Nurses and smoking: Review and implications

doi:10.1016/8755-7223(92)90072-7

Journal of Professional Nursing

Volume 8, Issue 2, March–April 1992, Pages 120-132

https://doi.org/10.1016/8755-7223(92)90072-7 Get rights and content

Abstract

An analysis of smoking behavior among nurses shows unacceptably high levels of smoking, despite some evidence of a downward trend. In this article, the nature of tobacco dependence is examined, and an extensive review of demographic and causative factors associated with the smoking behavior of nurses is presented. The impact of smoking on the practice of nurses, particularly related to their ability to serve as health educators and role models, is critically examined. Areas for potential research and inquiry, along with some overall strategies for intervention, are identified. (Index works: Nicotine; Smoking; Substance abuse; Substance dependence; Tobacco use disorder)

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Cited by (27)

Smoking behavior, initiating and cessation factors among Japanese nurses: A cohort study
2002, Public Health
The prevalence of smoking among Japanese nurses, specially in their twenties, is higher than that among the general female population. To examine smoking behavior, smoking initiating and cessation factors, we conducted a cohort study through questionnaire survey, targeting nurses (n = 1572) working at 11 hospitals located in Tokyo metropolitan area. The first survey was conducted using a confidential questionnaire on smoking, followed by a second survey conducted in the same manner on the same subjects two years later. As to smoking status after two years, 8% (95%CI = 1.5%) started smoking and 6% (95%CI = 1.4%) quitted resulting in a 2% increase in the prevalence of current smoking. The average nicotine dependence for nurses who were smokers in the two surveys rose from 3.9 to 4.3 (P < 0.05). Smoking behavior of mother, friends, or superiors at work had a significant influence on smoking behavior of nurses. As to smoking cessation factors, the idea that women and medical workers should not smoke, and living with family each had a significant influence. Considering the fact that 6% of nurses in this study succeeded in quitting smoking within two years, it is required that anti-smoking education be conducted at medical institutions to decrease the prevalence of current smoking among the nurses in Japan.
Public Health (2002) 116, 347–352.
Predictors of tobacco control among nursing students
2001, Patient Education and Counseling
As the most numerous health care providers, nurses could reduce tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. A cross-sectional survey of 476 junior and senior students at 12 schools of nursing in the New York metropolitan area was conducted, to determine nurse knowledge of tobacco control, their attitudes, beliefs, and practices. Overall, 76% of all nursing students reported that they practiced tobacco control. Current smokers were less likely to participate in tobacco control with targets ranging from the nurse herself to the community than either never or ex-smokers. Nurses were more likely to engage in tobacco control among individual, family, or group clients than to advocate for changes in the community. Student nurses who were African American or Hispanic, had never smoked or were ex-smokers, those who had better knowledge of cessation approaches, and those who tended to have more confidence in their cessation counseling skills were more likely to engage in multi-target tobacco control than other similar nurses.
Tailored interventions that emphasize discrete counseling skills are suggested.
Differences in tobacco assessment and intervention practices: A regional snapshot
2000, Preventive Medicine
Background. This research describes tobacco attitudes and practices of health care providers in the Up per Midwest. A baseline measure of preventive practices by providers was needed to plan effective tobacco intervention education programs.
Methods. Health care providers in a 16-county region received a mailed survey regarding tobacco assessment practices, intervention practices, attitudes, skills/knowledge, barriers, and desire for tobacco education. The survey was sent to all chiropractors, dentists, nurse practitioners/physician assistants, physicians (primary care and specialist), and public health nurses in the region. A total of 51.9% (n 614) of all providers returned usable surveys.
Results. Significant differences were found between provider groups on all measured concepts. Primary care physicians, nurse practitioners/physician assistants, and public health nurses were more likely than specialist physicians, dentists, and chiropractors to assess, intervene, be supportive of tobacco cessation, have skills/knowledge about cessation, perceive fewer barriers, and want further education.
Conclusions. In this region, provider groups differed in tobacco use assessment and treatment. All provider groups desired education regarding tobacco intervention. Region-wide tobacco cessation educational initiatives need to take into account differences between provider groups.
Evaluating the effectiveness of a smoking cessation intervention designed for nurses
1999, International Journal of Nursing Studies
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of offering an individualised approach to smoking cessation to qualified nurses and student nurses in Northern Ireland. Twenty-two qualified nurses and 32 student nurses enrolled in the intervention. A further 23 qualified nurses and 33 student nurses expressed interest in giving up smoking, but did not wish to be included in the intervention. They were assigned to the comparison group. Objective verification utilising salivary cotinine measurements of continuous abstinence at 6 months and 1 year demonstrated that 24% of student and qualified nurses in the intervention groups stopped smoking compared with 7% of those in the comparison groups. Both of these differences are statistically significant (Fisher's Exact Probability Test p=<0.05). This suggests that the individualised approach as used in this study is an appropriate method of helping motivated nurses to quit.
A preliminary survey of nurses' health-related behaviours
1995, International Journal of Nursing Studies
The substance-use, positive health practices, diet and eating habits, driving behaviours and preventive health care practices of 113 nurses living in the southeast of England were assessed by means of a postal questionnaire. Females were generally more compliant than males with most of the behaviours assessed. Females reported taking greater risks with driving behaviours by an occasional tendency to “drink and drive”. Many males reported both a lack of knowledge of how to self-examine their testicles for signs of cancer and little compliance with this behaviour. This sample reported more smoking and alcohol use than previously reported samples of American nurses and UK norms. The nurses in this sample were more likely to avoid foods high in cholesterol, add fibre to their diet and be more vigilant in their driving behaviour than American nurses and British non-nurses.
Smoking patterns among Jordanian health professionals: A study about the impediments to tobacco control in Jordan
2011, European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing

View all citing articles on Scopus

^∗: Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, University of Rhode Island, Kingston.

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Original articleNurses and smoking: Review and implications

Abstract

Nurse Education Today

International Journal of Nursing Studies

Journal of Health Economics

Chest

Nurse Education Today

Public Health

Social Science and Medicine

Smoking behavior of military nurses: The impact of job stress, job satisfaction and social support

Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders

Patterns of smoking

The Practitioner

Smoking behavior and the efficacy of nurses as role models

Health Values

Smoking behaviors and attitudes towards smokers among hospital nurses

American Journal of Public Health

The nurses' health study

American Journal of Nursing

Stress and nurses

Nursing

Group psychotherapy with addicted smokers

Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics

The professional pair: Husband and wife psychologists

American Psychologist

Nurses' attitudes towards smoking and non-smoking patients: A semantic differential analyses

Dissertation Abstracts International

Nurses' smoking behavior

The Canadian Nurse

Smoking habits of nurses

Nursing Times

Smoking practices among nursing students: A comparison of two studies

Journal of Nursing Education

Personality scores and smoking behavior

British Journal of Preventive and Social Medicine

Nicotine addiction and heavy smokers: The next “frontier” in smoking cessation

Health Values

An investigation of the relationship between occupational stress, professional level of nurse's training, and selected social factors and the self-reported smoking behavior of nurses in two southeastern Pennsylvania hospitals

Dissertation Abstracts International

Nurses' smoking in the workplace: Causes and solutions

Journal of Community Health Nursing

Helping people to stop smoking: A study of the nurse's role

Journal of Advanced Nursing

Personality variables associated with cigarette smoking

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Occupational stress and variation in cigarette, coffee, and alcohol consumption

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Response to anti-smoking campaign aimed at mothers with young children

Health-Education-Research

Nurses: The professionals who can't quit

American Journal of Nursing

Smoking cessation with hospital employees: An example of worksite smoking cessation

The International Journal of the Addictions

Smoking and attitudes toward smoking among clinical nurse specialists, critical care nurses, and medical-surgical nurses

Sex roles, smoking, and smoking cessation

Journal of Health and Social Behavior

Self-efficacy and smoking cessation maintenance: A preliminary report

Cognitive Therapy and Research

Health practices of nursing students: A survey

Health Values

Smoking practices, knowledge and attitudes regarding smoking of university hospital nurses

Canadian Journal of Public Health

Nurses, smoking, and cancer prevention

International Journal of Health Education

Do nurses smoke because of stress?

Journal of Advanced Nursing

The effect of training on knowledge and opinion about smoking amongst nurses and student teachers

Journal of Advanced Nursing

Nurses as health educators in relation to smoking

Nursing Times

Prevalence of nurse smokers and variables associated with successful and unsuccessful smoking cessation

Research in Nursing and Health

Smoking and the psych nurse

Journal of Psychosocial Nursing

Sex differences in smoking dynamics

Journal of Health and Social Behavior

Cigarette smoking among physicians and other health professionals

Cancer

Cigarette smoking among physicians, dentists, and nurses

CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians

Original article
Nurses and smoking: Review and implications