I watched an interesting Twitter conversation this evening, when a community mental health nurse suggested mental health workers should promote a smoke free environment around their clients. Nurse With Glasses who wrote the 20 Commandments for Mental Health workers and a lady I admire. I often read her tweets and this one caught my eye.
Should Mental Health Workers Quit Smoking?
Of course I understand her professionalism and would agree that mental health professionals should be behaving in an appropriate manner at all times and having a fag hanging out the side of their mouths is never a great luck but …
My first community mental health nurse, who I had not had much chance of building a relationship with was driving me to the local hospital to attend a psychiatric appointment with me. I was terrified. I had no idea what to expect from the appointment and to be honest, just being in the var with a women I hardly knew was freaking me out.
“Are you OK?” she asked as she could see my hands shaking vigorously in my lap
“Have I time for a cigarette before I go in?” I asked. I was beside myself, I know a fag would not help me, but it was the only answer I had ready to her question.
“Here” she said reaching into her glove compartment when we stopped at traffic lights and taking out a packet of cigarettes, OK so they were not my brand and were super long, but I welcomed one.
I took 2 out of the packet and handed her one.
“Oh I’m not allowed to smoke when I am working” she informed me
“I won’t tell if you don’t” I told her smiling.
That broke the ice. I relaxed.
For the remaining of the journey I was able to forget I was the crazy and she was the doctor as such. We were just two women driving along. That simple cigarette stopped me feeling so isolated and a freak, she was only driving me as I was unable to attend on my own. I was taking up her time because I was scared to get on a bus alone.
That cigarette broke the ice, I accepted her as “just another person”. She had something in common with me.
Now I am not saying that all mental health nurses should take up smoking to fit in with their clients, but should they have to stop smoking around their workplace or not be allowed to have a cigarette if its upon the request of a client to join them?
I wonder what your own views are? Should Mental Health Workers Quit Smoking?
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Thanks to @hopelesschick @nurse_w_glasses for inspiring me to write – http://t.co/VgqO0ccH Should Mental Health Workers Quit Smoking?
i dont see the problem with it , it does not effect how they preform their job and how they help the people under their care.
who r we to dictate who can smoke ect its bad enough been told were we can so if we started saying ‘hey u in that job u never can smoke ect’ then we’ll be falling into the ‘nanny state’ xx
If a client has offered them to join them then I dont see the problem, but if they are with a client who dont smoke then obviously they should respect that client and not smoke before they see them or around them. As long as they are doing their job right then there is nothing wrong with them wanting to smoke xx
I don’t see the proplem, their client has offered them to join them for a cigarette so it’s not as if they’re having one against their clients will. however if they are with a client who doesn’t smoke then obviously they should respect that and have the decency to wait until they are no longer with them. if their job is being done then what’s the harm? x
I don’t see a problem to be honest. It doesn’t make them any less of a mental health worker because they smoke. Doctors/nurses/midwives smoke. If one proffession is going to get called up for it they all should
I don’t see a problem with it, we shouldn’t get to tell people who can and who can’t smoke, agree with what everyone els has said xx
Should Mental Health Workers Quit Smoking? http://t.co/VgqO0ccH
I think this topic wil hav both answers sum wil say yeh they should and others would say no personaly i am a smoker and if i was a mental health worker and a client lit up nxt to me and asked me to join them i wouldnt be able to say no esp if i was craving a fag etc so id like to think i cud join them and i fink they mayb shouldnt smoke where clients cn c them bt nt b forced to quit durin workin hrs x
I don’t see the problem, smoking is a persons choice no1 should be told they can/cannot smoke cause if a profession! Aslong as there doing there job what does it matter x