Smoking on Hospital Property

[htrn]

Our hospital is going to a "No Smoking Campus" in November. Our smoking employees are not happy about it and I can just imagine what our patients are going to do when we tell them they can no longer go outside to the smoking hut to smoke.

Has anyone else gone through this change at their facility and how has it gone. Any recommendations for our patients that smoke (other than quitting) to keep them from becoming beasts while in the hospital. Do your docs have nicotine patches in the standing orders for smoking patients?

[jmgrn65, RN]

Our Hospital has been a no smoking facility for many many years, for employees. We still have a smoking hut outside for patients and family members with the philosphy that it is too stressful of a time to expect them to not smoke. But for employees it is grounds for termination if caught smoking on the campus.

[SouthernLPN2RN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP]

Our facility went smoke free this year. It hasn't worked at all. The patients are over in the employee parking lot smoking. Our facility banned smoking on ANY hospital grounds, employee cars while on grounds or on duty, all streets or sidewalks that touch the property (which they don't even own) and all property that borders hospital property. They expect normal hospital staff to approach these folks with the policy, but I for one am not going to do it. If I'm in that lot, I'm either coming to work or leaving. No way on earth I'm going to waste time arguing with patients and visitors.

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

Our facility did this a year or so ago. People deal with it. Yes nicotine patches are readily available and are considered standing order. We just have to write the order and get them from pharmacy for patients.

I agree with southernlpn,, im not gonig to be their smoking police. They have cameras and security guards that can act in that capacity.

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

our hospital went smoke free 2 years ago. ALL of the hospitals in our city went non-smoking as well.

Nicotine patches, Xanax, etc.............

[KellieNurse06]

I say they are adults & if they want to smoke...then that's their choice....I smoke but I do not smoke during my clinical days at the hospital...I go without...simply because I think it smells disgusting on people.....& I look at it as if I were the patient...do I want my nurse coming into take care of me reeking of cigarettes?????

The hospital I was just at was a non smoking on the grounds facility.....and the staff could get a written warning on 1st offense..then fired if caught again ..........but ONLY if it was on hospital gounds during anytime you were on their time............and I was at a hospital last semester where the employees smoked at the designated smoking places...one of which was about 50 feet from the front entrance of the hospital.........It did look kinda yucky seeing the hospital employees outside puffing away though.......our school policy even has it written in our nursing student handbook...no smoking while in school uniform at any time...because we are representing XX college..........students did smoke in their cars & stuff on the way to clinicals but they would spray themselves with body spray to mask the smell...one person I know of did that and no one could smell anything........ I would be too nervous I'd get caught so I just don't do it during clinical ....... I want to quit anyway..so if I can go without for 12 hours.......I can quit.......

[RNin'08]

Most facilities in my state have gone non-smoking on campus and I can't think of a single one that's been built in the last 5 years that allows smoking any where on the property...however they all provide ash trays and I agree with many of the previous posts, I'm not about to play the role of "smoking police".

[Larry77, RN]

Our hospital is also going non-smoking in November during the national smoke out day (or something like that).

It is becoming more and more inconvenient to smoke which I think is a good thing because more and more people will QUIT! I am an ex-smoker and can't imagine trying to smoke now. In Wash St we recently passed the most strict anti-smoking law in the nation making it illegal to smoke in any public place of business including bars and taverns (even requires to be 25 feet from the entrance).

[suzy253, RN]

we have a few strategically placed butt hutts on the grounds of the hospital that we use.

[steelcityrn, RN]

Its about time! Seeing medical workers smoke in or around the hospital looks very irresponsible.

[overlyrn]

Our facility is going smoke free in Sept., I both look forward to and dread it. I look forward to it because we have enough trouble as it is with pts going out to smoke and missing doctor rounds, ect... but I can already just imagine how well this will go over with pts and families. What really annoys me is how often I'll have a patient go out to smoke and then come back in "terrible pain and nausea", then 1 hour later off they go again!

Anyway, it remains to be seen how well this will actually be enforced.

[rnwaller]

I am a traveler and I have found most hospitals smoke free. Some have nurses who will allow patients to take a "smoke break." Sorry I can't go there, too much liability letting a patient (with an IV most likely) go outside the building - and how am I suppose to track when they go and when they return.

Professionally (and I apologize now to all smokers) I think it is inexcusable. The public no longer tolerates a doctor that smokes, so why does anyone think they have any respect for a nurse who smokes?

Recently, my friend went with her daughter to the ER. She calls me to say she was taken in a little screening room by a nurse (I'm guessing it was triage) and the nurse reeked of cigarettes - and this was at a Childrens Hospital. She was disgusted and thought about leaving!!! She progressed to another nurse and it ended up an ok experience. But she kept asking me how it was possbile for this nurse to be smoking.