Smoking on Campus

bagladyrn, RN · Aug 3, 2008

The hospital I work at went "Tobacco Free" on January 1, 2008. This new policy was met with a lot anger and resentment toward the system administrators by 99.99% of the smokers.
I work on a small rehab unit which employs about 20 people. Out of these 3 are smokers. I am, however, not one of them.
As a rule we are allowed 1/2 hour for lunch and one 15 minute break anywhere in between per 8 hour shift; 15 minute break X2 if working a 12 hour shift. The concern I had was the fact that if you were a smoker, you generally recieved your normal breaks during the day, plus you were able to go out 2-3 times per shift for a smoke for 5-10 minutes a time. What's worse; most of the smokers worked on the same shift and when one went outside, the other usually followed, leaving the entire patient census in the care of 1-2 people.
Now entering our 8th month of this new "Smoke Free" policy, I have noticed a few things. Most annoying of which, staff were just standing on the sidewalk boardering our facility, smoking, wearing their badges as they "light up" right beside the "Were Tobacco Free!" sign. It makes me sick.
Now I have nothing against smoking, or smokers, but, it is my opinion that when you work in a profession such as nursing, you should act in a more professional mannor. One of my charge nurses said it perfectly when she said "We don't work at Target, behavior like that should not be tolorated."
I guess what I am really asking is; Am I wrong in thinking this way? What should I do when I see a fellow staff member clearly testing the administrations limits just like a two-year-old that keeps throwing his food on the floor?

If they are on their allotted break (not imposing on you), off the hospital property (on the public sidewalk), not exposing you to their smoke (i.e. not standing by the door) and they are colleagues, not subordinates - what business is this of yours? Why do you feel you have the obligation, or the right to "do something" about this?

As an aside, do you take your badge off when eating deep fried food from the cafeteria or scarfing down a candy bar or coke from the vending machine? Just as bad of an example...

Tweety, BSN, RN · Aug 3, 2008

I agree with you that it's unprofessional and a bit childish for them to be smoking beside that sign.

On the other hand, it's probably their legal right to do so.

littleRNthatcould · Aug 3, 2008

I agree that smoking in outside public and patient areas can be seen as unprofessional behavior.

I also think that in an era when most hospitals are inundated with unsafe staffing issues, lateral violence, bargain basement wages and policies that make it impossible to deliver the kind of patient care that people deserve, that the hospital and nurses have bigger fish to fry than where an adult human being chooses to smoke a cigarette. :twocents:

9309 · Aug 3, 2008

Fwiw-

I

morte, LPN, LVN · Aug 3, 2008

it is my understanding, that some places, you are not allowed to have the smell of smoke on your person;....part of the issue being asthmatics having problems with the smoke even in small doses......so....the question is why are the allowed back on the unit?

9309 · Aug 3, 2008

Fwiw-

I think this brings up an interesting topic. At what point does somebody's personal choices affect their professional performance? Some people would say the two are completely seperate, but I am not sure I agree.

Take, for example, a driver's ed teacher. If he had a reputation for reckless driving, or doing stunts on the street, he would be innefective as a driver's ed instructor. While he would tell his students the importance of obeying traffic laws, they would know he was not serious. In fact, he might even be a negative role model.

There are countless examples of how somebody's personal choices might affect their professional effectiveness. (A rehab counselor who is a known barfly, etc...)

The same could be said for the RN who is a diabetic educator, but is morbidly obese. No matter what he or she says about diet and excercise, the effect will be diminished. While patients will not doubt the veracity of the statements, the message will be watered down.

As long as I don't pay for their health care, I don't bedrudge anybody their right to smoke, eat, or drink themselves to death.

Curiouse what others think.

9309

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Aug 3, 2008

i guess i was just used to working in smoke free places because this happened years ago in places i was working and at a va hospitals! it was a culture shock there because a lot of vets smoke. i didn't realize that there were places that smoking was still permitted indoors.

the only way this business of staff collecting around the sidewalks and smoking outside where they can be seen is for administration to step in and stop them from doing that by finding them a designated place to smoke out of site of the public. i agree that it looks bad that people do this and the facility should do something about it. maybe one of the health reporters at the tv news stations might like to do a little expose about it? that might get some action.

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Aug 3, 2008

Here in IL, the state passed a "smoke-free" act that makes it against the law to smoke within 15 ft of entrances to public buildings.....well, both hospitals in town made their campuses smoke free...as both a way to comply with the law, and promote health. Employees no longer walk off the floor to smoke, and be gone for 15-20 minutes.....

we are supposed to tell visitors that they cannot smoke on campus....but if your loved one is near death and you're stressed....I'm not gonna do that. You deal how you have to.

It's a shame that some people HAVE to have a cigarette....during my last semester, the group would walk over to the hospital cafeteria for lunch. Except one woman who always said she had to do something, so she would drive over and meet us.....and when she showed up she REEKED of smoke. We all knew that's what she was doing....but that's life.

9309 · Aug 3, 2008

Here in IL, the state passed a "smoke-free" act that makes it against the law to smoke within 15 ft of entrances to public buildings.....well, both hospitals in town made their campuses smoke free...as both a way to comply with the law, and promote health. Employees no longer walk off the floor to smoke, and be gone for 15-20 minutes.....
we are supposed to tell visitors that they cannot smoke on campus....but if your loved one is near death and you're stressed....I'm not gonna do that. You deal how you have to.
It's a shame that some people HAVE to have a cigarette....during my last semester, the group would walk over to the hospital cafeteria for lunch. Except one woman who always said she had to do something, so she would drive over and meet us.....and when she showed up she REEKED of smoke. We all knew that's what she was doing....but that's life.

compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/addiction

beachbum3 · Aug 3, 2008

They were telling us in orientation that the policy went from not smoking on campus to not smoking on campus, or with in sight of campus. There are still areas that are technically off campus, and not in sight that people smoke. I can go with out it for my whole shift, and usually do.

In school when we went on lunch breaks and I didn't go with my group to lunch I actually was calling home to check on things. I had a number of really big personal issues going on at home during the time and was lucky I even made it through my last semester. So I'd go to my car to make the phone call before lunch, and then join up with the group. I smoke, and so yeah, I'd smoke too, I'm sure I smelled like smoke when I joined up with everyone, but you know what? I was barely getting by at the time and barely holding my life together. So while there were most likely those people who thought they were so much better than me rolling their eyes to each other or whatever, I'd be willing to bet they didn't once take the time to think that maybe my life was falling apart and I was doing the best I could. Most of the time I'd go to my car, make my phone call, smoke, and cry. Then I'd try to pull it together to go back to meet my class. I needed a few minutes to myself to pull it together and that was how I got it. I wasn't really concerned if I bothered anyone in my class with the smell of smoke on me. Like I said, it was a miracle I managed to get through school.

wearingyourtattoo · Aug 3, 2008

I agree with beachbum. Sometimes you just don't know certain circumstances in people's lives.

And the cold, hard truth about it is it's no one's business but their's. If their not personally imposing on you, then why should you be worried about it?

I'm a nursing student, and my mom smokes. She's been an off and on smoker my whole life. She's a single mother of two, no child-support, and trying to make ends meet. The three of us live in a cramped, two-bedroom apartment. She's stressed. She needs that bit of release. Why judge her for it?

If they're out by the sidewalk smoking and minding their own business, then they're not hurting anybody in my opinion.

I'm new, btw.