Unhealthy Habits of Nurses

[lynns75]

What are your thoughts on nurses participating in unhealthy habits. Does it bother you if a fellow nurse smokes or if they are overweight? Do you feel any different as a patient if your nurse walks in and is overweight or smells like smoke? If you were/are a nurse who smoked/smokes or who had/has a weight problem, did everything you learned in school about health prompt you to make any changes? If so did the changes stick?

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

She's following the instructions of her assignment. I think you're well over analyzing what she meant by "actually respond". You berate her for not searching what has already been posted on the subject as if she's wasting your time yet you have no issue with trolling this thread and using threatening language against the OP and making cheeky comments about her instructor's choice of assignment? Go vent your frustrations elsewhere, you're wasting the OP's time.

Trolling? Threatening? Because you don't understand what I wrote and why I wrote it makes me neither of those things. I'm not concerned with "wasting the OP's time" since she's the one who put it there for comment, and that's what she got. As for the comments about the instructor's assignment? It's because many people (including myself) do not believe posting on an anonymous message board without any ability to verify the participants was really the intent. We believe either the assignment is not as posted, OR the intent is for something else entirely.

Perhaps it might be time to mention that a 'troll' is someone who posts on a messge board with the exclusive intent of stirring up trouble, riling emotions, causing controversy, then sitting back and watching with delight at the ruckus.

If THAT'S the assignment, it's a win for her.

But whatever. You refer to my comments as "cheeky" and I refer to yours as self-righteous. Are we done now?

[RNIBCLC]

As "some thin Barbie nurse" myself, I resent the implication that I'm somehow less than adequate to professionally and compassionately explain the importance of weight loss, diet and exercise to an obese patient. Is it fair to assume that because I'm in shape and I eat well that I've never struggled with my self-image or weight gain?

I mean, that's really taking the OP's original question here in reverse, right? Arguing that some nurses are somehow inadequate as a caregivers because we haven't experience the health issues of the patient?

I did not mean to offend you I'm sorry. I also happen to be thin so don't take it personally please. My point was SOME patients might relate better to someone they identify with. I never said thin nurses were inadequate to teach or give information. You used the word inadequate not me.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

We all have the right to take our breaks and frankly what we do with them is no one elses business and I say this as a non smoker.

Of course everyone should take their regular breaks. But no one should get additional 10 minute breaks multiple times throughout the shift because they smoke, which is what I've read about here, and was baffled by.

Back to regularly scheduled programming...

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Is this for a class in online trolling?

Beverage alert!

[suanna]

......

Once again, no disrespect here, but we are the role models. If you are overweight, smell of smoke, and illustrate poor habits in general nobody will take you serious. This is because they consider us experts! And if they see that we as nurses are not practicing healthy choices and are not heeding the advice then why should they?

I'm not a role model- I'm a nurse. I'm paid to perform a variety of specialized skills and to use my educated judgement to direct and coordinate care in the position for which I was hired. Ya want a role model?- read the Bible. I'm no saint, and if you choose to model your health practices on mine, you deserve whatever bad outcomes you get.

[poppycat, ADN, BSN]

Beverage alert!

I'll take a diet Coke, Ruby, because I am an overweight nurse with type 2 diabetes & don't want my sugar to go up.

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

I did not mean to offend you I'm sorry. I also happen to be thin so don't take it personally please. My point was SOME patients might relate better to someone they identify with. I never said thin nurses were inadequate to teach or give information. You used the word inadequate not me.

I didn't mean to come off as sounding offended by you personally, so I apologize for that. I guess I just have a sore spot from being told by numerous patients that I wouldn't understand what it's like to have to work really hard at self-discipline to overcome a health problem just because I'm thin.

The truth of the matter is, most patients don't have any idea who we are as people, and that's the way it ought to be to maintain that professionalism, but it puts us at a disadvantage in certain circumstances. What if that nurse who's counseling you on tobacco cessation has been trying to quit for 2 years? What if the obese nurse talking about weight loss has been dieting, exercising and doing all the right things, but it just isn't coming off? There are times I think we do ourselves a disservice by blending into the nondescript faces of the hospital because as people just like our patients, we ourselves understand the struggles innate to being human.

[Sayangku, BSN, RN]

There is far beyond unhealthy habits of nurses than smoking and being overweight.Don't overshadow it with such.Giving patients health teaching is a crucial role for every nurses.The best thing is that you have done your part.As they say "it is easier said than done" but at least you have given it a try.I may not be an obese nurse but i gain weight due to some circumstances.We are not a perfect human being.we just have to embrace our imperfections.