NICOTINE TAR CONTAINS OVER 4000 CHEMICALS including ammonia, formaldehyde, orificenic, butane, hydrogen cyanide, lead, mercury, vinyl chloride, methane AND vast quantities of carbon monoxide.
Nicotine is a colorless, odorless, organic-based alkaloid in the same family as cocaine, morphine, quinine and strychnine. It is a super toxin. Now I know it is legal and so is alcohol, but how can this be allowed in the workplace. It has to effect judgement. please I need feedback, because I have a hard time with this at work.
. I loved smoking and I hated smoking all at the same time. It is a monkey on your back especially because it is not the "social norm" to do it anymore.
OMG, thats me too. I hate the smell, but cant do without it ..YET!
I hate the money I spend on it, but I do it, and I can't stand the fact that I am an ADDICT to anything, but I am.
I go for 13 + hours on a working day without it, but cant quite shake it off altogether ....YET!
My workplace just banned smoking on the whole campus-smokers now have to cross the street to smoke. Interesting to see how this will play out.
I don't hate smokers..most of them are pretty nice people. The smokers I hate are the ones who don't really care that THEIR habit affects other people. The ones that whine that "smoker's rights" are being infringed upon. People that smoke with their kids in the car need a smack upside the head, there is no need to poison your kids lungs. My dad smoked when we were growing up but he never smoked in the house-both my brother and I have asthma and he didn't want to trigger an attack. He quit when he was 44 cold turkey-he had a heart attack and I guess it scared him. To this day, I'm proud of him for quitting.
Most of the smokers I know are aware that it's a nasty habit but they are having a hard time quitting..Do hospitals offer any type of quitting programs for employees, just out of curiousity?
I have to say, my opinion of nurses that smoke is not a good one. I don't see how someone who daily sees the effects of smoking can think that it's a good thing. The cold fact is, if you smoke at work, you stink. I don't care how many mints you pop or sticks of gum, people can smell it on you. Granted, I don't think perfume on nurses is a good idea either.
Our place is non smoking for everyone indoors and for patients outdoors but the staff can still smoke outside. Does not seem fair. My only problem is on my unit the ED I am the only nonsmoker, it is never the smokers who cover for the smokers on the floor that is because smokers go out in packs. Also I love it the smokers think they should have their 30 minutes for lunch then be allowed to go for a smoke after the 30 minutes. It is also a wonder when I cover for at least one nurse every hour and that does not include their "legal break" not to mention the fact that I am doing their work when they are taking a smoke break. it never fails after a code or a criticle patient the nurses go out for that well needed cigarette leaving me to clean up or take care of the next patient or the ones who were neglected during the code. :angryfire
I would take this up with the charge nurse but SHE iS ONE OF THE SMOKERS
Personally, I do think it affects judgement...many times last year, smoking workers were allowed to take numerous "smoke breaks" downstairs and outside....allowing fewer nurses and techs on floor, sometimes for up to 30 mins 3x a night.....If their IV went off, a patient wanted a med, etc...what am I supposed to tell em? Oh, well you're nurse went to go smoke...you'll get that pain med in about 1/2 a hour....
Also, what a image problem....you pull up in the ambulance and are greeted by 4-5 nurses/workers/etc....standing by the ER doors smoking, as you go in by strecher...and you wind up on their floor....
TG IL made public places smoke-free.....the entire hospital campus is smoke free for me...no smoking on any part of the property..you have to drive off-site to do it....
1st off - you tell them they are on thier break- it is non of thier business what the staff do on thier break. as for standing out front - i have to agree- the hospitals and nursing homes i have worked that allow smoking have a "butt hut" ( basically nothing fancy or even warm - cutting out smoking in rain and winter lol) it is a few pieces of plywood along the wall to make a corner - no roof- lol it hides smokers yet doesnt encourage us either lol. it is in back - not front too - out front i disagree with ( yes i am a smoker) - doesnt matter anyhow- most places are going not onsite anyhow. which i have no problem causeing them OT because instead of a woreking break i have to leave thefacility and gladly do so and my work now gets done when i am not on break. its actually been a good improvement - cant tell ya the number of times a quick few puffs and bacc in to work- now i enjoy my break which is a good thing.
danissa, LPN, LVN
896 Posts