BY NORM TOLLINSKY
The North Bay Regional Health Centre is backing up its tough no smoking policy with a series of support programs to help patients and staff kick the habit.
The hospital employs the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation, a program developed by the Ottawa Heart Institute, and launched a pilot for inpatients on two nursing floors prior to the move to the new hospital. Following the move, it was introduced to the rest of the hospital.
The process begins at the time of admission with patients asked if they have used tobacco in the previous six months.
“We don’t just ask if they smoke because some people will say they quit, when in reality they quit in the ambulance on the way to the hospital with a heart attack,” said Shari Cole, clinical co-ordinator for tobacco intervention.
Cole and her team of respiratory therapists get a daily printout of smokers who have been admitted and schedule a brief intervention. The RTs offer nicotine replacement therapy and leave behind a package of information – one for smokers who express an interest in quitting and another for patients who insist on continuing to puff away. The packages contain a list of community resources, instructions on the use of nicotine replacement products and the Canadian Cancer Society’s One Step at a Time literature.
According to Cole, North Bay Regional admits approximately 30 patients a day, 24 per cent of whom are tobacco users.
“The vast majority of people do want to quit, and if you can catch them when they come into the hospital with a medical wake-up call, the percentage jumps to close to 70 per cent.
“It’s a myth that people don’t want to be spoken to about their smoking,” said Cole. “They do want you to address it. They don’t want a lecture. It has to be non-judgmental, but they do appreciate you offering advice and support.”
The focus of the interventions is on keeping patients comfortable during their hospital stay, but also advising them that it’s a good opportunity to quit if that’s what they want to do.
Follow-up counselling is offered through a partnership with Smoker’s Help Line.
Hospital management has also put in place a number of supports for staff. A survey on North Bay Regional’s intranet drew responses from 826 staff, 174 of whom identified themselves as smokers. Of those, said Cole, 94 per cent said they had tried quitting in the past and 78 percent said they would participate in a smoking cessation program.
Prescription drugs for smoking cessation are covered under the hospital’s drug plan and for those who aren’t covered, including part-timers and casual staff, the hospital will pay for a 12-week course of medication up to $300.
One-on-one counselling is also offered.
“We don’t show them pictures of black lungs and rotten teeth,” said Cole. “It’s very positive. We try to set them up with a plan that can work for them. We review all of their options as far as pharmacotherapy is concerned and we provide them with the One Step at a Time literature.”
In addition to the health benefits of a smoke free policy, there are also productivity gains.
According to the Conference Board of Canada, every employee who smokes costs his or her employer $3,400 per year in lost productivity – mostly due to time lost by employees who sneak out for a smoke.
