AlmostERnurse

Day 5 no smoking! But I am having one problem... I cannot for the life of me get back to studying (for NCLEX, of all things) Sounds ridiculous, I know, but I used to sit on my patio and study for hours on end. Now I have no clue how to study without smoking lol. Any tips?

So I'm on day 3 no smoking! It hasn't been the easiest time ever but I'm going strong. I just wanted to give an update and thanks for all the support!! :)

Good to know. I have never heard of that either! Adding fiber to my grocery list for tomorrow :)

That's great!! Congrats to you both :) I cannot wait for the day when smoke smells disgusting to me. It's really comforting to hear that I'm not alone... Thanks for telling your story!

Thanks for sharing! I will definitely try it out. I really appreciate your kind words!! Hopefully I will pass - please keep your fingers crossed for me!

I am so sorry to hear about your brother. Cancer sucks I am happy for you that you were successful in quitting. I am going to buy lots of food/snacks/straws to keep me busy... Thanks for the advice and for sharing your story.

That is actually amazing! Congratulations! I have heard of others doing the same, but I got even more anxious when I read statistics of quitting cold turkey I saw it had a less than 10% success rate... Your experience is inspiring and I will definitely be looking at your post again when the going gets tough. Mind over matter. Thanks for sharing.

Hello Allnurses! I landed my dream job as a new grad (almost) nurse in a high volume ER at an amazing hospital As many hospitals do, I am required to have a nicotine metabolite blood test in 2 weeks. This post is not looking for insight about my stupidity for waiting to quit or about whether hospital nicotine testing is ethical. I decided to post about this because I am sure I am not the only nursing student/grad nurse/RN that has been in this situation and struggled. I am simply sharing my experience and looking to hear others experience/tips/words of encouragement. Smokers tend to be viewed as second class citizens (from my personal experience) - and I get it. Smoking stinks (literally), gives you a crazy high risk of detrimental health issues, makes you age horribly, and on and on. Which is the reason I am completely embarrassed of my awful habit... most of my friends don't know that I smoke. I NEVER smoke around them and especially not before clinical or school. I began social smoking at the young age of 15 - then up to about a pack per day at 20 years old. I'm now a few years short of 30. Before you judge me, let me tell you that picking up smoking was by far the most regrettable decision I've ever made. Unfortunately, I was a product of my environment. My childhood was not the best and I consider myself lucky to beat the odds and made it to where I am today. Not to say it's not my own dumb fault for giving into peer pressure or for not quitting sooner... I know I'm an idiot for not quitting sooner. I knew from the get go that this day would come... addiction is a b*#%~ (pardon my French). Not much in my life has ever come easy - whether it was from my own poor decision making, anxiety/depression issues, or struggling with ADHD. I know it is going to be difficult but I am incredibly determined to be an ER nurse. I have never been SO passionate about anything and know that the opportunity to be in my position is an incredibly lucky one - as finding a job as a new nurse is difficult in itself and ER is stupid competitive. I am quitting smoking tomorrow as my set quit date. I have pretty fast metabolism and am planning to drink lots of water, eat lots of fruits/veggies in hopes of speeding up the process to rid my body of nicotine/continine. I am so scared that I will fail the test (again I understand it's nobody's fault but my own) and whether pass or fail I am committed to stay "clean" lol. I can't help but feel extremely anxious/terrified, yet excited to finally quit and live a life sans cigarettes. How do you help your patients quit smoking? Or yourself/friends/family members? I am not a fan of nicotine replacement- it honestly did nothing for me in the past. Any success stories? Thanks for reading and I hope you will share your thoughts below!