My hospital is going smoke free

PrairieMom wrote: At the end of this month my hospital is going to become smoke free. That means that noone will be able to smoke anywhere on hospital property. Our campus is very large, The hospital its self has about 600 beds, plus there are clinic buildings and rehab buildings included in the campus.
Noone including patients, visitors and employees will be able to smoke anywhere on the campus, not even in their own cars in the parking ramps, or on public sidewalks on the campus. Anyone who wants to smoke will have to go at least 1/4 of a mile to do it.

As a respiratory therapist I think it is a good idea, but I can see it as a hardship to visitors that are going through stressful times, and may feel they NEED a ciggarette.

What do y-all think?

~Roo'sMama~ replied: hmm, well as a non-smoker I like the idea. I get bad headaches and sick in general when I'm anywhere near cigarette smoke, and I hate having to walk past people standing and smoking a few feet away from a building just to get in the door, and I don't believe that having certain areas inside a building where smoking is allowed does any good because the smell goes everywhere.

BUT I can see your point about it just adding to the stress of patients or visitors who are already going through a stressful time... and I think that they should be able to smoke in their cars - people would still be able to smell it walking past but it's not as bad as having to walk through the cloud of smoke to get inside.

mckayleesmom replied: Well, although I don't smoke and don't like to be around smoke...I think that they are going to be met with alot of angry people. There staff can't take their break and smoke without leaving the premisses...which leaving is usually a no no if they are clocked in...so they will probably start looking for different jobs. Thier patients will probably be ticked too. Although I think it is good in a way...I think they are trying to force their beliefs on other people and they will just go somewhere else if they can...kwim?

PrairieMom replied:
I agree. With the exception of employees. I don't think employees should be able to smoke at all durring their shifts. They always end up smelling like smoke, and that can really be bothersome to some patients.

I wonder how they plan on enforcing this new rule.

PrairieMom replied:
I am hoping to be on maternity leave when we make the big switch. I don't want to have to deal with all those nursed having nic fits!
In my hospital's deffence tho, they gave us a 3 month warning that this was going to happen, and they have been handing out smoking cessation information and perscriptions for the patch in employee health.

~Roo'sMama~ replied:
That's a good point I wouldn't have thought of that. I agree that could be really uncomfortable for some patients who are feeling sick and sensitive to smells.

It can't be a very easy rule to enforce - the nursing home where I used to work had that rule and the employees had to drive or walk to the park just off campus to smoke - for a long time nobody obeyed the rule but then they started threatening to fire anyone that they caught smoking on campus - I think they actually did fire a couple people.

C&K*s Mommie replied: Okay, I voted before I read your post. I think the idea of not smoking any where in the hospital is fine. But making the smokers get off the grounds is absurd to me. So I renig my vote that it is a great idea, to now saying that I think it makes it harder and is a bad idea.

Chris is a smoker, and as much as I disagree with it. He is a grown man making his own decisions, but in the case of our baby girls being in the hospital and he feels he needs to step out to destress by puffing, then I would want him to. Not having to leave, to light up, come back and hope he can find a parking place, and not have more stress added by not being able to find a spot. KWIM? I would want him fully vested in us/them and if he needs to take a drag... so be it. But I would not want him to have to go away to do it.

kayla's mama replied: I to like Nicole didn't read the post before I voted

Sut I see both sides of it. As a smoker I am very self conscience about my smoking, if that makes sense. I generally do not smoke on hospital grounds to begin with but if put in a stressful situation I would want that ability to go out and light up if need be. It really does seem to calm your nerves, so I agree you all are going to have some unhappy patients and nursing staff!!!!!

luvbug00 replied: umm i don't smoke but so i can't really say because if they had that when my Oma died my mom would have gone mad! she went threw a pack that night. So i see no matter how unhealthy it's somthing people do and i can't fault them for thier own choises.

PrairieMom replied: Needless to say, this is going to be very intersting. Thankfully, i work at night, so I won't have to deal with the angry masses as much.

ashtonsmama replied:

MyLuvBugs replied: I'm always going to vote smoke free. Asthmatic and all.

3_call_me_mama replied: Our hospitals here are all smoke free. there is a no smoking in public places and that extends to hospitals and schools. (these two were specifically stated in teht law) it wasn't easy going over at first with all teh staff. BUT they are entitled to smoke in their cars, since that is their property and therefore is exempt form teh grounds in a sense. I really LOVE teh idea. Mainly cuase most peopel are in teh hospital because they are either 1) ill or 2) reieving somesort of treatment or 3) birthing a child or 4) visiting someoen that is ill or 5) WORKING
AND IMO no one doing any of these things should be exposed to smoke. Workers included. If they chose to smoke and harm their own lungs than that is one thing but they are dealing with ill people and having left over nicotine on them and the second hand smoke they carry on their clothes, hair, breath etc isn't good for anyone. But agin that's my opinion and is probably stronger than some because I am a non smoke rnad feel tha tit should be illegal ! LOL

OH and what really frosts me is when places liek hospitals have no smoking signs and state within 20 feet of building and peopel are all huddled next to teh door smoking.. UM like we want to walk through teh smoke cloud to get inside or outside !!

Maddie&EthansMom replied: I think it's a great idea.

Cece00 replied: I think that is a WONDERFUL idea.

A&A'smommy replied: I think its a good idea I would feel guilty smoking at a hospital with all the sick people and all

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: Smoke-free anywhere is a great idea in my book!

asweetnectarwomb replied: So far I never caught anyone smoking right in front of me in a hospital...

thinking : will i have the nerve to ask the smoker to stop--without being rude--if i find one?

PrairieMom replied:
They gave us handy little scripts to follow incase we need to ask someone to stop smoking. Unfortunately, none of them are very true to life. I believe, should I come up on the situation, I will be calling security.

JAYMESMOM replied: One of our local hospitals did this starting in January. This was after doing surveys with both patients and staff. However they have not stated that they can't smoke in their cars and they have provided a place on the edge of the hospital grounds for smoking. So in essence if someone was there and wanted to smoke they could walk to BFE to do it.

na81 replied: I like that idea, although I do think it will be hard to enforce! I can't stand to be around smoke- it makes me sick to my stomach and gives me a headache, nor can I stand to be around anyone that smells like smoke. Good luck when they make this change! Hope you don't have to deal with too many angry people!!

My3LilMonkeys replied: I think it is great that they are taking such a strong stance against smoking; however, I am sympathetic to the idea that it would just place more stress on people who do smoke and may be dealing with a situation that is extremely stressful to begin with like the loss of a loved one or etc. So basically I am undecided.

My husband's workplace is 100% smoke free and it's very funny to drive by when they are out on lunch and see the crowd of 40-50 people who are smokers standing across the street on the sidewalk to have their cigarettes. They actually have security whose only job is to patrol the parking lot and breakrooms/bathrooms and make sure no one is smoking.

PrairieMom replied:
Thats basically where I am. I am Totally against smoking, but really, there has to be an appropriate time and place to take a stand, and I'm not sure that is it.