The Five Things I Always Carry In My Pocket As A RT

1 Pen
Kind of obvious. I don't buy pens anymore because I always lose them. The best pens are the free ones.

2. Report Sheet AKA The Brain. 

Because It's really difficult to remember more than 6 patients and all their settings. 

3. Scissors 

The ones with the smooth edges are better than the sharp OR scissors. I have stabbed myself in the butt while sitting down. Never again. Scissors are just so useful. Where I work not all of the patients rooms have scissors stocked in their carts.

4. Pen Light 

I work night shift. It's essential to use a pen light to check ETT tube placements, meds, flow meter settings and etc. without turning on all the lights in the room. I see some coworkers have used their phones to look for things in the dark. It just doesn't look as professional / bad ass as a pen light.

5. Sharpie Marker
Labeling drugs and stuff that needs to be replaced.

Other stuff that I carry on my body:

Stethoscope 

You're not a respiratory therapist without one. 

Watch

Because half the clocks at the hospital need new batteries or are set to the wrong time. 

Other stuff I would like to carry but I don't have space and I'm not going to wear a fanny pack:

22mm adapter

It's a fact: 22mm adapter > 18mm adapter

ETT tape

I always have trouble finding good tape. I can't stuff it in my pocket because it always collects lint and then it looks gross.

Adhesive remover

Because it's mean to rip tape off a kids face without it. 

Clamp

Clamps help me break adapters apart when our equipment gets crusted with salt. 

Thoughts On E-Cigarettes 2014

Are electronic cigarettes healthier than normal cigarettes? The studies so far have been inconclusive. 

The American Lung Association is "very concerned about the potential health consequences of electronic cigarettes as well as the unproven claims that they can be used to help smokers quit," according to their site. There are few reports on batteries overheating with incompatible chargers but I know my readers too smart for something like that to happen. University College London study said E-cigs worked better for people trying to quit smoking than any other nicotine replacement, but the University of California San Francisco found the opposite is true.

I still have mixed feelings about them.

On one hand you have E-cigs that are marketing towards children with colorful and fruity flavors. E-Cig consumption among high school students has doubled from 2011-2012. Since we don't know the long term affects of E-cigs, will this overall negatively affect one's health?

According to DNews with their video on Is Marijuana Smoke Healthier Than Tobacco Smoke?, it's not the chemicals that are hurting you but the smoke itself. Does that include E-cigs?

On the other hand you have countless success stories from the Reddit electronic cigarette forum that tell the tales of how E-cigs have helped them quit. I personally know two people that are smoking few and fewer cigarettes now because of E-cigs. Will they ever stop completely? Who knows? It's also cheaper.

I will never truly understand what strength of vice grip nicotine has on someone since I've never been in that situation myself. I might of smoked for two months in my experimental college phase but then realized that I was too poor to smoke. +1 for poverty!

The best answer I can give is to try E-Cigs if you definitely have a goal to quit and have exhausted other options. Research the different doses and flavors as much as possible. Understand the risks (dehydration). Obtain a quality kit and juice. Stay away from Diacetyl. Maybe start with a juice that is similar to your favorite brand of cigarettes and then slowly wean yourself off the cigarettes as you start vaping.

Now you are saving a little money and still getting your nicotine fix. Can you wean yourself off the nicotine now?

Here are some quick links:

Quick FAQ on e-cigs
Reddit Eectrong cigarette forumReddit E-cig supplier list