Smoking residents in LTC

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Hello friends I'm sure this topic is a familiar one for many. 
 

I work in LTC and have for the last ten years. I recently was forced to a new facility due to a necessary move. This new location is a smoking facility with dragons aged smoke breaks for residents. I am not a smoker, am sensitive to cigarette smoke, and will not risk my health being exposed to cigarette smoke. It has not been an issue until this evening I was approached by the unit manager who told me it was "my turn" to take the smokers out. I politely declined. There are many employees who do smoke who were available to take them out. 
 

I received a write up without a verbal warning. It will hit the DONs desk tomorrow. Furthermore, the manager must have went gossiping about it because for the rest of my shift coworkers walked past dropping loud comments directed at no one about how "did you hear we can refuse to take the smokers out now?!” Or "hey Nancy I guess tomorrow I'm going to refuse to take the smokers out because I just don't want to!” It was so petty and hostile! 

 

I work in Michigan. I've never been in this position before. Can I truly be obligated to risk my health and be forced to expose myself to a cloud of 15 lit cigarettes  or be fired??

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Specializes in VA-BC, CRNI.

Michigan has the Dr. Ron Davis Law which prohibits occupational exposure to tobacco smoke. Residents of the nursing home are allowed to smoke in outside designated areas and can be supervised or unsupervised. 

What the facility cannot do is compel someone to be occupationally exposed to smoke. They can make you supervise the patient but they would have to take measures to prevent your exposure. 

The below are some links to the smoking rules and a place to find information to make a complaint. 

www.michigan.gov/smokefreelaw 
https://mltcop.org/documents/smoking-nursing-home-english

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Specializes in ER.

If I  had been in this situation,  I would have taken my turn, but not have sat in close proximity. Unfortunately,  now your coworkers think you are a primadonna. 

You likely can cite the second hand smoke occupational exposure law, true. But, this workplace sounds toxic to me. And, don't they know LTC facilities are chronically short staffed? What are they thinking with this heavy handed approach? 

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Specializes in Everything except for pediatrics.

As a retired nurse, no one should be subjected to smoke if they don't want to. So facilities need to use cameras that can be monitor residents or a glass wall so residents can be observed while they're smoking so staff does not have to be subjected to smoke. What a simple answer. To a problem. 

 

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As nurses, we preach and educate the patients, families and friends on the effects of smoking. When it comes to customer satisfaction, nurses have no choice but listen to their manager. 
Just wondering, anyone available for nurses and their health. After the Covid outbreak, we lost so many nurses, the workforce is shrinking as the baby boomers are retiring and we  don't have the replacement for them. 
it's a crucial time for employers to protect the wellbeing of their nurses and even give them extra support more than ever to retain them. 
It's time to educate the Healthcare Administration on the effects Second Hand Smoking on their employees.

"Breathing secondhand smoke affects your heart and blood vessels. This increases your risk of having a heart attack. Exposure to secondhand smoke increases your risk of developing and dying from heart disease. It also increases your risk of having (and dying from) a stroke".

The Business mindset of the Healthcare Industry is focused on their profit margin and Customer Satisfaction, not the safety of their employees. 
If your manager gives you hard time, first contact the Occupational Health Department in your facility.
 If they are not available to support for the nurses, contact OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is a US Department of Labor agency that ensures safe and healthy working conditions by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, outreach, education, and assistance. 
 

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Um.... not to be dramatic but uh.... Did you just win the lottery? 😂 

But seriously:

1. Not a "familiar" scenario to me. Never heard of having to force a hospital staff member to be exposed to cigarette smoker because the patients want to go smoke. 

2. Cigarette smoke is an occupational hazard to everyone, even if you don't have asthma. After they are done smoking, the smoke particulates are on everything including clothes and can still cause reactions in people who are sensitive. 

3. You have rights as a worker, regardless of the occupation. If I was ever disciplined by an employer by something like this, I would be laughing my way to my state's equal rights commission office, the board, employment attorney's office, etc. Honestly, this is absolutely hilarious and I know it's not the nicest thing to say but this sounds so bizarre and out-of-pocket that I can't help but laugh. 

4. If there is any provable bullying, retaliation, etc against you associated with your refusal to purposefully expose yourself to cigarette smoke when it is 100% within the facility's ability to avoid such an event, then this kind of thing could bring the whole facility to a stop on a dime. I have seen C-Suite level people get canned over far less. Way less. 

5. Joint commission, boards, OSHA, IDK even know how many others would just be foaming at the mouth after hearing about this 😂 

Because you refused to do this, they should put your picture on a billboard with the caption "Some heroes don't wear capes." 🤣 The bar could not be lower for your facility holy hell. 

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Specializes in nursing ethics.

So 15 minutes of being near smoke hurts you?  I doubt it. Why do smokers need a chaperone?  Next time, don't be aloof, but you should not be reported. IMO

A verbal warning is enough.

 

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MarkMyWords said:

So 15 minutes of being near smoke hurts you?  I doubt it. Why do smokers need a chaperone?  Next time, don't be aloof, but you should not be reported. IMO

A verbal warning is enough.

 

"Am I a joke to you?"

-My Albuterol rescue inhaler for asthma

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MarkMyWords said:

So 15 minutes of being near smoke hurts you?  I doubt it. Why do smokers need a chaperone?  Next time, don't be aloof, but you should not be reported. IMO

A verbal warning is enough.

 

I have a letter from my doctor with an extensive list of Dos and Do Nots while under his treatment program. Expose to cigarette smoke is one of the Do Nots, so yes, I'd say 15 minutes of smoke exposure is not acceptable for my health 

 

I also looked into laws around this and it is absolutely illegal for them to require employees to be exposed to cigarette smoke, and even more illegal for them to pursue disciplinary measures over my refusal to do so. 
 

And while I'm updating the thread: I was terminated today with no notice and no explanation. They revoked my access to my schedule and other work related apps. I assume it's because I'm not willing to lay down and let them trample all over my workers rights. 
 

I've already reported them to the labour board and am reaching out to attorneys. On top of this issue they have also altered my time card to cheat me out of hours, and told me I am obligated to show up to the work building on certain days off to work for free and "if I don't like their policies I can just go home and not come back" 

I hope they enjoy being investigated and sued. I have never stepped foot in such a hostile work environment run by a bunch of angry nasty people

 

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Avian c said:

I have a letter from my doctor with an extensive list of Dos and Do Nots while under his treatment program. Expose to cigarette smoke is one of the Do Nots, so yes, I'd say 15 minutes of smoke exposure is not acceptable for my health 

 

I also looked into laws around this and it is absolutely illegal for them to require employees to be exposed to cigarette smoke, and even more illegal for them to pursue disciplinary measures over my refusal to do so. 
 

And while I'm updating the thread: I was terminated today with no notice and no explanation. They revoked my access to my schedule and other work related apps. I assume it's because I'm not willing to lay down and let them trample all over my workers rights. 
 

I've already reported them to the labour board and am reaching out to attorneys. On top of this issue they have also altered my time card to cheat me out of hours, and told me I am obligated to show up to the work building on certain days off to work for free and "if I don't like their policies I can just go home and not come back" 

I hope they enjoy being investigated and sued. I have never stepped foot in such a hostile work environment run by a bunch of angry nasty people

 

Good for you. I would also sue the place into the ground.

I can just imagine myself on the ground turning blue from an asthma exacerbation while my coworkers and the DON look down on me and accuse me of trying to get out of work and not being a team player. 

People who condone this kind of weird crap are absolutely outside of their mind. 

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