Smoking among Nurses is hypocritical.

Nurses General Nursing

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I don't believe the number of Nurses that continue to smoke, despite the constant flow of patients that have numerous problems associated with smoking. Furthermore, it is very hypocritical for anyone, DR. or Nurse to be advising patients about proper lifestyle changes. I often get these reasons when I am confronted by a smoker.

#1) It is my right to smoke and I don't feel anyone has the right to tell me otherwise.

Smoking has nothing to do with rights. Smoking is clearly an invasion into the rights of those who do not smoke. Perhaps we should remember the children who have their rights removed by breathing smoke from parents/relatives. And we should have the right to speak out against smoking as there is NO BENEFIT whatsoever. Furthermore smoking drives up health care costs for everyone, regardless if they smoke or not. Talk about rights.

#2) We all are going to die of something someday. Oh well!

With this attitude, you definately shouldn't be in the health care field, especially Nursing. Nursing is all about getting the patient better. What would you do if you overheard a doctor tell his/her patient that it is ok to continue in the bad habits, because they will die someday of something. How ridiculous!

#3) I can't quit!

Why not? You started somehow. You had to smoke several times without actually liking it to be able to acquire the "taste" which led to addicition. Any addiction can be broke if YOU choose to do so. You can quit if you chose to quit. But you have opted for the "I can't quit" excuse because frankly you don't want to quit.

#4) The air we breathe is already polluted, so what makes the difference?

Oh, about $3-4 per pack. I agree that the quality of air is not very good due to various reasons, but to pay hard earned $ to further pollution and to further deteriorate your health is totally asinine. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Why do people start smoking?

#1) Social status

#2) Exposed all his/her life as family/friends smoked.

#3) Peer pressure

This topic has been beaten to death so many times. Since the OP hasn't returned, it looks more like someone trying to stir things up.

I vote for the thread to be closed. The points have been made.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
This topic has been beaten to death so many times. Since the OP hasn't returned, it looks more like someone trying to stir things up.

I vote for the thread to be closed. The points have been made.

I agree. Trolling is the obvious point of this topic.

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Let me suggest that the way the question is phrased tells us something about the way the answer will go.

We usually use the terms "hypocrite" or "hypocrisy" in religious terms.

We speak of someone as a "hypocrite" who "preaches" (notice the word) one thing, and does another in their own life.

However ... nursing is a professional field. It's not a religious calling, a path of devotion of whatever. As I've said before, it's not even about "caring": it's about providing competent, ethically-informed professional services.

Calling a nurse a "hypocrite" in this context suggests that a nurse who smokes has a religious calling which is their life.

On the contrary, nursing is a nurse's job. That doesn't take away from it, it just says that nurses are there to provide professional services, and, frankly, their personal life is not part of the picture.

It might be stupid for a nurse -- who should know better -- to smoke, be overweight, whatever, but it's not "hypocrisy." It's just dumb. Nurses who counsel patients to quit smoking are not doing so because smoking is "wrong": we do it because it's a bad habit, and damaging to one's health.

Jim Huffman, RN

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When I first read the responses, I didn't want to reply. I basically agreed with everyone. But, as I begin to think about it, it doesn't make sense. Smoking, lack of exercise, being overweight, unprotected sex, whatever one's "bad habit" may be, it's just that - a bad habit. Just because many of us may have them (this coming from a nonsmoker) doesn't make it right.

Honestly, if there is any group that shouldn't be smoking/overweight/blah blah, it's those in the health care field. Regardless of what we say to our patients, we see the horrible effects of poor health every single day!!! We care for the smokers dying of lung cancer, the overweight suffering from diabetes, joint & back pain, and everything else that can be caused by being overweight. We care for those with infectious diseases from unprotected sex. If there is any group could serve as a public service announcement against not taking care of oneself, it's nurses!

Now, it obvious that these problems are complex and involve many socioeconomic, cultural, and other factors. It is also painfully obvious that these habits can't be changed overnight. In addition, no one is perfect and I don't think that the OP was claiming that we as nurses should be. Please don't read this into the post.

What I like to do is - if I encounter a pt who is struggling with a "bad habit" that I have myself, I A) provide nonjudgemental support, admitting that I have the same problem, or B) provide nonjudgemental support, and use this experience as a remimder to myself to try to 'fix' what problem I have.

Whether we like it or not, we should try to practice what we preach. Of course, for most of us, this will be difficult. Put yourself in the shoes of the patient. How would you feel if a nurse who told you to lose weight was obese. Or an MD who advised you to quit smoking smelled like a chimney? Just my 2 cents. :wink2:

As I am sure that most of us agree with WE SHOULD be all around advocates for HEALTH, it is just not that easy. There is no one single perfect person in this world. I agree with what you are saying, BUT the OP posted with fighting gloves on and came out puching. I honestly would hate to be his pt. I don't feel like as his pt. I would ever be able to meet his standards. There is no compassion or empathy coming out of this person at all.

When one has an opinion, that is OK, but there are bettter ways to suggest that we as nurses should not smoke. Calling all smoking nurses hypocrites is not the best way to win friends and influence people.

I am more then willing to lay a dollar down that he has his own bad habits and in my world a sin is a sin.

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"Bad habits" and "sins" aren't the same thing. That's the point I was making earlier.

It might be stupid to smoke. But it's not a sin. I don't smoke, never have, and think it's a pretty gross habit. But let's not confuse the issues. Bad habits are bad habits, plain and simple. Most of us have a few. We do them for a variety of reasons. Calling them "sins" or saying that nurses who indulge are hypocrites is not helpful, and really not accurate.

Jim Huffman, RN

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
"Bad habits" and "sins" aren't the same thing. That's the point I was making earlier.

It might be stupid to smoke. But it's not a sin. I don't smoke, never have, and think it's a pretty gross habit. But let's not confuse the issues. Bad habits are bad habits, plain and simple. Most of us have a few. We do them for a variety of reasons. Calling them "sins" or saying that nurses who indulge are hypocrites is not helpful, and really not accurate.

Jim Huffman, RN

excellent!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

I vote troll. Someone saw a nerve twitch on that dead horse and slapped it again.

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

you guys are self-moderating this thread very well. it is a bit different "twist" if you will, on the very old smoking debate.

i won't close the thread at this time; you all are doing a great job staying on-topic so it remains open--------unless and until someone really gets out of line.

as always, if a thread does not suit us, we can chose not to participate.

most moderators prefer not to step in unless things become offensive, violate the terms of service, or just plain get out of control.

thank you for understanding.

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:deadhorse

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I'm calling the SPCA! :p

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I don't believe the number of Nurses that continue to smoke, despite the constant flow of patients that have numerous problems associated with smoking. Furthermore, it is very hypocritical for anyone, DR. or Nurse to be advising patients about proper lifestyle changes. I often get these reasons when I am confronted by a smoker.

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Smokers don't keep smoking because they are hypocritical and like to be harrassed about the damage they do to themselves or others. It is an ADDICTION.

Even a small amount of research into substance abuse would teach you that changes that occur in the chemical receptors of the brain. Just like quitting ANYOTHER drug or medicine, when one quits using tobacco there are definite and unpleasant withdrawal effects.

Not too mention the blow to the person's self esteem when they keep trying to quit and fail.

Smokers need support to quit, not a rant about how horrible and hypocritical they are.

As for nurses, we are not angels, we are human with human faults, we strive to be professional in the workplace, but off duty, we are human.

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Smokers don't keep smoking because they are hypocritical and like to be harrassed about the damage they do to themselves or others. It is an ADDICTION.

As for nurses, we are not angels, we are human with human faults, we strive to be professional in the workplace, but off duty, we are human.

If someone wants to classify smoking as an "addiction," I'm cool with that. However ...

When anything is named as an addiction, there are always those who decide that the "addicts" must be "treated." Whether they want to be treated, or not.

"Addiction" is a whole complex of physical and psychological parameters, and much of our substance abuse (from tobacco to white sugar) can be technically called "addictions." Maybe just continue calling it a bad habit?

Otherwise, we begin to have situations like the great line in the ancient (1977, I think) movie 'Annie Hall': "I used to be a heroin addict, now I'm a methadone addict." It's a great movie. For those of you not born in 1977, go to the "Ancient History" section of Blockbuster sometime, and check it out. :chuckle

Jim Huffman, RN

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