Nurses Who Smoke Create Workplace Issues

January 20, 2005: Nurses Who Smoke Create Workplace Issues That Must be Addressed:“Smoking among nurses was described as an integral part of their work routine, affecting management of patient care and timing of breaks,” the study states. “The perception that smokers take more and longer breaks, and were less available for patient care, was an important theme in discussions with both smokers and former smokers, and clearly created conflict in the work environment.”
Whether accurate or imagined, these perceptions create dissension, resulting in what one nurse in the study characterized as “a war between the smokers and the non-smokers.”
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/509330/

As much added stress that smoking can cause at the workplace, this study found that few, if any hospitals offer their employees smoking cessation programs.

Quite interesting.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.nursinga2z.com

My hospital offers classes usually 5-6 people take part. But we also have the Butt Hutt which isn't even really outside it's attached to the building but they have locked off the inner hall during the day and you have to step outside and take 4 steps then back inside. It has snack machines and a TV in it..it was a riverview cafe now it's the smoke place. I don't think they'll stop it where I work I'm in tobacco country where you can get name brand cigs for less then $3 a pack...I don't smoke buy my DH is a chain smoker and spends lots of time outside of our house

I quit smoking last Feb. because I worked with all non smokers. I always took 20 min instead of an hour for lunch so it would make up for my smoke breaks. We also had a butt hutt that is over 100 ft from the building. This facility has been toying with the idea of going smoke free. University of Arkansas hospital has a no smoking ban in place. NO smoking on the grounds at all. Not even in you car in the parking lot. BOY people were pissed off.