Hey nurse, why do you smoke?

Nurses Relations

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Specializes in Emergency.

That thought ran through my head while we were tubing a resp failure and my colleague reeked of tobacco. Given the scientific data and even more importantly, what we see smoking does to people on a daily basis, why would a nurse continue to smoke?

Disclosure: I used to smoke and quit cold turkey a few decades ago.

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

Knowledge does not change behavior.. I know many nurses, MD's, RT's and others in the healthcare field that smoke as well as over eat, drink, need RX drugs to cope etc..

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Nurses, like the rest of the population, are human too. They have their vices, including those that are unhealthy. Some may have started before they got their education and have tried unsuccessfully to quit/don't have the resources to quite/just don't want to quit.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I was just going to say the same thing - because nurses are human, and not perfect.

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Specializes in ICU.

Why do cops lie, cheat, steal?

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I'm borderline obese..... Although I know the effects it has on my health. I'm just addicted to food.

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I'm borderline obese..... Although I know the effects it has on my health. I'm just addicted to food.

I was just going to say the same thing. Never have used any tobacco, but my addiction is food. When I am stressed I will eat anything that's not nailed to the floor! :wideyed:

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I am classed as morbidly obese but I'm working on changing that....I love my food!!!

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It's an addiction... and you know you're going to die from it, but it doesn't matter... you want the damn cigarette.

Why do people use freakin' krokodil, even though they know it's going to eat their limbs right off?

Ok... That's extreme :sarcastic:, but addictions override what we know is right or wrong...

Being a nurse isn't going to change that.

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When I smoked I managed to take my lunch breaks worth of time throughout the shift and got a few minutes of space away from the floor. Now that I don't it's too easy to forget to give myself those breathers, or make them a priority. Chain smoking on the drive home also helped me stay awake better than anything else I tried.

Plus, it's addicting, so it feels good to smoke and you feel bad when it's been a while since your last cigarette.

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If it were as easy as making a logical decision, no one would smoke.

That'd solve a lot of other problems with the world, too!

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Neuro/Oncology floor nursing..

Plus, it's addicting, so it feels good to smoke and you feel bad when it's been a while since your last cigarette.

You took the words right out of my mouth. Because it feels good...and withdrawal does not...now I have never been a smoker in my life, but I have certainly lived with a few that loved their cigarettes and were not pleasant when they were trying to quit. The head of pulmonology in my hospital can be seen having his cigarettes with the rest of them on the "smokers corner" across the street from the hospital grounds. Why does a heroin addict shoot heroin in their veins? Because it feels good. Why did I eat two pieces of carrot cake last night? Because it tastes good. It's human nature to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Of course some go to higher extremes(literally) than others to seek pleasure...but that's a discussion for a different day.

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