I'm such a hypocrit.

mermaidunderwater · Jan 25, 2011

Huh. I remember a long time ago, when I was new to this site, argueing about leaving the floor to smoke. I was a smoker then, saw nothing wrong with it.
Now, I'm one year into being a non-smoker and when someone leaves the unit to smoke and wants to give me report on their patients, I give'em attitude. I pretty much warn them I won't be doing anything with their patients while they are gone soooo............no need to give me report.
Gee, wonder if people were this way to me when it was reversed? I can't remember. I have to go back and read the posts I made. If I can.

You are not a hypocrit, you are just now seeing how ANNOYING YOU were BEING and how disrespectful it is for people to assume "their" addiction/habit should interfere with everyone and anything around them. Addictions are selfish and self absorbed....so no, I don't think u are a hypocrit, I think you have just finally seen the light! Congrats!

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2011

How did your manager deal with the matter after you stood up for yourself? Do you guys still work together?

The coworker and I continued to work together after that, she just didn't complain about running late and I covered her back. We are still buds that sends cards back and forth. I just accept that she has "issues".

I left that job about 10 years ago. The manager was seriously toxic as were some of the staff.

flashpoint · Jan 25, 2011

When I worked in the ER, we had been running for the first three or four hours that I was there. We finally got a break and I sat down to eat when the PCU manager came and asked if I could come to the floor and shower a patient because the assinged nurse was "too busy" and the patient wanted her shower NOW (the ER shifts and PCU shifts were different, so they had just come in). My supervisor informed her that I was on break and would do it when I was done. About five minutes later the phone rings and the nurse manager is telling the ER charge that I need to go to PCU NOW and get the shower done. So...I went to the PCU as the nurse assigned to the patient was walking in from having a cigarette. She was too busy to shower her patient, but not too busy to smoke.

I can remember several times pulling into the parking lot at a nursing home I worked at and seeing the charge nurse, the med aide, and two or three CNAs smoking in the parking lot. Several of those days, the charge nurse or med aide would come to my office and ask me to help with breakfast meds since they were behind.

I have worked with several nurses who are scrambling to get everything done at then end of the shift and are annoyed that I don't offer to help them catch up even though they took four or five smoke breaks and I only took lunch.

I don't think you are a hypocrite, I just think you are seeing the light! Good job on quitting!

lifelearningrn, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2011

You'd be a hypocrite if you were still taking smoke breaks yourself, and then treating them that way.

The thing about smoking is you have to be in the right 'place' to quit. Then, and only then, is someone truly successful. Your co-workers haven't made it to that place yet. Hopefully it'll happen before it is too late.

Congrats.. it's been over 9 years for me... I don't generally think about it anymore.. but I still have dreams where I smoke.. and get mad at myself for starting again after quitting for so long. Have you had that yet? It's a recurring nightmare for me.. I think it's my penance for starting in the first place.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Jan 26, 2011

Pssst....don't mention electronic cigarettes or JCAHO will ban them. We're already doing without food and drink, what will happen without nicotine?

LittleWing21, RN · Jan 26, 2011

Good on ya for quitting!!!! A former co-worker's patient coded while she was on a cigarette break and no one knew where she was or how to find her (you couldn't technically smoke on the whole hospital campus, so you either had to hide or go out onto the main road!!!). It was pretty awful. And hopefully a reality check for some people.

Katie5 · Jan 26, 2011

Good on ya for quitting!!!! A former co-worker's patient coded while she was on a cigarette break and no one knew where she was or how to find her (you couldn't technically smoke on the whole hospital campus, so you either had to hide or go out onto the main road!!!). It was pretty awful. And hopefully a reality check for some people.

What happened next?

ButterflyNurse30 · Jan 26, 2011

I am a smoker. I don't over do it and usually am lucky to get 2 five minute smoke breaks in a day. I am lucky to get a lunch break so these small smoke breaks are a savior for me and a few moments of peace and quiet in a very busy and hectic day. I always tell my co-workers where I am going in case they may need me and always make sure another nurse is on the unit. I see nothing wrong with it. For me, it helps me keep my sanity:smokin:

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Jan 26, 2011

I am a smoker (cringe) and I have tried to quit many times. I have tried the patch, tried Chantix, and have tried cold turkey. No success so far. I am going to try hypnotherapy next.

I NEVER go for a smoke break when I am at work. It takes 5 minutes to walk out to the smoking area at my hospital, 5 minutes to smoke, 5 minutes to walk back. That is 15 minutes that I would waste at work. I don't think that it is appropriate for me to smoke at work. I have co-workers that do smoke during working hours, and I don't hold that against them. I just feel that it is MY problem, and MY issue to overcome it, so I feel that I should deal with it on my own time.

If anyone has any thoughts or advice you could give me on quitting, I am all ears. I understand the risks that I am taking by smoking, but I would really like to hear anyone's experiences with hypnotherapy or any other means that you have used to quit. I am so tired of being a slave to cigarettes and really want to quit. I was on Chantix for about 3 months and quit for almost a year before I started again. I tried it again only 6 months ago and I had n/v when I took it. I am going to start the patch again and hopefully it will help. My BFF did hypnotherapy after smoking for 20 years, so I am hopeful. Any advice?

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Jan 26, 2011

You are not a hypocrit, you are just now seeing how ANNOYING YOU were BEING and how disrespectful it is for people to assume "their" addiction/habit should interfere with everyone and anything around them. Addictions are selfish and self absorbed....so no, I don't think u are a hypocrit, I think you have just finally seen the light! Congrats!

Funny. I got to talking to some friends who knew me when I smoked because of this thread. They laughed at me. I remember what I said in the threads I mentioned before now.

Yeah, I didn't give report when I left to smoke. I'd just disappear off the floor and all of a sudden you'd see me walking back on the unit with a Pepsi in my hand. I'd be gone a total of 10-12 minutes. Usually did it twice a day. 90% of the time no one even noticed. What they hated about it was when a family member or someone would call and they'd be running around looking for me, cause most of the time I didn't even tell people I was leaving.

My attitude was "I don't need to give report to leave for a smoke. If I thought anything could happen, I'd not be leaving". Eh, IDK, overconfidence or what.........IDK.

You'd be a hypocrite if you were still taking smoke breaks yourself, and then treating them that way.
The thing about smoking is you have to be in the right 'place' to quit. Then, and only then, is someone truly successful. Your co-workers haven't made it to that place yet. Hopefully it'll happen before it is too late.
Congrats.. it's been over 9 years for me... I don't generally think about it anymore.. but I still have dreams where I smoke.. and get mad at myself for starting again after quitting for so long. Have you had that yet? It's a recurring nightmare for me.. I think it's my penance for starting in the first place.

No, not at all. But I drink Pepsi too much. Me getting fatter and fatter :crying2:

I know what you mean about being "in that place". I've managed to get to that place twice. Not going back this time.

Good on ya for quitting!!!! A former co-worker's patient coded while she was on a cigarette break and no one knew where she was or how to find her (you couldn't technically smoke on the whole hospital campus, so you either had to hide or go out onto the main road!!!). It was pretty awful. And hopefully a reality check for some people.

THIS is part of the reason I quit smoking believe it or not. My current facility, you have to drive away to take a smoke break, you are gone long. I was ok with disappearing for 10-12 minutes........not 20-25. I kept seeing myself, walking up to my unit and right into a rapid response team code on one of my patients. Never happened and now that I've quit never will. I'd have resigned right there on the spot had it happened. I was so afraid of it.

wildlaurel · Jan 26, 2011

The thing that irritates me about smokers - and I'm not one and don't have that addiction issue - but because it IS a physiological addiction for most people - it seems as though smokers NEED a break because they'll go into withdrawal or something. I can't leave the unit to get my caffeine fix - I drink my coffee or mtn dew at the desk!

backatit2 · Jan 26, 2011

when i was younger i used to work double shifts at a fast food joint all the time and it seemed like someone was ALWAYS taking a smoke break. every now and then i would just go to the back, take a drink, and sit down doing nothing. my GM asked what i was doing one day and i said, "i'm taking an I don't smoke break." i figured it was only fair i have some time to sit/stand around doing nothing since i didn't smoke.

i also used to say i always had to work nights bc i didn't have a kid and i should get pregnant so i could have dayshift - lol. my opinion is a little different, but not much. i have kids now and i've missed many evenings away from home for school and plan to work overnights asap.