When Your in the Hospital

[Winkos]

For an elective surgery I am doing my part in my hospital to make sure you can vape. I have met a lot of resistance from some of the nurses but I got an internal medicine doc to write orders to allow patients to use "an electronic water vapor device".

Our hospital has zero tolerance for smoking by staff or patients. You cannot smoke on any of the property. It has taken a lot of education to explain that vaping is not smoking. And it is harmful to slap a nicotine patch on a patient who vapes as they are getting much more nicotine this way then vaping. I am making head way though. The stigma of the word "cigarette" has really hurt those who vape. And I even have one staff member who tells me his father still smokes because he uses and e-cig.

I am still a closet vaper at work because of the stigma associated with e-cigs. Hopefully as time comes there won't be any or (and I hope not) there will be research that proves it harmful and I will quit. I hope that day doesn't come but I am keeping an open mind. Until then I still love my e-cig and am making sure that others can enjoy theirs during a stressful time.

 

[TBinAZ]

People who have never smoked in their life just don't understand the whole quitting thing, and never will. A hospital is probably the worst place to try and solicit e-cigs. Although, I do know a lot of nurses who smoke, or have smoked. Good luck, Winkos.

 

[Pappy]

Good luck. Ignorance is hard to overcome, especially when the ignorant don't want to be educated.

 

[TBinAZ]

True. There isn't enough 'good press' going around just yet. Once it makes the rounds, hopefully, the gubbermint won't step in and try to take over. Whatever dreams.

Good luck. Ignorance is hard to overcome, especially when the ignorant don't want to be educated.

 

[Rickajho]

After I was firmly into vaping I had to go into the hospital twice for two "surprise!" visits. There was nothing planned regarding either trip. Both times I brought my PV and... never even touched it. I thought about it but didn't really need it. My priorities were completely focused elsewhere and I never felt like I missed anything. So asking about it, in my case, was kinda irrelevant. That would have never happened if I was still smoking.

But did I fire up that PV the minute I got out of the hospital? You bet.

 

[Baditude]

I work for a midwest hospital with the same no tobacco policies. I'm also a closet vapor. My closest co-workers are aware that I vape, approve, and a couple even ask for a toot to try it out to critique the flavor that I'm using. I do this in a secluded area of a locker room.

I had a discussion about use of e-cigs with one of the head nurses about hosptial policy. She really was clueless about them but promised to investigate it. I tried to educate her that they were not a tobacco device, but another nicotine delivery system not unlike nicotine gum or patches. She got back with me a few days later after discussing the topic with "others". She said e-cigs are not allowed because there is not enough official information or research on them to officially allow them in the hospital.

So, until some respectable, unbiased scientific research studies are published, I guess we are out of luck to do this out in the open.

 

[440BB]

A no nicotine hiring policy just got adopted at two local hospitals

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/articl...henry-ford-to-adopt-no-nicotine-hiring-jan-1#

I wonder when they will ban caffeine, a comparable stimulant. It's going to be an uphill fight for vapers.

 

[Iffy]

In the beginning, forget about approaching the hospital admin. The secret is to convince several doctors to write scripts to allow patient vaping.

Remember the ol' saying, if Mama's not happy, no one's happy? Well the same goes for doctors in hospitals!

 

[TBinAZ]

Heck, just 'stealth vape' if it's going to be such a pita. ;-)

That's what I'd do.

 

[Baditude]

Working in surgery, I can see the results years of smoking can have on people's health. But what irks me pratically every day is obesity. 50% of Americans can be considered obese today, and it gets worse every year.

I undestand smoking is a learned behavior with detrimental results, I understand that, and finally have found a method of stopping through vaping. But the majority of obesity is caused by learned behavior also. Just stop eating after the first plateful, already! Geesh!

We have strict policies of not calling an obese patient "fat" or even "large". Something to do with being politically correct and not hurting a patient's feelings. Yet, obesity is the direct cause of more health issues than smoking ever has. Do obese patients suffer from the same discrimination from insurance companies that smokers do? No. Do obese patients experience the same negative attitudes that smoker's do? Not as much. I assist the surgeons during surgery, I'm the one who is up to their elbows in intestines trying to provide visual exposure for the surgeon, or holding an 80 pound leg for over an hour during a hip or knee joint replacement. It's actually quite physically demanding and I don't much care for it. And the reason for it is these people never learned how to put down the fork.

I do appologize for my above rant. I just needed to vent that. It's just that I feel there is an unfair injustice to vapors who have done something positive to kick an unhealthy habit. More studies and more education and more unprejudiced exposure is required.

 

[Mac]

Last time I was hospitalized I vaped the whole time. I didn't ask permission.

 

[Baditude]

Last time I was hospitalized I vaped the whole time. I didn't ask permission.

Now that is a very progressive hospital. Kudos to them.

 

[Mac]

The nurse was cool about it. I think she was the only one who noticed.

 

[Baditude]

The nurse was cool about it. I think she was the only one who noticed.

Well, either she didn't give a crap or was knowledgable about e-cigs. Kudos to her, then.

 

[erictho]

i'm of the opinion that a community cannot overcome stigma without exposure.
the university hospital here actually advocates pvs/e-cigs as a less harmful alternative to smoking. i had to accompany a friend for a 9 hr hospital visit, and they had no issues with me vaping my face off. one of the nurses let me know that they give disposables to patients.
i had a few nurses passing by chuckle at my enthusiasm for the device, but admitted if they had the day i had, they'd probably be on it pretty fierce as well.

 

[Iffy]

one of the nurses let me know that they give disposables to patients.

Awesome!