Vaping and working in Healthcare

[oatmeal]

Hello all!

I'm a nurse; I work at a local hospital and at a mental health facility. I've always been a closet smoker and now I'm a closet vaper. Even though I feel vaping is definitely a better alternative to smoking, I don't plan on disclosing this part of my personal life to my colleagues because I still feel like it doesn't really "mesh" with my profession. Anyone here in a similar situation? If so, how do you feel about it?

 

[Ref Minor]

I was in hospital in the UK earlier this month and was allowed to vape in my bed.

In the UK many Drs and Nurses smoke cigarettes without issue so I can't see vaping being a problem.

 

[Ldporche]

I'm a nurse as well and have been vaping for several months, I believe the non smokers at my job still look down on us because they still feel we haven't given up the addiction. I personally prefer my patient to vape in their rooms then for them to wander around the hospital looking for somewhere to smoke or give them sedatives to calm them down. As for me instead of leaving the floor, I go to the bathroom, its safer and no one has to cover me.

 

[VapHer]

Yep, I hear you! I work in a hospital and rarely get breaks. It's rough, but I love my profession. I'm also a bathroom vaper, B/c I can't leave the floor and can't Vape in front of patients, although our hospital has no policy against vaping ~ since I'm direct patient care it's a no go. Otherwise, I use a couple nicotine lozenges to get me through the day. I'm in school now for my LPC so it won't always be like this, but I definitely hear you!


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[Cheechako]

Nursing student here and am amazed at the negative response from the instructors to vaping.
Did a research paper and presentation for my classmates to inform them of what vaping was
and risk reduction for smokers as they were future healthcare workers...didn't make much of a dent.

 

[Ldporche]

We will just keep trying to educate and fight the good fight. Vape on!!!!

 

[Ldporche]

Nursing student here and am amazed at the negative response from the instructors to vaping.
Did a research paper and presentation for my classmates to inform them of what vaping was
and risk reduction for smokers as they were future healthcare workers...didn't make much of a dent.

Oh and good luck in school, 16 years on the floor and in the unit and I still love it.

 

[Baditude]

I also work in a hospital. The entire campus is considered a "tobacco-free" facility. I've closely read the hospital's policy and procedure manual concerning smoking and nowhere is there any mention about the use of e-cigarettes being allowed. As most employers seem to look upon vaping as a tobacco product, I stealth vape in the locker room with some discretion. Even the nicotine patches and gum must have a physician's order for patients to be able to use them during admission.

I know which co-workers and surgeons to trust to vape in front of. They approve of my switch to vaping; in fact they say they like the way my flavored vapor makes the locker room smell.

 

[Signal30]

I also work in a hospital. The entire campus is considered a "tobacco-free" facility. I've closely read the hospital's policy and procedure manual concerning smoking and nowhere is there any mention about the use of e-cigarettes being allowed. As most employers seem to look upon vaping as a tobacco product, I stealth vape in the locker room with some discretion. Even the nicotine patches and gum must have a physician's order for patients to be able to use them during admission.

I know which co-workers and surgeons to trust to vape in front of. They approve of my switch to vaping; in fact they say they like the way my flavored vapor makes the locker room smell.

Two Words......University Hospital. If Lisca is in charge, you can forget about vaping ever being allowed. That "little bundle of sunshine" takes the hospitals no tobacco policy to a level above everything else.

 

[oatmeal]

I'm a nurse as well and have been vaping for several months, I believe the non smokers at my job still look down on us because they still feel we haven't given up the addiction. I personally prefer my patient to vape in their rooms then for them to wander around the hospital looking for somewhere to smoke or give them sedatives to calm them down. As for me instead of leaving the floor, I go to the bathroom, its safer and no one has to cover me.

I completely agree. All around I feel it's a much safer alternative to smoking (for us and our patients!). However, no one I work with seems to know what e-cigs are. The other week a patient came back from a pass with an ecig, and none of my colleagues knew what it was and it ended up turning into a big issue for the staff and the patient (this has since been resolved, thank goodness).
Where I live in Canada you can only buy e-cigs in smoke and vape shops. You never see them at convenience stores; they're never advertised, and because of this there is a big stigma around vaping. I'm not sure if it's like that everywhere, but that's definitely the case here.

 

[oatmeal]

Two Words......University Hospital. If Lisca is in charge, you can forget about vaping ever being allowed. That "little bundle of sunshine" takes the hospitals no tobacco policy to a level above everything else.

That's really interesting. This hospital has a policy that includes vaping? I've looked over our health authority's tobacco policy quite closely (before I started vaping I was checking the policy for a patient), and there's no mention of ecigs/PVs.

 

[ch2468]

Where I live in Canada you can only buy e-cigs in smoke and vape shops. You never see them at convenience stores

Where are you in Canada? I see the no-nic ones in convenience stores all the time.

As for vaping in healthcare, I'm a desk jockey and I spend 5-6 hours a shift in my locked office by myself, with no windows. I've stealth vaped my cig-a-like there, but never in a common area. I take my mod(s) outside though, as they generate too much vapour, you never know when you'll set off one of those stupid fire alarms.

 

[wingman399]

I just got licensed as a PTA and I have a feeling I will be using the bathroom to vape. Too much hassle to deal with co-workers approving or not. I'll let them know if it comes up or vape in public with them but not at work. I figure most places I'll work won't allow it anyway. That's what cargo scrubs are for anyway right? Stash a small mod.

 

[shakeytails]

Nurse in a mental health facility here, our facility does allow smoking in designated areas. My stuff generally sits out in plain site on the nurses station. Nobody cares, and the general consensus is positive even from the doctors. For the times I need a mental health break and can't get off the floor, I hide in the bathroom for a few minutes.

 

[Heavyrocker]

If you have smoking co workers they will get jealous of you vaping inside and cause a ;;stink''...best too keep it too your self.

 

[oatmeal]

Nursing student here and am amazed at the negative response from the instructors to vaping.
Did a research paper and presentation for my classmates to inform them of what vaping was
and risk reduction for smokers as they were future healthcare workers...didn't make much of a dent.

I find that so interesting, as harm reduction has a big role in nursing and care planning (especially if you work in mental health like I do). Too bad. Good for you for advocating! You'll be a great nurse I've only been nursing for a few years now, but I love it. I hope you do too!

 

[NICnurse]

RN here as well....and NOBODY that I work with knows I vape. I graduated from RN school after I started vaping. Nobody knows I used to smoke, so nobody knows I vape.

My hospital has a no tobacco on campus policy, and vaping/ecigs ARE included in the wording of the tobacco rules. That rules out vaping in an open place. I rarely get more than 10 minutes to eat lunch, and you can spend 10 minutes just waiting for an elevator to get me to the closest exit to get outside....forget that it is another 5-10 minute walk to get off campus property where you can actually use tobacco products. That rules out going outside to vape. My only option is to vape in private bathrooms behind closed doors. Nobody knows I do this, and it causes no problems for me or for my coworkers.

Do I like having to vape in secret? No. I wish more people would listen to the harm reduction of vaping and promote it as a tool for smoking cessation in our patient population. All of our doctors are in the BP mindset that patches and gum are the way to quit. I did ask one resident one time about vaping...he said he knew nothing about them but had heard they weren't effective. I wish I could have corrected him without giving up my secret. I have had 3 patients that used e-cigs. One was a silver bullet and the other two were cig-alikes. I let them vape openly.

I have had some negative replies on here a few times by others (usually not in healthcare and have the ability to go outside and vape when they want to) that think what I do at work is "stealth" vaping. However, I do not consider what I do "stealth". I do not try to sneak a puff in open public spaces where the likelihood of being caught is high. I do not use my PV in any place where others may see me or misinterpret what I do. I vape in private, in the bathroom, to maintain my comfort level with nicotine while protecting the rights and views of those that work with me. Given that noone knows what I do, I am not causing any harm to anyone else, and I am not openly blowing vapor that could be misconstrued as cigarette smoke, it is a win win for all parties involved. My vaping is private, not stealth. I think there is a big difference. If I could, I would gladly step outside and vape....the fresh air and sunlight would be nice during a 13 hour shift!

Sounds like most of us healthcare workers are in the same boat. Keep on keeping on friends!

 

[NICnurse]

Nurse in a mental health facility here, our facility does allow smoking in designated areas. My stuff generally sits out in plain site on the nurses station. Nobody cares, and the general consensus is positive even from the doctors. For the times I need a mental health break and can't get off the floor, I hide in the bathroom for a few minutes.

Man, you are lucky!!! I wish I could be out and open about what I do. Kudos to you!

 

[shakeytails]

Working in mental health is rather neat. Everybody (staff and patients) is pretty open and honest about just about everything, sometimes to the point of TMI. I love my co-workers and patients.

 

[wingman399]

RN here as well....and NOBODY that I work with knows I vape. I graduated from RN school after I started vaping. Nobody knows I used to smoke, so nobody knows I vape.

My hospital has a no tobacco on campus policy, and vaping/ecigs ARE included in the wording of the tobacco rules. That rules out vaping in an open place. I rarely get more than 10 minutes to eat lunch, and you can spend 10 minutes just waiting for an elevator to get me to the closest exit to get outside....forget that it is another 5-10 minute walk to get off campus property where you can actually use tobacco products. That rules out going outside to vape. My only option is to vape in private bathrooms behind closed doors. Nobody knows I do this, and it causes no problems for me or for my coworkers.

Do I like having to vape in secret? No. I wish more people would listen to the harm reduction of vaping and promote it as a tool for smoking cessation in our patient population. All of our doctors are in the BP mindset that patches and gum are the way to quit. I did ask one resident one time about vaping...he said he knew nothing about them but had heard they weren't effective. I wish I could have corrected him without giving up my secret. I have had 3 patients that used e-cigs. One was a silver bullet and the other two were cig-alikes. I let them vape openly.

I have had some negative replies on here a few times by others (usually not in healthcare and have the ability to go outside and vape when they want to) that think what I do at work is "stealth" vaping. However, I do not consider what I do "stealth". I do not try to sneak a puff in open public spaces where the likelihood of being caught is high. I do not use my PV in any place where others may see me or misinterpret what I do. I vape in private, in the bathroom, to maintain my comfort level with nicotine while protecting the rights and views of those that work with me. Given that noone knows what I do, I am not causing any harm to anyone else, and I am not openly blowing vapor that could be misconstrued as cigarette smoke, it is a win win for all parties involved. My vaping is private, not stealth. I think there is a big difference. If I could, I would gladly step outside and vape....the fresh air and sunlight would be nice during a 13 hour shift!

Sounds like most of us healthcare workers are in the same boat. Keep on keeping on friends!

You guys hiring any PTA's? HAHA What hospital do you work at? If you don't mind me asking.