Times May Have Changed but Addiction Hasn't

When I was 19 yrs old I was a student nurse and experienced my first awakenning to the power of the addiction to cigarettes. It was back when patients were still allowed to smoke in the hall outside their rooms. Yes folks that really was allowed! My patient was standing there, inhaling his non-filtered Camel through his trach!! I can remember thinking "that shit has an
in-humane hold on him". The same year I went out with a group of people getting together to celebrate someone's one year anniversary of kicking Heroin. He slapped his pack of smokes down on the table and said "I quit junk! But I can't stop these". That was over 30 yrs ago. Hosital rules have changed. 5 years ago I would walk out of the hospital and pass patients standing outside holding their IV poles...smoking. When hospitals became "No Smoking" environments there were many staff sneaking outside during their shifts, standing by a dumpster to catch a smoke. Rain or snow didn't matter. Now we have Nicotine Patches on standing admit orders, "No Smoking Campuses" and healthcare workers have to be pretty skilled, or slick, to pull off a smoke. But what has always shocked me the most? Watching the Respiratory Therapists head out for theirs.