Smoking bans in and around NC hospitals

live4today, RN · Jul 2, 2005

It's a very healthy idea in my opinion. I'm not a smoker, and make every effort not to place myself in the environment where cigerette smoke radiates. I won't work where smoking is permitted, and left the real estate office I worked in back in the 1980's for this very reason. I miss living in California for this reason as well. I would love to see our entire country ban smoking in public places. :)

LadyStorm · Jul 2, 2005

It's a very healthy idea in my opinion. I'm not a smoker, and make every effort not to place myself in the environment where cigerette smoke radiates. I won't work where smoking is permitted, and left the real estate office I worked in back in the 1980's for this very reason. I miss living in California for this reason as well. I would love to see our entire country ban smoking in public places. :)

I can speak from both sides becuase I quit smoking almost 2 months ago.

I guess I am the classic ex-smoker, I find the smell of smoking obnoxious I hate to go near smokers or near someone who has just lit up.

However, an employer has no right to dictate what a person does in their free time as long as it is a legal activity that doesn't effect their work. If they want to ban smoking on their property I find no issue with that. But, to tell someone what they can do when they are no longer at work is definitely wrong.

If they think they are having a nursing shortage now, they will definitly have a difficult time hiring if they refuse to hire non-smokers. That can even fall on the borderline of discrimination.

live4today, RN · Jul 2, 2005

I can speak from both sides becuase I quit smoking almost 2 months ago.
I guess I am the classic ex-smoker, I find the smell of smoking obnoxious I hate to go near smokers or near someone who has just lit up.
However, an employer has no right to dictate what a person does in their free time as long as it is a legal activity that doesn't effect their work. If they want to ban smoking on their property I find no issue with that. But, to tell someone what they can do when they are no longer at work is definitely wrong.
If they think they are having a nursing shortage now, they will definitly have a difficult time hiring if they refuse to hire non-smokers. That can even fall on the borderline of discrimination.

I agree that the employer should have no right to tell an employee what to do in their off time away from work, but when an employee is on a nonsmoking premise, they should adhere to that ruling. If they are caught smoking on the premise of said nonsmoking facility, then the employer has every right to call the employee on smoking on that particular facility due to its nonsmoking policy. :)

barefootlady, ADN, RN · Jul 3, 2005

That is happening here too. While I understand the reasons behind this, I do feel it is an infringement of individual rights. What if a facility would not hire you if you have a family history of cardiac problems, mental illness, diabetes?

When one group is banned in whatever manner, it may follow that others groups will soon follow.

A city here has given employees until the middle of July to stop smoking or face a raise in the insurance premium. Randon testing will be required. I wonder what condition/habit will become the next target. One thing for sure, alcohol will not be mentioned. It is acceptable to drink.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Jul 3, 2005

Both hospitals in my community (in Texas) are going to a non-smoking campus as of Oct 1. No smoking, even in private vehicles.

Both have said that is it because of national regulations, I can't remember if it's JCAHO, NIH, CDC, or otherwise.

So don't be surprised if you find out that many of the posters here respond w/ some form of: yeah, my hospital, too.

~faith,

Timothy.

Aneroo, LPN · Jul 3, 2005

I agree that smoking should be banned in and around hospitals, but I don't think they can limit who they hire according to whether they smoke or not- gotta be something legally wrong there.

I'm a non-smoker, and right now, I'm very sensitive to the smell of smoke. I can tell if you've just come in off your cig break, and it smells horrible to me. I wouldn't want someone reeking of smoke coming in and caring for me, b/c it makes me uncomfortable smelling you. Also, patients and family see us all the time, whether we want them to or not- really makes an influence on them when they see the nurse doing something unhealthy. JMO-Andrea

bmbcyclist · Jul 6, 2005

I don't agree with the employer's not hiring nurses that smoke, however, the smell of a smoker makes my stomach turn, imagine a fresh post op patient already w nausea. The only good thing is patients can't keep putting their smoking as a priority to xrays and medications etc.

We as nurses have no rights to try and keep a patient safe, they have the right to leave to smoke, we can not police them and tell them they can't leave the unit, at least where I work here in CA.

I also dislike that smokers have their cigarette right at the entrance of the buildings. If they want to smoke, it should be well away from any entrance so we as non smokers don't have to hold our breathe.

I don't know the liabilitiy of a nurse when a patient leaves against advice to go smoke, postponing valuable meds/treatments etc, but I always be sure to document that the patient left against advice of staff to go out and smoke.

Any legal nurse consultants on this issue?

Again, fake nails are a good reason to hire/not hire because there is a direct link to infections, but to not hire a smoker is not fair;

however, there is a memo on smoke free housing here in CA that there is "no constitutional right to smoke". I wonder if this is how hospitals are getting away with this new policy of not hiring smokers?

Will this hold true for doctors? Are they going to forbid a cardiac surgeon with awesome reputation just because he smokes cigars?

I hope fair policies get instated, as someone said, we have a big enough shortage as it is!

porterwoman · Jul 17, 2005

Yep, apparently our hospital campus will go non-smoking in this calendar year, but I have only heard about it from the staff educator once and nothing has been publicized hospital wide yet. That doesn't give people who do smoke much time to quit or prepare or whatever. Personally, as a person who has never smoked, I am in agreement with it. I think healthcare providers are in a position to model and promote good health behaviors and I think that's part of our responsibility. If ours goes non-smoking, I think that means all but two (?) of the hospitals in NC west of Asheville will be non-smoking. That can be tough for pts and for their stressed-out families; personally, I don't think pts should "go downstairs to smoke." BUT I also understand that being in the hospital is stressful for them. I wonder if the non-smoking thing will change the demographics at our hospital? Dunno.

LPN_mn · Jul 17, 2005

I work for a state facility in Minnesota and the whole campus is smoke free. I am a smoker and I spend 8 hours at work and do not smoke while I am there. I get busy and the time flies by. Guess going that long without one I should be able to quit. We cannot leave the premises once you are at work because we work a straight 8 so we do not get the 30 minute lunch. We just eat when we get the chance. It is not so bad at least there are not cigarette butts laying all over the ground. The sex offenders who come in don't realize that it is smoke free there and they sometimes get upset but they calm down after a while when they realize that they are locked in and there is no way they are getting a cigarette.

doodlemom · Jul 22, 2005

I've noticed most hospitals in my area have completely banned smoking from the premises and some are even testing employees and won't hire smokers!
What's the policy where you are? Thoughts about it?
BTW-I'm not a smoker but I do feel workers are getting told more and more what they can't do on their off time.

I used to be a manager at a restaurant and it was against NC employment laws to not hire based on if a person is a smoker or not. You are not allowed to ask the question on interviews, just like you are not allowed to ask "do you have any children" and other personal questions. (Employers generally don't like to hire people with small children because they call in alot.) I hate smoking and I have to admit that when I smelled smoke on someone it would alter my hiring decision. I'm not proud of that and I believe that it was wrong...on the other hand... I know that I'll probably get a lot of flac for saying this, but people that smoke generally take more breaks and are less productive than non smokers.

RN Zeke · Jul 23, 2005

Cigarette smoke penetrates the smokers body, clothes and breath, making them smell like and old ash tray full of butts. Just walking by the smokers at the entrance of and instution is enough to get the smell on ones clothing which invades the personal space of that individual. This odor can and does make many patients throw up, even if it is "second hand" smoke.