Yes, Some Nurses Smoke.
According to tobaccofreenurses.org, 15% of Registered Nurses (RNs) and 28% of Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) are addicted to tobacco. Even though Nurses are smoking less than they used to, a significant amount (millions) of health care workers smoke.
If you are one of the remaining travel nurses that smokel, this is a survival guide for you. Even Nurses hooked on tobacco need income. Smoking is a vile, filthy, expensive vice, no one should engage in it, it is dangerous and unhealthy, I encourage everyone to quit. So with that disclaimer said... I am a smoker, now please leave me alone if you see me puffing away when I am not at work. (read more for the answer)
As you probably know by now, the anti smoking brigades are out to get you. They do not care about your freedoms, forget privacy arguments, it's not your body, and you don't control it. We should be a realist about this issue. We have lost the argument about the right to smoke. There is no financial reward to challenging the status-quo at this point. I sometimes wonder if administrators don't care more about the time expended to smoke than the smoking act itself. However, this article is not to address the injustice of persecuting smokers. It is meant to help you survive unemployment if you are unable to quit.
Take heart O fellow smoke smelled caregivers, the answer is easy! Just go electronic. Smokeless electronic cigarettes are indeed the answer. They do not stink, they can be used indoors, they deliver your nicotine, and with current taxes through the roof, they are less expensive than regular smokes. As an added benefit, there is some evidence out there (more studies needed) that the compound in electronic vapor neutralizes viruses like colds and flu. I wouldn't put a lot of stock in that, but hey, the anti-tobacco folks sure throw around a lot of loose facts, so research it yourself. So in short, consider “vaping” your nicotine.
This Solution May Not Last Long
Powerful Senators, Drug companies, and anti-smoking groups are already arrayed for the battle to limit or ban electronic cigarettes. Policymakers don't like the devices because it robs them of their precious tobacco taxes. Drug companies want them banned because they are cheaper than the expensive smoking cessation devices that deliver inhaled nicotine. Anti smoking groups are against them because it is their nature to be against all things related to the term tobacco.Even as I type this article, some legislators have banned the devices for sale within their state. Sen. Frank Lautenberg is working to get the FDA to ban the devices throughout the US. However, at this time they are still readily available online. I use them and I recommend you at least try them. It could save your job and your sanity. It may even help you quit smoking altogether.
