Smoking

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  1. How many nurses smoke?

    • 91
      Yes, and I don't hide the fact.
    • 52
      Yes, but I sometimes feel guilty being a nurse who smokes.
    • 14
      Yes, but I don't advertise the fact at work.
    • 21
      Yes, but I don't smoke while I'm at work.
    • 6
      Yes, but not cigarettes...heheheh
    • 46
      No, but to each his own.
    • 48
      No, I think it's unprofessional for nurses to smoke.
    • 114
      No, but I realize that nurses are human too and have their vices.

392 members have participated

Just curious to know how many nurses smoke (or at least admit to it)!

Specializes in Mostly LTC, some acute and some ER,.

I'm a CNA who smokes. I don't hide it either, I mean how can you. People can smell it on you. I'm not like one of those who just HAS to smoke every half hour, but when the opportunity comes, I do.

P.S. All who responded to my previous smoking thread, I DON'T RIP OFF MY PARENTS ANYMORE. I never said I quit, but I'm seriusly thinking about it.

When I didn't smoke (back when I was a fresh, naive, unjaded new-grad) I used to think it was disgusting how the nurses who smoked came back from their breaks smelling like dirty ashtrays. After I started smoking, my smoke breaks became the only few moments when I could pull myself together during a really crazy shift. I do feel horribly guilty sometimes suctioning my vented patients after coming back from a smoke break!

I quit smoking many years ago, and it's the best thing I ever did. I feel so much more healthy and patients enjoy not smelling it on me all the time.

Dorothy

Specializes in Mostly LTC, some acute and some ER,.

Ditto Jadednurse. I thought it was so nasty before, but when I smoke I get myself together, then I go in and do postmortum care on a COPD'er! Sometimes I say, "Mandi, what the hell are you doing to yourself!" Being a CNA is rough, and the coffee breaks were just not enough. I'm not saying smoking is a good thing, but some of my most memorable conversations were while smoking with other CNA's and nurses. lol. Conversations with the same ones that I thought (when I was new) "How gross and unprofessional!"

Originally posted by FutureRN_Mandi

I'm not saying smoking is a good thing, but some of my most memorable conversations were while smoking with other CNA's and nurses. lol.

Isn't that the truth:roll

Specializes in Mostly LTC, some acute and some ER,.

LOL. It's how I really got to know my co-workers, because I hardy ever took breaks before I smoked! Now I'm motivated to take breaks. And hey, the smoking area is where all the dirty jokes and gossip takes place. Gossip isn't a good thing either, but I find myself doing more and more of that :(. lol

Anyways i have exchanged so many life stories with co-workers, and have gotten very close with some of them, and during break, I get to know co-workers for who they are besides just my co-workers. It's sad that all this takes place during smoke breaks ha ha ha.

Specializes in OB, Telephone Triage, Chart Review/Code.

I enjoy going to the butt hut and meeting others working in the hospital. I work with the same people for 12 hours. It is nice to take a break and talk to other people, not to mention getting OFF the floor. A break on the floor is boring.

Originally posted by webbiedebbie

butt hut

Good one! I remember at one place I worked where they were threatening to take away the smoking area/ban smoking, blah, blah, blah. Even threatening to make it a hospital policy that you were a non-smoker. Gone would be the cigarette butts, but so too would the worker bees be...

(Two months, two weeks, three days, 2 hours, 6 minutes and 45 seconds. 1521 cigarettes not smoked, saving $456.78. Life saved: 5 days, 6 hours, 45 minutes.)

WOO HOO!!! And I'm just lovin' all that extra cash!!

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

My choice would've been: "I don't smoke, never did, it doesn't have anything to do w/being a nurse."

My father died of lung cancer @ a relatively young age, denying him the privilege of enjoying his 2 grandsons, and them the privilege of enjoying a really terrific grandfather. THAT is the real tragedy, not our "image" as a nurse.

If you're gonna quit, do it because you want to live longer and better, because it's an expensive and smelly habit, because it's not good for the people around you who don't smoke--do it for yourself!

NOTE: I really don't want this to come across as putting anyone down.

I use to smoke for about 3 years. I quit when I met Dave and became a CNA. I quit for several reasons:

1) my own health, Dave's mother died of cancer just before I met him. She was a heavy smoker and only in her 40's. I don't want MY children to have to go through that.

2) I couldn't stand that smell on my clothes when I was taking CNA classes and bending over a bed to work on a patient.

3) I didn't want to be a hypocrite when I started nursing school or became licensed. I didn't want to have to tell my patients they shouldn't smoke, that they needed to quit and then turn around and go puff one myself. Lead by example! ;)

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