'Unhealthy' nurses...bad examples?

[fifi2323]

I hope this post doesn't offend anyone,but I have noticed a lot of the nurses I know are overweight,smokers or both. Obviously people become nurses because they completed school,and are qualified to do their jobs,which has nothing to do with physical appearance or vices.

Its common knowledge that smoking and/or obesity can kill you,but I would think those in the healthcare field would have a more acute idea of how health is jeopardized by these things. I am asking one out of curiousity,and secondly because I myself am overweight. I was just wondering if anybody has ever gotten any flak from patients or higher-ups? Or do you feel you aren't taken as seriously because of how you look,or because you need a cigarette break? I hope this hasn't happened,since its discriminatory and wrong,but we all know that doesn't mean much!

[nurse_clown]

you don't see why an accountant should be financially savvy or why a firefighter should have smoke alarms in his house? really???

[color=dimgray]about the financial savvy: my sister was married to a big looser. one day, he approached my father and said that he took a little course to be a financial advisor. my dad laughed in his face. this guy had been on welfare and was scrounging for change to buy cigarettes. and he wanted to be my dad's financial advisor?? i thought that was funny and wanted to share that.

i wanna share this too. it might have already been posted but i wanna say it anyway. some nurses may not be the picture of health. nursing is a very stressful job. some nights, we are having the "night from hell" and comfort food is what keeps us going. i'm sure in the long run and bowl of lentil soup would be better for us to eat instead of a big bag of chips. but at that moment, what keeps us going is a big mouthful of junk food. i've seen some pretty big large cops too. it makes me wonder "how do they catch the bad guys when they look like they are about to have a coronary right there?" or my neighbour who's a regional manager (the whole eastern side of canada) for a very large home supply store. his house isn't even finished. i've even seen doctors smoke cigarettes. oh yeah, my dad has a friend who is a pharmaceutical rep and they used to smoke pot together a long time ago. my daughter's horseback riding instructor is a member of the humane society but encourages the students to wear spurs and use whips.

aren't people funny? and my sister isn't married to that loose anymore.

[Corvette Guy]

[color=dimgray]about the financial savvy: my sister was married to a big looser. one day, he approached my father and said that he took a little course to be a financial advisor. my dad laughed in his face. this guy had been on welfare and was scrounging for change to buy cigarettes. and he wanted to be my dad's financial advisor?? i thought that was funny and wanted to share that.

i wanna share this too. it might have already been posted but i wanna say it anyway. some nurses may not be the picture of health. nursing is a very stressful job. some nights, we are having the "night from hell" and comfort food is what keeps us going. i'm sure in the long run and bowl of lentil soup would be better for us to eat instead of a big bag of chips. but at that moment, what keeps us going is a big mouthful of junk food. i've seen some pretty big large cops too. it makes me wonder "how do they catch the bad guys when they look like they are about to have a coronary right there?" or my neighbour who's a regional manager (the whole eastern side of canada) for a very large home supply store. his house isn't even finished. i've even seen doctors smoke cigarettes. oh yeah, my dad has a friend who is a pharmaceutical rep and they used to smoke pot together a long time ago. my daughter's horseback riding instructor is a member of the humane society but encourages the students to wear spurs and use whips.

aren't people funny? and my sister isn't married to that loose anymore.

people [nurses] are funny, in an ironic kind of way, when they don't provide a good example of wellness. if, a cardiac rn is teaching a s/p cabg patient on the benefits of a heart healthly diet should that same nurse not adhere to same advice?

"practice what you preach"

to "preach" is to tell others [teach] the right way to do something; to "practice" is to do the thing yourself. you "practice what you preach" when you yourself do something the same way you tell others to do it. example: you explain to a patient the importance of a heart healthy diet. why should nurses not practice what they preach [figuratively speaking]? our actions (what we do) should be consistent with our words (what we say). example: good nurses should try to lead by example and practice what they preach [teach] by also following a heart healthy diet, imho.

[ckben]

I just think that people need to be aware of the image they are giving their patients. Yes, what you look like has no bearing on your abilities as a nurse (for the most part - I refuse to believe that a nurse who huffs and puffs after a leisurely walk down the hall is capable of doing half the work a physically fit nurse can do. not speaking of intelligence or attentiveness, thoroughness, or any other factor. but sometimes as a nurse you have to be speedy, and weight [or a severe smoker] can be a major detriment to that. i've seen it happn, and the nurses, very good nurses, simply can't keep up with what needs to be done meaning the other staff picks up the slack or the patients get the short end of the stick).

anyhow, i DON'T think it's right for nurses to come in smelling like smoke while other nurses are trying to convince the guy who's got severe PVD and diabetes of why smoking is bad for his health. i don't think it reflects well on our profession when someone can walk down the hall and make a casual comment like, "hmm, these nurses are pretty hefty, aren't they?" And I don't know where you can draw the line. Is it okay for nurses to sleep around without protection? Is it okay for them to have an addiction to narcotics? is it okay for them to be alcoholics? most people would say no or "whatever, as long as it doesn't affect their work." but i say no, it's not okay. i think nurses should practice what they preach. some people are overweight no matter what they try, but as long as they attempt to eat healthy that's all you can ask. but how can a nurse who brings whataburger or burger king to work every day possibly feel they have a right to tell that renal patient not to drink orange juice, or to tell that transplant patient it's okay to eat the fresh strawberries his family brought him? I think some people are less than objective on this subject because it would mean they would have to change their personal lifestyles, which takes an amount of work and perseverence they aren't willing to commit to.

most people believe in the expression "practice what you preach" right up to the point of personal inconvenience.

[Corvette Guy]

I just think that people need to be aware of the image they are giving their patients. Yes, what you look like has no bearing on your abilities as a nurse (for the most part - I refuse to believe that a nurse who huffs and puffs after a leisurely walk down the hall is capable of doing half the work a physically fit nurse can do. not speaking of intelligence or attentiveness, thoroughness, or any other factor. but sometimes as a nurse you have to be speedy, and weight [or a severe smoker] can be a major detriment to that. i've seen it happn, and the nurses, very good nurses, simply can't keep up with what needs to be done meaning the other staff picks up the slack or the patients get the short end of the stick).

anyhow, i DON'T think it's right for nurses to come in smelling like smoke while other nurses are trying to convince the guy who's got severe PVD and diabetes of why smoking is bad for his health. i don't think it reflects well on our profession when someone can walk down the hall and make a casual comment like, "hmm, these nurses are pretty hefty, aren't they?" And I don't know where you can draw the line. Is it okay for nurses to sleep around without protection? Is it okay for them to have an addiction to narcotics? is it okay for them to be alcoholics? most people would say no or "whatever, as long as it doesn't affect their work." but i say no, it's not okay. i think nurses should practice what they preach. some people are overweight no matter what they try, but as long as they attempt to eat healthy that's all you can ask. but how can a nurse who brings whataburger or burger king to work every day possibly feel they have a right to tell that renal patient not to drink orange juice, or to tell that transplant patient it's okay to eat the fresh strawberries his family brought him? I think some people are less than objective on this subject because it would mean they would have to change their personal lifestyles, which takes an amount of work and perseverence they aren't willing to commit to.

most people believe in the expression "practice what you preach" right up to the point of personal inconvenience.

BRAVO!!!

:yelclap:

[heartbeat2]

We all make our own decisions. I've seen cardiologist that smoke like a freight train, nurtitionist that are obese, hypertensive nurses not take their medication...and the list goes on.

AS long as these decisions don't cross the line and impact our patients, we give our patients the correct information, then they will have to make their own choices.

Whenever you have an IMPAIRED nurse or DR....it does cross that line.

[Corvette Guy]

We all make our own decisions. I've seen cardiologist that smoke like a freight train, nurtitionist that are obese, hypertensive nurses not take their medication...and the list goes on.

AS long as these decisions don't cross the line and impact our patients, we give our patients the correct information, then they will have to make their own choices.

Whenever you have an IMPAIRED nurse or DR....it does cross that line.

IMHO, the Thread's original intention was in regards to healthy nurses [i.e. don't smoke, non substance abuse, exercise, and eat in moderation & heart healthy, etc.] providing an example of wellness for our patient's. Even though a nurse that practices a healthy lifestyle is likely to have more energy throughout the work day I don't think a direct correlation exist between lack of nursing skills & poor health habits. These are two seperate issues. However, it would be nice to practice both a healthy lifestyle and excellent nursing skills, right?

[PamUK]

you don't see why an accountant should be financially savvy or why a firefighter should have smoke alarms in his house? really???

Yes, really.

As long as the financial advice the accountant gives me is savvy, I dont care and dont have a right to know if their personal finances are a mess.

As long as the smoke alarm the firefighter recommends or supplies to me works appropriately, I dont care and dont have a right to know if they have smoke alarms in their own homes.

As long as the builder builds my house properly, I dont care and dont have a right to know if his house is falling down.

But what is your point... you didn't make one.

[Corvette Guy]

yes, really.

as long as the financial advice the accountant gives me is savvy, i dont care and dont have a right to know if their personal finances are a mess.

as long as the smoke alarm the firefighter recommends or supplies to me works appropriately, i dont care and dont have a right to know if they have smoke alarms in their own homes.

as long as the builder builds my house properly, i dont care and dont have a right to know if his house is falling down.

but what is your point... you didn't make one.

clearly, the point is..."practice what you preach"

to "preach" is to tell others [teach] the right way to do something; to "practice" is to do the thing yourself. you "practice what you preach" when you yourself do something the same way you tell others to do it. example: you explain to a patient the importance of a heart healthy diet. why should nurses not practice what they preach [figuratively speaking]? our actions (what we do) should be consistent with our words (what we say). example: good nurses should try to lead by example and practice what they preach [teach] by also following a heart healthy diet, imho.

[Elisheva]

clearly, the point is..."practice what you preach"

to "preach" is to tell others [teach] the right way to do something; to "practice" is to do the thing yourself. you "practice what you preach" when you yourself do something the same way you tell others to do it. example: you explain to a patient the importance of a heart healthy diet. why should nurses not practice what they preach [figuratively speaking]? our actions (what we do) should be consistent with our words (what we say). example: good nurses should try to lead by example and practice what they preach [teach] by also following a heart healthy diet, imho.

lucky for me that i don't preach. teach a little, maybe. preach, never. :wink2:

[Corvette Guy]

Lucky for me that I don't preach. Teach a little, maybe. Preach, never. :wink2:

*preach: to advocate earnestly

*practice: apply what you preach

* definitions straight from the MW Dictionary

I advocate earnestly to my patients the importance of maintaining a well balanced diet, and remaining active by also living a healthy lifestyle.

[Elisheva]

*preach: to advocate earnestly

*practice: apply what you preach

* definitions straight from the MW Dictionary

I advocate earnestly to my patients the importance of maintaining a well balanced diet, and remaining active by also living a healthy lifestyle.

You're a better nurse than I am. I considered myself lucky if I got all my IVs hung and my dressing changes done by the end of my shift. I can honestly say I've never had the time to earnestly advocate anything to a patient on a med-surg floor. Maybe I need to try being an Army nurse.

[leslie :-D]

i agree that it is indeed, a balancing act.

it's important to me, to not come across as hypocritical (follow as i say, not as i do).

yet, i would never want to come across as holier-than-thou, where pts do not find me approachable or worse, feel their goals are unattainable r/t unrealistic ideals.

we all know the reasons why we overeat, or smoke, or drink-there's a million reasons why we react 'humanly' and overindulge when stressed.

it is those qualities that can unite nurse and pt.

that we 'get' ea other- empathy goes a long way.

so while recognizing that most of us are not super-achievers with 10% body fat, and not a judgmental bone in our bodies ( ), it is important that we relay the importance of aspiring to healthy lifestyles, w/o risking our pts judging our credibility (for those of us who have bad habits) or our unattainable ideals (for those of us who are perfect...)

again, it's all about pt perception.

leslie