Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria will implement an anti-tobacco policy for its entire campus starting July 1 of next year, expanding the policy put in place two years ago for employees of the women’s and children’s areas.
While smoking is prohibited in and near Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital, there are areas in the general vicinity where some people take smoke breaks.
The policy will prohibit the use of tobacco products by employees while on their shifts, including when they are on breaks. It also will not allow employees to work if their clothing smells like smoke.
Hospital officials are aiming to reduce patients’ and employees’ exposure to toxins that linger in fabrics from a recently burned cigarette, also known as third-hand smoke, Lauve said. Such toxins present a special danger for the developing brains of infants and small children.
Ideally, Cabrini policymakers would like to see all employees quit tobacco products for good, Lauve said. And the hospital will offer those wanting to quit tools, support and resources available to help them kick the habit.
“Optimally, we would love to help our associates stop smoking for their own health,” Lauve said. “We actually have a couple of primary-care physicians that are doing some work in their offices with smoking cessation.”
Clinical consultations, habit-focused programs and possibly prescriptions from physicians and practitioners are available to employees looking to drop the pack, Lauve said. Alternatives like nicotine patches, access and information from online resources and support groups are also examples of the tools that will be in place to keep employees tobacco-free.
One of the goals for announcing implementation of the new policy nearly a year in advance is to give employees the opportunity to pursue quitting options that work for them before the new ban, Lauve said.
Though Cabrini employees complied with a 2006 city ordinance banning smoking within 50 feet of a health-care facility, satisfaction surveys conducted by the hospital have indicated the smell of cigarettes on an employee’s clothing and person resonates poorly with patients, visitors and non-smoking employees, Lauve said. That’s one of the factors that prompted administrators to put together and implement the new policy.
“It’s really a combination of push from our patients and from our associates who do not smoke and don’t appreciate working “» with the smoke smell,” Lauve said.
This will cause a shift in the way some employees approach their jobs, Lauve said. Should they continue to use tobacco products during their personal time, employees must find ways – such as using nicotine patches – to get through the work day tobacco-free. Non-smoking employees who ride to work with a smoker will need to make sure they are able to get to work in a smoke-free manner.
Smoking “e-cigarettes” – electronic cigarettes with no tobacco – is not allowed in Cabrini Hospital, and it is strongly discouraged on the grounds. The final policy on e-cigarettes is still being formulated by Cabrini officials, but no official policy is in place now.
