Smoking as a bar to nursing - beyond silly

Oldmahubbard · Sep 7, 2019

Breaks are never 5 minutes. The smoker has to go off premises. Narcs must be counted and keys are passed. Twice a shift.

In my experience, it cannot be done and the person is either fired or they quit.

But LTC tolerates it with their greatly lowered standards.

brianbooth, RN · Sep 7, 2019

I can't comment on US nursing working pactices; I can only say how I worked it the UK, and believe, on the whole, my way worked. Others may disagree.

As the nurse in charge, if I couldn't leave the ward, then hard luck. In my absence, staff seemed to get that they followed my rules or paid the price.

brownbook · Sep 8, 2019

On 9/6/2019 at 2:58 PM, brianbooth said:
Thank you. I can only add to this that in my opinion, BMI is a largely useless measure of anything. I once nursed a super fit boxer whose BMI made him out to be obese. You could have used his abdomen as a carving board.

BMI is rediculous. Arnold Schwarrennagger in his prime was obese per the BMI. My diet is pretty bad as in eating a variety of fresh fruits and veggies, etc. Yet my BMI is low. Doesn't mean I'm healthy.

I don't care if someone smokes either.

Whatever gets you through the night is alright by me.

OUxPhys, BSN, RN · Sep 8, 2019

A hospital I used to work for would test for nicotine as part of the hiring process and if you tested positive you would not get the job until you tested negative. I do agree.....who cares if medical professionals smoke? Have them pay more in insurance. This same hospital also offered cheaper insurance to encourage weight loss.

If they want to hire on lifestyle choices then I agree with another poster, they need to widen the parameters.

Walti, LPN, LVN, RN, EMT-I · Sep 8, 2019

I'm just so glad I was finally able to quit. Chantix worked wonders for me. I do recall many years of 12 hours shifts in the ER where I was supposed to get 15 minute breaks and was lucky to get outside for 5 minutes twice a shift. Would have been nice to get paid for those missed breaks but that would reflect badly on ones "time management skills" and hence a raise.

Chan Chan · Sep 8, 2019

18 hours ago, brownbook said:
BMI is rediculous. Arnold Schwarrennagger in his prime was obese per the BMI. My diet is pretty bad as in eating a variety of fresh fruits and veggies, etc. Yet my BMI is low. Doesn't mean I'm healthy.
I don't care if someone smokes either.
Whatever gets you through the night is alright by me.

Love this post. Same here.

Forest2 · Sep 8, 2019

7 hours ago, OUxPhys said:
A hospital I used to work for would test for nicotine as part of the hiring process and if you tested positive you would not get the job until you tested negative. I do agree.....who cares if medical professionals smoke? Have them pay more in insurance. This same hospital also offered cheaper insurance to encourage weight loss.
If they want to hire on lifestyle choices then I agree with another poster, they need to widen the parameters.

It is discrimination under the guise of helping people. Help people AND if they are a good candidate, give them a job. One thing though, at least they got rid of requiring nurses to be plain looking and wear only grey, brown or black. LOL

2Ask · Sep 8, 2019

Smokers make health and life insurance premiums higher. If the employer is paying for these, I can see why they would screen. (Though I think some of the hospitals that screen may do so for religious reasons. I applied to an Adventist hospital and the recruiter told me right up front that they are a nicotine free employer)

I live in an area with lots of military. The military will kick people out if their BMI is too high or they don't pass physical fitness. People work hard to remain qualified (or not, and they lose their job),

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2019

On 9/7/2019 at 5:50 PM, brianbooth said:
I completely agree, but it seems once again I have failed to make my point clearly.
Smoking breaks are not a right ; they could be construed as fraud. However, having run a ward or two, I believe that there are times when nurses should be allowed to get outside and sort themselves out, without waiting for a scheduled break. The smokers have the excuse of 'needing a cigarette' - better than saying 'this is all too much' - so I have always extended the offer of 'fresh air' to non-smokers, shared fairly.
Giving someone an unscheduled five minute break is, I believe, preferable to having them crack up on me.
And if any smoker took a 30 minute break - I would sack them on the spot.

It's never just 5 minutes. It takes at least that long to walk to the smoking area. Another 10 to smoke, then the time to walk back. Minimum. But I like your "clear one's head" idea.

Oldmahubbard · Sep 9, 2019

A smoke break is never 5 minutes. You have to walk off the premises, to start

NewOncNurseRN, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2019

Where I work, we do have to pass a physical fitness test as well as be smoke free. I think it’s more about setting a good example for your patients. Also, some are very sensitive to the smell of tobacco. Quite honestly, I wold hate to be treated by someone in a confined space who smelled of tobacco smoke, just as I would hate to be treated by someone wearing perfume or cologne or strong scented lotion or had too smelly of a lunch that they microwaved... If I am already nauseous, that just seems cruel.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 10, 2019

And when do the parameters start edging toward age-challenged?

I am one of those calorifically challenged nurses. Not terribly over weight. I have had weight loss sx and am close to being "overweight" not "obese".

I am also 55. Am I going to be discriminated against because of this?? I am fit, I can run circles around nurses I am twice as old.

I get nervous about "widening the parameters" I was a teacher before I was a nurse and they started having nicotine-free employment and made weight lose sx easier to get. Many people took advantage, but coercing people into having surgery is a slippery slope. Are we going to offer plastics to make the ugly nurses pretty?