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I will start nursing school this fall.
I am a smoker (smoked for the last 15 years). I have tried to quit several times - just cannot seem to do it.
I've seen nursing staff at hospitals around town taking "smoke breaks." Even though I am a smoker as well - seeing nurses in their scrubs with cigarettes in their hand just doesn't look right. Not judging - have no room too.
I'm just curious about how many nurses (or other healthcare professionals) have been imprisoned by this addiction to nicotine? Any input on successful ways to kick this habit?
I've tried the patch (works for day or two before I cave in and light up); the gum (can't stand the taste); cold turkey (no way - cannot do it for more than 5 hours) :stone
ok..I normally dont get involved with threads like this, but I HAVE to with this one. I am a smoker. Have been since i was 14. I as well have tried MANY MANY times to quit. some of it is psychological....get in your car smoke..have a drink...smoke and so on. HOWEVER..ANY nurse knows that THIS IS AN ADDICTION.....so are other things like...carbs,caffine...so on.....I challange you to "just quit" something that you are used to...whether it be your 6 cokes a day that your addicted to. "just quit" coming from someone who has never smoked in her life is just plain ignorant if you ask me.
You go Girl....what you said is oh so truthful....Its very hard to "just quit" I know others who have tried everything, drugs, patches, herbs,hypnotism...and 90% could not keep with it and restarted smoking..Sadly enough...Nicotine is a HARSH Drug...We have rehab centers for alkies, drug addicts, abusers etc....but did ya ever hear of a center for smokers???? NO WAY...cause the Tobacco Industry would go belly up in no time...
gonna go have my smoke....was ok until I started thinking about it and now I really want to light up
I've seen nursing staff at hospitals around town taking "smoke breaks." Even though I am a smoker as well - seeing nurses in their scrubs with cigarettes in their hand just doesn't look right. Not judging - have no room too.
At my hospital, staff is not allowed to smoke anywhere on hopsital grounds.
At my hospital, staff is not allowed to smoke anywhere on hopsital grounds.
I didnt start smoking untill AFTER nursing school, that's pretty surprising because most start in nursing school due to stress, bordem, peers having smoke breaks and socalize during these breaks.....however when I started working in the ER and went through a divorce, I started, that's been four years ago, so I know there's hope, no body in my family even smoked, just me. I am 28 and my dad just found out, Lord help, I thought he was going to put me over his knee!! I intend to quit soon because I am nearing 30 and I want to be around healthy to have children and raise them!! Good Luck!
I quit cold turkey after seeing my grandfather die from emphesyma. Everyone always says it's a horrible way to go but until I saw someone I loved so much go through it (and what it put us through) it broke my heart. Knowing that if he hadn't of smoked he would still be with us kills me. I won't do that to my family. I love them too much. More than cigarettes.
Current smoker here, still battling with this demon. Everytime I quit, I find an excuse to start again. Tried cold turkey, of course failed. Tried the patch, failed. Just like any other addiction you really have to want to quit. I'll get it right and when I do, it will be a great day for my family. Failure is all part of success the eventual success.
I was imprisoned by ciggarettes for 11 years and tried very hard to quit many many times, and I understand. All I can say is don't quit quitting because one day the desire to quit will turn into the reality that you are a nonsmoker. God knows I've quit thoursands of times before I finally had my last cigarette in 1988, 17 years ago going cold turkey, listening to subliminal tapes and taking up jogging.
You're about to enter a stressful time. I wish for you to quit now before school starts, because your life needs to be relatively calm when you try to quit.
Good luck to you!
At my hospital, staff is not allowed to smoke anywhere on hopsital grounds.
At my hospital either, but they still find places to go, nooks and crannies where or they boldly cross the street and smoke there. While I understand the idea, making a "smoke free" hospital doesn't work here. Smokers now live in a "smoke free" world where smoking is hard to do in public anywhere, especially places like here where there's a smoking ban in public, except for bars, etc., but a smoker is going to smoke. Period.
Originally Posted by AngieRN29ok..I normally dont get involved with threads like this, but I HAVE to with this one. I am a smoker. Have been since i was 14. I as well have tried MANY MANY times to quit. some of it is psychological....get in your car smoke..have a drink...smoke and so on. HOWEVER..ANY nurse knows that THIS IS AN ADDICTION.....so are other things like...carbs,caffine...so on.....I challange you to "just quit" something that you are used to...whether it be your 6 cokes a day that your addicted to. "just quit" coming from someone who has never smoked in her life is just plain ignorant if you ask me.
Bottom line is that it really is that simple..........just quit.
Is it easy? No. It's a gut wrenching miserable experience. But the bottom line in order to quit smoking, carbs, caffeine, etc. is......you're going to have to "just quit". :)
Bottom line is that it really is that simple..........just quit.Is it easy? No. It's a gut wrenching miserable experience. But the bottom line in order to quit smoking, carbs, caffeine, etc. is......you're going to have to "just quit". :)
I agree. It was a horrible experience, I left a pack on cigarettes on the counter ...and just forced myself to walk by them day after day. I ate a lot of microwave popcorn, lol. There were times when I cried in the shower thinking of how much I wanted that cigarette. I was a miserable person to be around. DH was going to throw the pack away, but I told him no, that I needed to prove to myself that I was strong enough not to give in..
Everytime I picked up the cigarettes I forced myself to think of all the terminal lung cancer and COPD patients I have taken care and asked myself to I want to put DH and the rest of my family through that?? Do I want to spend my last days on a 100% NRB mask gasping and so short of breath that I can't even say goodbye? And that's when I put the cigarettes back down.
After a couple of months, I just threw the pack away. I still crave a cigarette now and then, but I haven't smoked since, and I know that it will just take one cigarette to "wake up" the addicted part of my brain. And I refuse to let that happen.
I did it by cutting down gradually. It is a horrible addiction. My heart goes out to you.
I'm in the process of doing this as well. I also try to just "hold" my cigarette longer instead of taking drags.
I think if you can get to the point that you WANT to quit, it's hard to get past the point of what to do with your hands. The nicotine is an obviousl addiction, but holding the cigarette, hopefully plays a mind game.
You may still get a little second-hand, but I smoke outside anyway. Most of the smoke blows away. (That's my motto, and I'm sticking to it!) lol
Other than breathing easier, I don't want to be a smoking RN.....smokin' maybe, smoking uh no. :roll
Good luck to you, I am 31 and have quit several times throughout the years. I started smoking when I was in Jr. High.....didn't really think it looked or was cool, I've just always enjoyed kicking back with a cigarette.
It just has came to the point that I want to be in control of my breathing again, not a pack of cigarettes.
Good luck to you! :)
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whoever said nurses were perfect? I drink a lot of coffee. That's an addiction too. But it's alright, isn't it? Nobody says anything about that.
It does look funny to see a nurse standing outside in their scrubs smoking. But... everyone knows that smoking is bad for the lungs and the people around them. My husband has been trying to quit for years. It must be a hard thing to do.
maolin
221 Posts
Recovering smoker here too. I've been smoke free for 3 years - after a million other attempts to quit. After trying everything - it came down to cold turkey this last time. Not only was I sick of physically feeling like crap and stinking - I couldn't handle the guilt and disappointment in myself. I tried to quit a few years before this time, and stopped smoking around my family - "just at work". Yeah right. Then I quit again, but lit up again. I was so embarrassed, I didn't confess to family - I snuck around with it . Showering several times a day, brushing my teeth til my gums bled, perfume to hide the smell. The worst part was the constant fear of getting caught. I didn't even want to kiss DH because he'd find out I'd been smoking. I never felt so bad about myself in my life.
When I couldn't stand it anymore - I just stopped. It was the most difficult thing I've ever done in my life (even NS). And I had to do it all on my own, suffering in silence because my family thought I had quit years before and I couldn't tell them I had failed.
I used to be all for "smokers' rights", but now that I've quit, I can't stand the smell - it makes me gag. I realize just how nasty it is and that my family knew all along, there's no way they couldn't have known, despite my best efforts to conceal my addiction. As a smoker, you don't realize how potent that smell is.
Imagine how that odor must affect the patient your tending to just after you've come in from your cig break. Especially a nauseated one.
Best of luck to you in your efforts to give up a very difficult habit - many of us know what you're up against. Coming here and posting your concern is a step toward a successful recovery. It's hard, but it's not impossible! :icon_hug: