate boobs. Our hospital banned smoking about 2 yrs ago. No smoking between the start of your shift and the end- even on lunch or breaks. All it did was ensure NO ONE got thier break time. Even when I smoked at work I took 4 or 5 10min breaks in a 12 hr shift. By contract I'm entitled to three 15min breaks and a 30min lunch. Now I'm lucky to get relief for 15 min all night. As far as "the smell" I always worn a cover-up and used mouth wash before returning to the bedside. I work cardiac- Most of my my patients have lived with the smell of tobacco for years. Considering the multitude of foul smells in a hospital I faint whiff of tobacco isn't too much to bear. The problem isn't just smokers. Grill jockys at the burger joint get thier lunch and break time. As nurses, the health care system expects our "dedication to the patients" to relieve them of any obligation to provide lunch relief. They are right. I don't think many nurses would leave thier patient if they thought there wasn't safe coverage while they were on thier break. I've never heard a nurse say : " sorry the patient died- but I was on my lunch".
Covering up the smell doesn't stop the chemicals that are on your clothing and in your hair from triggering an asthmatic response....in fact, I'm likely to react faster because I'll react to the chemical of the scent as well as the smoke clinging to your clothing (generally I have a secondary reaction to smoke, so wake up in the middle of the night d/t coughing and wheezing). Often, all that "covering" the smell does is make me wonder who I was exposed to that day when I'm coughing my head off and wheezing in the middle of the night.
The bigger problem in a hospital is not that the smell is offensive, it's that the chemicals from the smoke that clings to the clothing, hair and skin, trigger respiratory problems...whether the smell is covered or not.
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If someone is off the floor that means someone else must be covering their patients. I really don't buy that smokers as a whole are a more efficient group. More likely, the more a person is off the floor, the more they are just passing off work to others, whether it be the covering nurse or the next shift.