stinking of cigarette smoke

Nurses General Nursing

Published

:angryfire Is there anyone out there who agrees with me?

I work on a ward where we frequently provide palliative care for patients with cancer (amongst other things). I cannot stress how much it infuriates me when nurses who are smokers go into a dying cancer patient's room stinking of cigarette smoke.

In my opinion this is so morally and ethically wrong that I took my concerns to our unit manager after a patient's family made a complaint to me about another nurse. Unfortunately the NUM also smokes like a chimney and bla bla bla bla nothing was done.

Now that I have unloaded I feel more able to look at the situation objectively and decide on a course of action through appropriate channels.

I would welcome any and all opinions on smoking in the workplace.

(Please let it be known that I do not object to any person's right to smoke off the ward if they wish, only in the circumstances descibed above).

Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
Yea, but how long does it take you to get to the point you are ready to park it, LOL.

:chuckle ... good point! Plus, when I do park it, it takes me awhile to find an isolated, safe place in the parking lot. I drive my Vette to work only 4-5 x's a month. I do pay for garage parking, yet my wife & I share an '04 Honda Civic to carpool to work. We work at different hospitals, yet less than .25 miles apart.

BTW, my wife is a smoker, but never smokes in our home, or in any cars.

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:chuckle ... good point! Plus, when I do park it, it takes me awhile to find an isolated, safe place in the parking lot. I drive my Vette to work only 4-5 x's a month. I do pay for garage parking, yet my wife & I share an '04 Honda Civic to carpool to work. We work at different hospitals, yet less than .25 miles apart.

BTW, my wife is a smoker, but never smokes in our home, or in any cars.

Boys....:chuckle

You know what they say about the only difference between men and boys...?

that's not a put down, I was laughing at the humor here.:rotfl:

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Secondhand smoke infringes on the rights of nonsmokers.

AMEN!!!!!!!!! I am soooo sick and tired of walking out the door of my class and inhailing a lung full of some other students cigarette smoke because they just had to go 50 minutes without a cigarette and can't have the common courtesy to go to the designated smoking area. If you choose to slowly kill yourself that is fine with me but I should not be subjected to sharing in your addiction.

That said, my husband has smoked since I've known him (15 years). I do not sleep in the same bed with him anymore because his smoking makes his snoring unbearable (I know this because the 4 months he actually quit he did not snore anymore). I also have not passionately kissed him in a very long time because I don't enjoy licking an ashtray. I hate the way his hands, clothes, hair and the garage reak of smoke. To put it mildly this has put quite a damper on our love life :crying2: . I also turn into quite a you-know-what if I find out he has smoked in an enclosed area (such as a vehicle) with one of our children present - one of which has asthma.

I just don't understand why smokers feel their right to smoke is more important than a non-smokers right to breathe fresh air simply because it is an addiction.

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Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
Boys....:chuckle

You know what they say about the only difference between men and boys...?

that's not a put down, I was laughing at the humor here.:rotfl:

... is there toys aacegtg101803006a4fu.jpg :)

BTW, no put down taken. :wink2:

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I just don't understand why smokers feel their right to smoke is more important than a non-smokers right to breath fresh air simply because it is an addiction.

I don't understand why non-smokers feel that they have the right to tell others what they can and can not do. This is the United States if you don't like what I am doing you have the absolute right to be elsewhere. Laws are voted on in this country. I predict that smoking will never be against the law because, guess what, smokers vote. We can't smoke in public buildings unless they are bars (FL law) in some places we have to walk to designated areas. Now you want to tell me we just can't smoke anywhere but at home, never happen.

Don't get me wrong I don't like smoking and I want to quit and I agree that smokers should try to refrain when at work, but I really hate when people I don't know feel they have the right to make me feel like dirt because I do something they don't like.

I am not saying you are doing this but if you read the posts here smokers are made out to be idiots and rude. We are not but that is the image that nonsmokers always seem to want to stick to smokers.

I think this thread should be locked and we should to agree to disagree because we will never see eye to eye on the smoking issue

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Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
I don't understand why non-smokers feel that they have the right to tell others what they can and can not do. This is the United States if you don't like what I am doing you have the absolute right to be elsewhere. Laws are voted on in this country. I predict that smoking will never be against the law because, guess what, smokers vote. We can't smoke in public buildings unless they are bars (FL law) in some places we have to walk to designated areas. Now you want to tell me we just can't smoke anywhere but at home, never happen.

Don't get me wrong I don't like smoking and I want to quit and I agree that smokers should try to refrain when at work, but I really hate when people I don't know feel they have the right to make me feel like dirt because I do something they don't like.

I am not saying you are doing this but if you read the posts here smokers are made out to be idiots and rude. We are not but that is the image that nonsmokers always seem to want to stick to smokers.

I think this thread should be locked and we should to agree to disagree because we will never see eye to eye on the smoking issue

Mods, please don't lock this thread.

Missyb32641 - I can only speak for myself, plus I realize your post was not directed specifcally at me. So, with that said...

Smokers are neither idiots, nor rude, at least intentionally. My wife smokes d/t addiction & conceived stress relief. My wife is never rude about her smoking, and she is well aware of the dangers of smoking.

Yes, you have the right to smoke in private, yet not around me d/t secondhand smoke. I'm well aware of the rights & freedoms we all have as Americans [looked at my avatar?]. Yet, if I ever see someone burning the American Flag, then that is some secondhand smoke I'd extinguish, ASAP... and I could care less if that person has the freedom of speech to do such.

BTW, I agree cigarette smoking will never be illegal. Yet, this is d/t to the power of the Tobacco Lobbyist, rather than individual voter, IMHO.

Please, don't feel like dirt... most nonsmokers should live by the saying; hate the game, not the player. In otherwords, hate the secondhand smoke, not the smoker. BTW, I hate the effects of smoking & secondhand smoke, rather than the fact that you, or anyone else smokes.

Again, IMHO this Thread overall has been a good forum to clear the air... or, smoke up the room, LOL, and should remain open.

:twocents:

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Mods, please don't lock this thread.

Missyb32641 - I can only speak for myself, plus I realize your post was not directed specifcally at me. So, with that said...

Smokers are neither idiots, nor rude, at least intentionally. My wife smokes d/t addiction & conceived stress relief. My wife is never rude about her smoking, and she is well aware of the dangers of smoking.

Yes, you have the right to smoke in private, yet not around me d/t secondhand smoke. I'm well aware of the rights & freedoms we all have as Americans [looked at my avatar?]. Yet, if I ever see someone burning the American Flag, then that is some secondhand smoke I'd extinguish, ASAP... and I could care less if that person has the freedom of speech to do such.

BTW, I agree cigarette smoking will never be illegal. Yet, this is d/t to the power of the Tobacco Lobbyist, rather than individual voter, IMHO.

Please, don't feel like dirt... most nonsmokers should live by the saying; hate the game, not the player. In otherwords, hate the secondhand smoke, not the smoker. BTW, I hate the effects of smoking & secondhand smoke, rather than the fact that you, or anyone else smokes.

Again, IMHO this Thread overall has been a good forum to clear the air... or, smoke up the room, LOL, and should remain open.

:twocents:

Now here is a human being with a head and a heart and knows in which proportion they should be listened to. Thank you for stating the truth.

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I don't understand why non-smokers feel that they have the right to tell others what they can and can not do. This is the United States if you don't like what I am doing you have the absolute right to be elsewhere. Laws are voted on in this country. I predict that smoking will never be against the law because, guess what, smokers vote. We can't smoke in public buildings unless they are bars (FL law) in some places we have to walk to designated areas. Now you want to tell me we just can't smoke anywhere but at home, never happen.

Don't get me wrong I don't like smoking and I want to quit and I agree that smokers should try to refrain when at work, but I really hate when people I don't know feel they have the right to make me feel like dirt because I do something they don't like.

I am not saying you are doing this but if you read the posts here smokers are made out to be idiots and rude. We are not but that is the image that nonsmokers always seem to want to stick to smokers.

I think this thread should be locked and we should to agree to disagree because we will never see eye to eye on the smoking issue

I have highlighted a couple of things in your post that you pointed out about my post (which I think you might want to go back and read again, BTW). I have the ABSOLUTE right to be on the sidewalk walking to and from my classes and so do the smokers but the smokers are suppose to smoke ONLY in designated areas of the campus, not on the sidewalks leading to the classrooms. I am in no way saying that the smokers should not be allowed to smoke on campus but THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SMOKE ANYWHERE THEY FEEL LIKE. Why? BECAUSE I HAVE THE RIGHT NOT TO HAVE TO SMELL YOUR CANCER STICK. I can do that by avoiding the DESIGNATED SMOKING AREA. That is why I made the comment about smokers thinking their right to smoke is more important than my right to not to.

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Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.

rambisisking- thanks for the kind words. :cool:

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Corvette Guy,

Thank you for your understanding. I applaud you and thank you for the job you did in the service. I agree that you have the right not to be around second hand smoke. I think you might be right about the forum I am sorry for the way I have stated my opion on this matter and hope that I have not played down the sacrifices made by the thoundsands of people who have died defending the freedoms we hold now.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

"Your freedoms end where your nose does." or so the old saying goes......and being a veteran, I appreciate freedoms we have as much as the next one does......

Unfortunately, your cigarette smoke (or perfume) travels further than your nose.

I think it's fine for a person to smoke at home, in her car or whatever. But I should not have to breathe it in and suffer the allergic consequences of this.

Freedom is extended to us all-----non-smokers should be free to breathe clean air, esp in restaurants, hospitals, and certain other settings. That is the bottom line for me. And also, regarding patient care, smoke residues DO make some of us sick or cause allergic reactions in others (my asthmatic son for instance). Since patients can't get up and move, I think it only fair no smoke residues should be carried to their bedsides.

Really, it's about more than freedom, but also common courtesy and even health, for some.

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Specializes in Surgery.

I work at a Children's Hospital. It was made clear to me, that as a hospital wide policy, employees were: not allowed to smoke anywhere on hospital property (including in your car in the parking lot or garage); not allowed to come to work smelling like smoke. Any deviation from this is grounds for immediate dismissal.

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