smoking students

Liddle Noodnik · Oct 23, 2003

Originally posted by imagin916
If I am covering 5 patients, its unfair to tell my teammembers 20 times during a shift to watch out for my patients, and if something happened to them while you were on an unscheduled break, your butt is grass.

In the "real world" you are supposed to get 2 -15 minute breaks and a half hour lunch. "Supposed to." This rarely happens.

I get mad at non smokers who get mad about my smoke break, cuz they should take a break too! Can and SHOULD.

I take 3 very quick smoke breaks, no lunch, during my 12 hour shift. Of course if it is crazy I don't get to go, and I don't ask. On my 8's I take 2 short breaks. I have no idea who these jerks are that think they can go out several times a night to smoke. That is just totally unfair.

As to the smell, I'm well aware, and I feel bad about it, but hey, I have given up all my other nasty habits including drinking and I am working on working on it! I thought when I took this job I would surely quit but it is so stressful, God help me I just can't.

NYCRN16 · Oct 23, 2003

Zoe,

I agree with you about "supposed" to be getting breaks, because most nights I dont get my full breaks either. I too smoke as well as most of my coworkers, but I dont take advantage of my teammembers, as you said its not fair for those who go out all night long every 1/2 hour (or more often).

And I agree with you, I dont care if the patients smell it either!

EastCoast · Oct 23, 2003

Originally posted by imagin916
Zoe,

And I agree with you, I dont care if the patients smell it either!

i don't agree that you shouldn't care. as someone mentioned what about the person who is having chemo and is nauseated or the patient who smokes who is trying hard to give it up? it sets a terrible example for teenagers who may be volunteering on your floor.

It's a bit embarassing don't you think when someone says 'did you just have a cigarette?'

translation: you smell awful...please brush your teeth and use some febreeze.

NYCRN16 · Oct 24, 2003

None of my patients have commented on it, and I dont go out and smoke that often, so its not like its super bad. I work nights, so there are no volunteers at night to set an example for. I have actually had patients tell me (especially ones who smoke) that they fell better that they know some of us smoke, and they can talk to me more openly because I know how hard it is to quit. I am not saying that its right for us to absolutely stink of smoke to the point where we make someone sick, but I am allowed to make my own choices to smoke, and I feel that as long as it is not effecting my work (taking too many breaks, ect) it shouldnt matter.

Tim-GNP · Nov 1, 2003

My students get one break- 15 minutes for every 4 hours of clinical time. If the clinical rotation is greater than 5 hours, they get a 1/2 hour rest period.

My university does this in accordance with NLRB standards-

If they want to smoke, c'est la vie. I am there to teach them nursing, not to pass judgment on lifestyle choices. I caution others about this... your opinion counts to you... discriminate against a smoking student, and you can find yourself in the Deans office [it happened to a friend of mine who is also a nursing instructor in upstate New York].

Cheers!

LydiaGreen · Dec 1, 2003

I think hospital management has a lot to do with this. I am in my final year of nursing school (three twelve hour shifts left to go in clinical this semester and then 16 weeks of preceptorship working full-time hours from January through April). I have done, and will continue to do, the entirety of my clinical placements in the same hospital. No one takes "smoke breaks". Everyone is entitled to their scheduled breaks (although they may not get them), and may do as they wish on their breaks. There are more than a handful of nurses who do not smoke anywhere but at work... why? Stress. I am a smoker (hopefully not after next Sunday - my quit date) and I am LUCKY to have four cigarettes in the course of a twelve hour shift - one during each break and two at lunch. No one would ask or sneak any additional breaks to smoke, not students and not staff. This is MY addiction - no one else should be inconvenienced by it.

indie · Dec 1, 2003

I'm with Tim in being very careful, as an instructor, what I say about students and their habits.

At the beginning of clinicals I set out the rules per school of nursing and the additional ones per the facility. Breaks should be taken per the rules; what students do with them is their business, but I encourage eating and taking fluids. I impose sanctions on any student who takes more or longer breaks than allowed.

I strongly reinforce the facility smoking policy (where and wearing what) and that no odor (perfume, smoke, incense etc) is usually preferred by patients who may be nauseated.

Clinical placements in some areas of the country are hard for a school to maintain. In 'difficult' facilities, the students are required to sign a form which lists the special issues of this particular facility e.g. enter and exit by rear door, park in designated employee parking, smoking only in smoking designated break area, knock before entering rooms, etc. etc. (I won't post too much detail as it might identify a facility!) but you get the picture.

I think it's up to the clinical instructor to set the tone for behavior that is acceptable or unacceptable and really spell it out. But even then you can be caught out; I once had a student who thought it was OK to leave the facility for his half hour break and drink two cans of beer. I had not specifically said otherwise, was his counter statement.

SteelTownRN · Dec 27, 2003

As a clinical instructor, it is my policy to treat all students equally. That would include that no one leaves the floor except for when we go to postconference during the last 30 minutes of clinicals. We are only in clinicals for 6 hours a day, and our habits have to be left in the car, along with cellphones and cigarrettes and whatever else.

I have only had one student challenge me on the no smoke break thing, and he wasn't successful. No one wants to smell a nurse who is covered in smoke or excessive perfume/cologne/aftershave. I just don't buy that a separate lab coat will prevent smoke smells from lingering on a smoker after returning to a floor, as you can easily smell smoke on a smoker after they come back from break. It's all over them, in their hair, and around the other clothes they are wearing.

One of the hospitals in town recently passed a ban on smoking ANYWHERE on their grounds, and that would include parking lots, outside the doors, etc... I personally think that it is the best rule that they ever passed. Secondhand smoke is not healthy, and we shouldn't subject staff, visitors, and patients to it.

STG

wrmbreeze · Dec 28, 2003

I agree wholeheartedly with not allowing extra breaks for smokers, but what do you do with those who dip. I am a nursing student and in class there is a guy who sits beside me and he has dip the whole time we are in class. It really sickens me and makes it hard to concentrate when he is spitting in a cup not even 6 inches away from me. Others can't smoke in class so why should he be allowed to dip in class? What does everyone else think about it?

Sarah Kat · Dec 28, 2003

Originally posted by wrmbreeze
I agree wholeheartedly with not allowing extra breaks for smokers, but what do you do with those who dip. I am a nursing student and in class there is a guy who sits beside me and he has dip the whole time we are in class. It really sickens me and makes it hard to concentrate when he is spitting in a cup not even 6 inches away from me. Others can't smoke in class so why should he be allowed to dip in class? What does everyone else think about it?

The school that I will be attending for practical nursing is run by the county school system, and as such, it is illegal to use any tobacco products on school property.

For this I am thankful. Dip's pretty popular here in WV (as I know it is in NC as well) and my husband used to dip (when he was at work as a carpenter so he could avoid smoke breaks altogether) and I hated it. Hubby and I quit smoking almost 7 mos. ago! We're happy now that we can breathe easy...

SteelTownRN · Dec 28, 2003

Interesting question about what to do about the dip issue in a classroom. I guess I'd have to look at the tobacco use policy for campus, and if the wording includes oral tobacco dipping, as well as smoking cigarettes as being forbidden in classrooms, then it is clear what to do. I suspect that our policy is clear about that, as I've never seen it in the classroom. However, I'm sure that somewhere it's been done right under my face in the classroom.

STG

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Dec 28, 2003

At least with dip, someone else's bad habit is not poisoning me and sending me into an asthma fit like cigs do.