The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #63724

Stella Aguinaga Bialous, RN, DrPH¹, Linda Sarna, RN, DScN², Mary Ellen Wewers, PhD, MPH³, Erika Froelicher, RN, PhD⁴, and Leda Danao, BSN, PhD². (1) Consultant, 676 Funston Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118, 415-876-2990, stella@bialous.com, (2) School of Nursing, University of California Los Angeles, Box 956918, Factor 4-262, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6918, (3) School of Nursing, The Ohio State University, 1585 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, (4) School of Nursing, University of California San Francisco, 2 Koret Way, #N-631, San Francisco, CA 94143-0610

Introduction: In the United States, it is estimated that 16%-18% of registered nurses smoke. Nurses who smoke have provided knowledge about the devastation from tobacco use through participation in the Nurses Health Study. However, nurses have not received assistance in their quit efforts. Methods: Focus groups were conducted in 4 U.S. states with nurses who were current or former smokers in an attempt to understand nurses’ attitudes towards smoking and quitting and identify smoking cessation interventions that would be acceptable to nurses. Results: Nurses described their addiction and cessation efforts in similar ways to the general population. However, nurses experience a great amount of shame and guilt related to their smoking, as they know they are expected to be role models for healthy behavior. Nurses rejected any intervention approaches that assumed “nurses should know better”. In addition, nurses claimed that their stressful working conditions and irregular working schedule served as additional barriers to access regular smoking cessation services and resources. Nurses suggested many interventions that they felt would be supportive of their quit attempts, such as on-site services, Internet-based support groups. Conclusion: Nurses who smoke have been a neglected subgroup in terms of smoking cessation efforts. They have many characteristics of the general populations, but many particularities that need to be addressed by nurses-tailored cessation interventions. Furthermore, smoking by nurses is an additional barrier to the promotion of smoking cessation services to patients.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Define professional issues related to smoking among nurses.
• 2.Recognize the need for targeted cessation efforts.
• 3.Articulate options to decrease smoking prevalence among nurses.
• 4.Discuss strategies to remove barriers to nursing participation in tobacco control.

Keywords: Nurses, Tobacco

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
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