Journal Article

Impact of a Smoke-Free Hospital Campus Policy on Employee and Consumer Behavior

Wheeler, J. Gary, Mays, Glen P., Siddiqui, Nadia J., Pulley, LeaVonne, Bursac, Zoran, Stewart, M. Kathryn, Felix, Holly C., Gauss, C. Heath

2007

Overview

Objective: Although smoke-free hospital campuses can provide a strong health message and protect patients, they are few in number due to employee retention and public relations concerns. We evaluated the effects of implementing a clean air policy on employee attitudes, recruitment, and retention; hospital utilization; and consumer satisfaction in 2003 through 2005. Methods: We conducted research at a university hospital campus with supplemental data from an affiliated hospital campus. Our evaluation included (1) measurement of employee attitudes during the year before and year after policy implementation using a cross-sectional, anonymous survey; (2) focus group discussions held with supervisors and security personnel; and (3) key informant interviews conducted with administrators. Secondary analysis included review of employment records and exit interviews, and monitoring of hospital utilization and patient satisfaction data. Results: Employee attitudes toward the policy were supportive (83.3%) at both institutions and increased significantly (89.8%) at post-test at the university hospital campus. Qualitatively, administrator and supervisor attitudes were similarly favorable. There was no evidence on either campus of an increase in employee separations or a decrease in new hiring after the policy was implemented. On neither campus was there a change in bed occupancy or mean daily census. Standard measures of consumer satisfaction were also unchanged at both sites. Conclusion: A campus-wide smoke-free policy had no detrimental effect on measures of employee or consumer attitudes or behaviors.

• Publisher: Association of Schools of Public Health,SAGE Publications,SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subject: Administrators / Arkansas / Attitude of Health Personnel / Attitude to Health / Attitudes / Bans / Campuses / Censuses / Cigarette smoking / Clean air / Client satisfaction / Consumer attitudes / Consumer behavior / Cross-Sectional Studies / Customer satisfaction / Employee attitude / Employee retention / Employment / Exit interviews / Focus Groups / Health Behavior / Hiring / Hospital administration / Hospital beds / Hospital utilization rate / Hospitals / Hospitals, University / Human resources / Humans / Interviews / Interviews as Topic / Job satisfaction / Labor force participation / Measurement / Measures / Occupancy / Organizational Policy / Patient satisfaction / Patients / Personnel policies / Policy implementation / Public health / Public relations / Recruitment / Retention / Satisfaction / School campuses / Secondary analysis / Secondhand smoke / Security personnel / Smoking / Smoking cessation / Smoking Prevention / Supervisors / Tobacco smoking