Situation: A patient wants to go out to smoke. She threatens to sign herself out if not allowed. The NPs want the bedside nurse to take the patient outside to smoke so she will not sign herself out. By the way, this is supposed to be a non-smoking campus. I think that it is unethical to assist the patient in harming herself even if the alternative is that she will sign herself out. I would like to hear opinions from other nurses.

We ,under no circumstances, allow pt's to go outside and smoke.We at one ponit had let me go w/ staff, if time allowed, byt that got to be crazy.If they decide to sing themselves out ama due to that reason, then so beit.We offer patches to all of our smokers.If they are well enough to go off the floor, they are well enough to go home, is the rational.We had alot of pt's smoking in the bathrooms at one point, but now we have to call security  .We have other pt's visitors complain when they smell smoke.It has become a huge issue and the other staff anf pt's should have to be subject to it.The problem w/ them going outside is safety and legal, if anything happened, the hospital and staff would be lible, pt do not realize the severity of leaving the floor, even if they are  ambulatory.I know it must be hard, as i am an ex smoker and my mom was a die hard smoker, but it is for the best of all involved.